Earth System Science and Policy

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Earth System Science and Policy

• University of North Dakota

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First and Finest

• Unique Opportunity
• No others can ever be the first students in a
  new program.
• Corresponding Challenge
• You must assume responsibility for your own
  education.

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20th Centurys Main Lessons

• Cosmic Significance
• Spaceship Earth
• All Life Related
• Single Human Family
• Dawn of the Anthropocene

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Cosmic Significance
Homo sapiens ancestry 0.001 of travel time of
these signals.
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Spaceship Earth
Single, Interconnected System
Common Home for All Humanity
Benevolent Habitat for Diverse Life
Stunningly Beautiful
Fragile
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One Earth
Space-Time Aerosol Distribution
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Earthlife
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The Family of Life

• All organisms made from
• Same matter
• Same set of amino acids (20)
• Same genetic material (DNA)

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Human Family
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Humans

• No races
• Human genome 99.9 same in all people
• We are a single family.

• Humans related to all other life
• share same ancestry.
• 95-98 same genes in humans
• apes
• 85 same genes in humans mice

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Ecosystem or Human-made Services?
? Nutrient Recycling ? Water Purification ?
Climate Moderation ? Pollination ? Soil
Stabilization ? Genetic Archive ? Aesthetics
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Future of Life
E.O. Wilson, The Future of Life (2002)
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Human Domination--Land

• 39-50 of lands surface transformed.
• gt55 of biological productivity used by humans.
• Earths 3 most abundant plants rice, wheat,
  corn
• gt20 of plants on continents, gt50 on islands,
  are non-indigenous
• Vitousek et al., Science 277, pp. 494-499
  (1997).

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Human Domination--Water

• Humanity uses gt50 of surface freshwater
• In U.S., only 2 of rivers run unimpeded.
• Many rivers no longer reach the sea.

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Human Domination--Atmosphere
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Deeper Global Past
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Global Future

• If nothing slows greenhouse gas emissions. . .
• CO2 concentrations will exceed 700 ppm by 2100
• Global average temperatures will rise 2.5 10.4 F

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Global Experiment

• More people are using more resources with more
  intensity than at any time in human history.
• The pace of planetary re-engineering is
  unsustainable.

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Challenge Sustainability

• Sustainability
• Meeting peoples needs and values
• Preserving Earths vital life-support systems

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ESSPs Approach

• Focus on how humans interface with nature
• Two-way exchange of information
• Earth System Science knowledge informing
  decisions
• Societal needs directing Earth System Science
• Solve problems, Seize opportunities, dont just
  describe them.

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Nature-Human Interface
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Philosophy of Action
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Triggering Change Locally

• Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
  committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,
  it is the only thing that ever did.
• Margaret Mead
• Major Shifts in Societal Values originate at
  local level.
• Abolition of slavery
• Womens right to vote
• Civil Rights for African Americans
• Resurgence of Native Pride
• Adoption of Sustainable Practices?

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Do What, When, How?

• Engage target community everyone both a teacher
  and learner
• Begin take steps possible now
• Adapt build on successes
• Be holistic integrate social, economic,
  environmental, legal, political solutions
• Communicate translate science into actions

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Do What, When, How?

• Who knows everything about
• Every discipline?
• Every method?
• Every technology?
• No one!

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Do What, When, How?

• When will knowledge of Earths systems be
  perfect?
• Never!
• But more known now than being acted upon.

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ESSPs Components

• Environmental Information Bridge
• Solutions-Driven Research
• Data Acquisition/Dissemination
• Earth System Science Policy Degree

What is the status of Planet Earth?
What can be done to improve it?
What data underlie the application?
How will stewardship continue?
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Organizing Complexity

• Major Cycles within Earths System
• Anthropogenic
• Biospheric Productivity
• Energy
• Material
• Hydrological
• Biogeochemical
• 3 cycles per semester in 5-week blocks

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Principles of ESSP

• Consider Earth a unified system
• Think globally, act locally
• End goal of learning is an Action on path to
  sustainability
• Consider Humans part of the Earth System

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Summary ESSP Education

• Learn by Doing
• Real-world, real-time problems and opportunities
• Full stakeholder involvement
• Work in Interdisciplinary Teams
• Student-centered

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Ethical Component

• Sustainability dependent upon Justice and Equity
  in 3 regimes
• Intragenerational
• Intergenerational
• Inter-Species

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