A unique competition took place before the January 2016 college football national championship, played in Glendale. Representatives from the four college football playoff teams, as well as Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, competed in the Playoff Plant-off.
The teams, some of which were intermingled with representatives and alumni from various colleges, planted trees at Marivue Park in northwest Phoenix. The competition challenged the teams to see which one could plant 10 trees the fastest and in the correct way. The winning teams were awarded trophies, and the champion – Michigan State – received an urban forestry grant to plant trees on its campus.
Daniel is a Senior Sustainability Scientist and a professor of science and society for the School for the Future and Innovation. He put together and moderated the discussion between multiple media outlets, including the New York Times and NPR, about the past, present and future of climate change coverage in the media.
The goal of this discussion was to form big picture topics about climate change while using plain language so that every reader can understand the media presented. Now that climate change has made its way into the media, it is important that journalist recognize what they're interviewing scientists about, that they understand what they scientist are saying, and that not every article has to be about the ultimate demise of the planet.
Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 7 – As more electricity providers enter the energy market, the way consumers obtain electricity is becoming more and more decentralized. Today, the leaders of the Powering Tomorrow Initiative released their Phase Two report, which defines industry structures and regulatory packages that accommodate a growing number of market participants, while securing the vitality of existing utilities and a fair playing field for new market entrants.
Powering Tomorrow has been co-directed by Kris Mayes, a professor of practice at the ASU School of Sustainability and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Darrell Hanson, a former Iowa public utility commissioner and two other former utility commissioners. ASU has been a participant in Powering Tomorrow, and will continue to assist in future phases of the effort.
The Ecological Society of America's SEEDS initiative, which aims to increase diversity in the field of ecology, is recruiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups for the SPUR fellowship program. This program places students at ecological research sites across the United States. Several LTER sites are part of the SPUR fellowship program this year: Central Arizona-Phoenix (CAP) LTER, Harvard Forest LTER, Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER, Cedar Creek LTER, and Kellogg Biological Station LTER. An additional site is the Llado River Field Station in Texas.
Students accepted as SPUR fellows will engage in a research project at one of these research sites under the mentorship of a faculty member, senior graduate student, or post-doctoral fellow. SPUR fellows will receive funding for travel and housing as well as a subsistence stipend.
To view the application requirements and apply, interested undergraduate students should visit the SPUR fellowship page on the SEEDS website. Applications are due January 15, 2016.
John DeFries, Wrigley Institute Board Member and Chair of IUCN WCC’s Neighboring Islands and Counties subcommittee.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Council (IUCN) has hosted the World Conservation Conference (WCC) for 68 years in all corners of the world. The conference provides a forum for all to debate major sustainable development issues, propose solutions, and facilitate the sharing of information and experiences.
For the first time ever, the conference will be held on U.S. soil. John DeFries, Wrigley Institute Board Member and Chair of the IUCN WCC subcommittee on Neighbor Islands and Counties, provides an inside look at how the State of Hawai'i is preparing for the congress and a preview of what to expect in September 2016.
How did Hawai'i secure the bid for the 2016 World Conservation Congress and what does this mean for Hawai'i?
When IUCN WCC 2012 adjourned in Jeju, Korea, I first became aware that the State of Hawai'i - on behalf of the United States of America - was committed to submitting a bid to IUCN and competing in the site selection process for WCC 2016. In January 2014, I was informed by state organizers that IUCN had selected two finalists in the site competition for WCC 2016 - Istanbul, Turkey and Honolulu, Hawai'i.
In an effort to strengthen Hawai'i's final bid proposal to IUCN, I turned to Julie Ann Wrigley and Dr. Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University, for supportive testimonies that proved to be both timely and helpful as Hawai'i was subsequently selected as the site for WCC 2016.
What compelled you to pursue this endeavor?
What inspires me is the premise that 8,000 to 10,000 people will attend WCC 2016 from more than 100 countries, giving the State of Hawai'i a rare opportunity in front of a global audience to feature statewide sustainability goals for 2030, island biodiversity and cultural diversity, a full range of the world's climactic zones and two World Heritage Sites - Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
Additionally, Hawai'i's community leaders, institutions and conservation/sustainability advocates will have opportunities to share their knowledge and learn from visiting experts and authorities.
What committee are you leading and what are your goals and aspirations for this committee?
Within the WCC National Host Committee, I chair the "Neighbor Islands and Counties" sub-committee. While WCC 2016 will be convened in Honolulu (on the island of Oahu), my responsibility is to ensure that the neighbor island counties of Maui, Kauai and Hawai'i are prepared to host IUCN delegates during pre- and post-congress visitations. In addition, the neighbor island counties will be showcased at an exhibition pavilion at the congress.
How has IUCN and its many partners and supporters made a difference in conservation? Can you share one or two examples that are most meaningful for you?
For me, IUCN's vital impact and immense contributions as a difference-maker in conservation are exemplified by The IUCN Red List, which is described by IUCN as follows:
"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species. From its small beginning, The IUCN Red List has grown in size and complexity and now plays an increasingly prominent role in guiding conservation activities of governments, NGOs and scientific institutions. The introduction in 1994 of a scientifically rigorous approach to determine risks of extinction that is applicable to all species has become a world standard.
In order to produce The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the IUCN Global Species Programme - working with the IUCN Survival Commission and with members of IUCN - draws on and mobilizes a network of scientists and partner organizations working in almost every country in the world, who collectively hold what is likely the most complete scientific knowledge base on the biology and the conservation status of species."
From your perspective, what are the top conservation priorities for Hawai’i? What are the barriers and opportunities?
Start with the premise that Planet Earth is an island and one can begin to appreciate the Hawaiian Islands as a frontier of new opportunities for refinement in the management and stewardship practices of our ocean coastal zones, forests, watersheds, water sources, and in dealing with invasive species and the impacts of population growth. Hawai'i is a place where modern science and technological advances can be informed by the native culture, which is imbued with traditional knowledge about these regions, conditions and the cycles of nature, as well as human behavioral changes that were once mandated for conservation purposes.
Going forward, the business and government sectors of Hawai'i will drive much of the state's sustainability agenda and thus, the high cost of electrical power will continue to present a significant barrier of entry for new business startups and business growth in general. In December 2014, the Florida-based utility giant, NextEra Energy, announced its intention to acquire the State of Hawai'i's largest electrical utility, which has spurred the intense oversight of government regulators and peaked the interests of the business sector and the community-at-large.
Pivotal questions are being raised in the current public and regulatory review process. Will this pending transaction result in lower electrical costs to all rate-payers; financing for a system's upgrade and improvements to the existing (and aging) utility grid; increased deployment of Hawai'i's renewable energy sources; and less reliance on imported fossil fuels? Throughout the State of Hawai'i, this proposed utility acquisition is causing a deep and timely review of its energy future.
What conservation words of wisdom or advice do you have for current and future generations?
My advice reflects the wisdom of my own Hawaiian ancestors who came to understand that the health of our natural environment is the health of my community, my family and me. Essentially, there is no separation between nature and the human experience.
What other IUCN-related organizations or programs would you like to showcase?
The most dynamic demonstration of environmental conservation and sustainability emanating from Hawai'i at this time can be found at www.hokulea.com. There you will find the stories of the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Malama Honua - The Worldwide Voyage - all of which epitomize the mission of IUCN and the significance of WCC 2016 being convened in Hawai'i. Aloha!
Constructing Greenhouses in the Waimea Nui Community.
On the Big Island, the Waimea Nui Hawaiian Homesteaders are beginning to build a food and energy self-sufficient sustainable community with the creation of the Waimea Nui Community Development Initiative (WNCDI).
The WNCDI is led by the Homesteaders, but built to support the entire community. The purpose is to create the fundamental infrastructure needed to build a sustainable, self-sufficient community grounded in traditional Hawaiian values.
Waimea Nui covers over 27,000 acres of Homestead Lands with 536 leases awarded.
The Waimea Nui Region covers in excess of 27,000 acres of Homestead Lands, on which 536 leases have been awarded. The homestead is part of the Waimea Community - a population of about 14,000 people, of which roughly 40% are of Hawaiian descent.
The Waimea region is home to a diverse population, and is known for its history of ranches and a tightly knit community. Today, the community includes Parker Ranch headquarters, the Keck and Canada France observatory stations, Hawai'i Preparatory Academy, Lalimilo Farms, and many other organizations that provide for a rich and varied community.
The Hawaiian Home Lands trust was created in 1921 when the U.S. Congress set aside 200,000 acres for the “rehabilitation of Native Hawaiians” through homestead, agricultural and pastoral leases. The Waimea Nui Region includes approximately 27,000 acres of lands, which are a part of the Hawaiian Home Lands trust.
Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Association represents 536 lessee families (residential, pastoral and agricultural) in the Waimea Nui region. The families in this region have inherited a long history of sustainable agriculture going back centuries. When Captain Cook first visited the island, his quartermaster made many notes of the produce supplied by the farmers in Waimea. The region was home to Kamehameha the Great, and the unification of the Kingdom of Hawai'i began in Waimea.
Over the last few decades, the region has lost two-thirds of its farmers, largely due to an inability to compete with large mainland farms. The farmers deal with energy, fuel and fertilizer costs that have been as high as 400% greater than their mainland counterparts.
Dependence on imports has brought the region to a point where there are less than two weeks of food reserves on the island at any given time, and the farms only produce enough to supply 20% of the population. The WNCDI is a comprehensive program designed to restore self-sufficiency while also building a foundation of education, health and wellness, economic stability, cultural creativity, and community inclusiveness to create a truly sustainable region.
The first step in the program began in 2013 with the establishment of a “farming for the working class/veteran-to-farmer” program. This program has been certified by the University of Hawai'i - Hilo as an 18-credit hands-on learning certificate.
Since its inception, the program has received over $600,000 in private and public funding, and has established 35 greenhouse-based farms on the homestead, with another seven families in training beginning in 2016. To support the growth of these new farms, the Waimea Hawaiian Homestead Association, a 501(c)3 organization, recently began operations on a farmers market that focuses on local produce from local farms. The grand opening of the market in November of 2015 saw more than 10 graduates of the Farming for the Working Class program selling their produce, with more farmers joining each week.
The next phase of the WNCDI began with the award of a 161 acre lease from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands to support the development of the facilities that will enable the many programs envisioned to be created over the next 10-15 years.
The first facility is the Community Agriculture Park, which has been awarded $3.5M in Capital Improvement Program funding by the Hawai'i legislature. This facility will provide small-farm training opportunities to as many as 300 residents of the Waimea/Kohala region, and builds off the same program that has been so successful on the homestead agriculture leases. The facility will begin construction in mid-2016, and will soon be opening up memberships to allow any interested resident to come join in the growing farming movement.
The WNCDI has been fortunate to have many partners, and is moving forward with the development of next-phase facilities. These include a food safety-certified agriculture processing facility, commercial scale community kitchen, a renewable energy-based independent micro-grid to support all the planned facilities, an education center to host collegiate opportunities through graduate level, an equestrian center/community fair grounds, and a health/wellness clinic.
Future plans include a Hawaiian Cultural Center, a fitness facility, community center, athletic parks, walking trails and many other facilities to support the Waimea community. The WNCDI will be fossil fuel-free from its first day of operation, not just for electric power, but for all the equipment and vehicles operated by the facilities. The goal is to enable the Waimea region to be able to produce all the food and energy it needs.
The WNCDI team looks forward to hearing from anyone interested in farming and renewable energy, and will be holding open houses in the near future. More information can be found here.
Kris Mayes, former Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, serves as one of the key expert witnesses for the County of Hawai’i and the HEI merger with NextEra.
The State of Hawai'i set a goal in June 2015 of 100 percent renewable energy by 2045. To meet this clean energy goal in 30 years, the Hawai'i Public Utilities Commission is exploring several options, including a merger between two industry leaders in clean and renewable energy: Hawaiian Electric Industries and NextEra Energy.
Kris Mayes, Director of the Energy Policy Innovation Council - a LightWorks initiative at Arizona State University - and former Chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, serves as one of the key expert witnesses for the County of Hawai’i. With testimony from expert witnesses and input from stakeholders, the three-member PUC will assess and determine the path towards transforming Hawai'i’s energy future.
Professor Mayes is a member of the faculty at ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. Mayes is also Co-Director of the ASU Energy Policy Innovation Council (EPIC). Mayes provides direct testimony during the evidentiary hearings and affirms that the utility should “in partnership with the communities it serves and other interested stakeholders, define a vision for sustainability for the state of Hawai'i, and by which a new direction for the utilities' business models is established.”
ASU is broadly contributing expertise to this decision-making process as a third-party. The ASU Wrigley Institute, Seidman Economic Policy Group and EPIC are collectively analyzing the Merger docket as it relates to PUC Docket No. 2014-0183 (Power Supply Improvement Plans). With significant capabilities to model and optimize electric utility systems, the ASU team is also developing scenario planning to explore the HECO Companies' grid and generation development options.
Gary Dirks - Director of the ASU Wrigley Institute - says, “the path to ensure Hawai'i’s sustainable and renewable energy future must combine innovative approaches from industry leaders with culture, values and public interest for affordable renewable energy. ”
Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability has been boldly leading the way to a sustainable future since its inception in 2006.
Now in 2016, the school – the first comprehensive, degree-granting program of its kind in the nation – reaches its 10th Anniversary. The milestone will be marked with a series of memorable events from April 14-16, including a Wrigley Lecture by renowned author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” Michael Pollan.
The school has enjoyed numerous accomplishments over the past decade, including an expanding set of undergraduate and graduate degree programs, a minor in sustainability and multiple online offerings. It has also established training partnerships with organizations including the International Finance Corporation, World Bank, Starbucks, Walton Family Foundation, Wells Fargo, United States Agency for International Development and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Urban forestry is critical for providing access to nature and ecosystems services to the dense living populations within Arizona urban areas. A well-established urban forest provides clean air, wildlife habitat, and cooling effects while promoting a sense of place and community in an area. Maintaining a cohesive urban forest enhances a community, more fully integrating it into nature. Arizona State University’s Sustainable Cities Network is hosting the second Regional Tree and Shade Summit in March 2016. Held at ASU Downtown’s AE England Building, this one day event will provide public, private, and nonprofit organizations with the tools, strategies, and best practices for urban forestry management in the arid southwest.
The Summit is free to attend and is open to municipal, private and nonprofit sector professionals and active citizens. It is being hosted in partnership with ASU’s Sustainable Cities Network and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, the cities of Avondale, Mesa, and Phoenix, Downtown Phoenix, Inc., the Arizona State Forestry Division, and USDA Forest Service. Funds for this project were provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program administered through Arizona State Forestry – Urban and Community Forestry Program, and the USDA Forest Service.
Keynote Speaker - Dr. Greg McPherson
Dr. Greg McPherson is a Research Forester with the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station located in Davis, CA, Greg grew up under a canopy of American elm trees in Howell, Michigan. Despite attempts to save the trees, all were lost to Dutch elm disease, and having felt the sting of that loss he became a green accountant, developing new methods and tools for quantifying the value of nature's benefits from city trees. He works with a team of scientists to measure and model effects of trees on energy use, urban heat islands, air pollutant uptake, carbon sequestration, and rainfall interception. Their research is helping justify investments in urban forest planning and management. In 2000, Greg received the International Society of Arboriculture's L.C. Chadwick Award for Research. Greg was a co-founder and Chair of the Tree Growth and Longevity Working Group and serves on the California Urban Forest Advisory Council. He attended University of Michigan (BGS), Utah State University (Masters in Landscape Architecture), and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Ph.D. Forestry).
Additional Speakers
Brad Lancaster is a dynamic teacher, consultant, and designer of regenerative systems that sustainably enhance local resources and our global potential. He maintains the www.harvestingrainwater.com website, filled with a wealth of information learned from being a Watershed Specialist. His hometown projects have included working with the City of Tucson and other municipalities to legalize, incentivize, and provide guidance on water-harvesting systems, demonstration sites, and policy. Brad’s aim is always to boost communities’ true health and wealth by using simple overlapping strategies to augment the region’s hydrology, ecosystems, and economies—living systems upon which we depend.
Kieran Sikdar is a Water Resources Engineer with Watershed Management Group. He combines his experience as a Civil Engineer (MS), Certified Floodplain Manager, and Certified Water Harvesting Practitioner with over 10 years of experience in cost benefit analysis, green infrastructure/low impact development design, watershed restoration, and permaculture design. His focus is to implement water-harvesting practices on a broad scale as critical flood mitigation and stormwater infrastructure to shade and beautify our communities while repairing our urban watersheds.
Regional Tree & Shade Summit 2.0
Branching Out One Community at a Time
March 9th, 2016
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
AE England Building
ASU Downtown Campus
424 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
This event is free to attend; however, registration is required to plan for seating and food/beverage.
Understanding human capacity to cope with climate challenges of the distant past has great significance for adequately addressing those that we face today.
Teams of researchers – including Distinguished Sustainability Scientist Margaret Nelson – working in both the American Southwest and North Atlantic islands of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroes have found that historic and prehistoric peoples who were vulnerable to food shortage were especially susceptible to climate challenges.
In each instance, eight variables – ranging from social to environmental – were applied to quantify vulnerability to food shortage in the absence of climate challenges. The cases with lowest vulnerability showed no extreme social change or food shortage following climate-related disasters. Researchers also found that social factors, such as limitations on networks and mobility, were the primary contributors to food shortage vulnerability.
Nelson, the lead author of a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on these findings, says the research illustrates that addressing vulnerabilities – even those that are not climate-related – is a key part of climate disaster management.
Haley Paul is a 2010 graduate of the School of Sustainability’s Master of Science in Sustainability program, as well as a former NCAA athlete for the ASU track and field and cross country teams. She works as a water conservation specialist for the Town of Gilbert, and recently sat down with us to discuss her experience at ASU and how it led her to where she is today.
Why did you choose ASU and to get a master's in sustainability?
I wanted to focus on sustainability because I felt there was a need to explore how our everyday lives were impacting the planet. As an athlete, I paid attention to the food I put into my body. I thought studying agriculture and how we can grow food sustainably - along with the impact that food has on our health and environment - would be interesting.
For my undergraduate honors thesis at Washington State University in Pullman, WA, I examined food system scale as it related to sustainability and worked on an organic farm. When I found the School of Sustainability at ASU, I knew it would be a great degree program in which to continue my studies.
A new international initiative called Infravation, a combination of infrastructure and innovation, endeavors to rebuild major roads in ways that are more sustainable.
ASU engineer and sustainability scientist Narayanan Neithalath's proposal was among fewer than ten selected by the European Commission from nearly 100, with only one other from the United States. His $1.6 million award will be used to find out whether mixing a phase-change material with concrete can significantly enhance the durability of pavements and bridge decks.
Phase-change materials are substances that respond to temperature variations by changing their state from solid to liquid or vice versa, and can be sourced from petroleum or plants. The substance Neithalath's Infravation team is working with is especially effective at absorbing and releasing thermal energy, which makes it a good choice for mixing with concrete. This is because the material can absorb much of the heat it is exposed to, thereby protecting concrete from temperatures that can trigger fractures.
A joint master's degree program in global sustainability science between ASU and Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany, has received German accreditation. Students who enroll in the program will spend time at both universities, work on joint projects and receive a degree from both.
Accreditation marksa major milestone for the program, which is the first of its kind at ASU and represents the university's global education efforts.
“Reaching sustainable development goals requires a different type of international education and new forms of institutional collaborations among universities and other institutions of higher learning,” said ASU President’s Professor Manfred Laubichler, who directs the joint ASU-Leuphana Center for Global Sustainability and Cultural Transformation.
ASU and Leuphana also collaborated on a “global classroom” project taught by professors from both institutions and are working together on an increasing number of research projects.
AGF manages Arizona’s fish and wildlife resources, and promotes safe and responsible use of watercraft and off-highway vehicles.
Interns can expect to gain hands-on practical work experience working alongside a diverse group of AGF professionals. In the past, interns have:
Helped with radio tracking and collecting pronghorn antelope field data,
Conducted habitat assessments at squirrel use sites as part of a habitat selection study, and
Learned skills in electro fishing and gill netting.
Applications are due January 22, and eligible students can apply online; however, interested students from the School of Life Sciences must first meet with Mike Demlong, the AGF department liaison to the school.
Demlong will host two special career-counseling sessions to help students meet the school's application requirement before deadline submission:
Thursday, Jan. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in LSC 278
Wednesday, Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in LSC 278
AGF internship eligibility requirements and additional information available here.
Additional information about meeting with the AGF liaison here.
Eight ASU sustainability experts were in attendance at the 2015 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Paris, France, Nov. 30 through Dec. 11. With expertise ranging from international law to ecology to ideology, policy and equity, Arizona State University was well represented in the media.
In an article published near the end of the negotiations, Sustainability Scientist Sonja Klinsky was prominently featured in the Los Angeles Times. Together with Walton Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow Manjana Milkoreit, Klinsky was also consulted for a piece on PBS FRONTLINE. Foundation Professor of Law Daniel Bodansky was featured in articles by both US News & World Report and CNN, and local NPR affiliate KJZZ ran an interview with Klinsky and Bodansky, as well.
Penny Langhammer, CBO research affiliate and ASU adjunct professor of biology in the School of Life Sciences, travels the world to help develop an international standard for the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).
Langhammer serves as co-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Joint Task Force on Biodiversity and Protected Areas, which is working to establish criteria to identify sites (KBAs) that contribute significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity.
Her insights on the IUCN project were featured in a recent article in ASU Now.
Tom in customary dress in front of the Rustem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul - another "yes" that she will never regret.
When we last spoke with Sharyn Tom, she was graduating from the School of Sustainability with a Bachelor of Science in the Economics of Sustainability. She also obtained a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the W. P. Carey School of Business.
Tom chose to major in sustainability because she wanted to study something meaningful that went beyond traditional disciplines.
She explained, “I lived with my family in Vancouver, Canada, in the summers, and sustainability efforts gave the city its vibrancy and charm. The initiatives also improved transportation, waste systems and peoples’ sense of personal responsibility.”
These initiatives are why Tom chose to live in Arizona; she wanted to share the enthusiasm that she had grown accustomed to.
Recently, we caught up with Tom for a debrief of post-graduation life.
Every truck of organic material diverted away from the landfill strengthens ASU’s commitment to sustainable business practices.
Compost is immensely beneficial because it decreases methane emissions from landfills; treats waste as a resource; employs locally; saves money; supports alternatives to the outdated, linear economy landfilling model; and creates fertilizers to rejuvenate soils and grow food.
Composted organics from ASU benefit the local economy and environment, and a lot of work goes into the process.
Items including food scraps, paper plates and napkins are picked up by custodians, kitchen staff and Zero Waste department staff, then placed in centralized bins for collection by Sonoran Waste Disposal’s organics transportation truck. Organics are collected from athletic venues, the Memorial Union on the Tempe campus, large events, all dining halls on the Tempe campus, as well as one dining hall on the Polytechnic and West campuses.
Office building pilot programs are currently underway at University Sustainability Practices, Wrigley Hall and the University Service Building. Almost 300 tons of food waste was diverted in fiscal year 2015 through these collection routes.
Treating domestic and industrial wastewater so that it can be reused for drinking, irrigation and manufacturing is costly - both environmentally and monetarily.
In a recent contribution to Nature, Distinguished Sustainability Scientist Bruce Rittmann and co-authors describe how to make wastewater treatment not only cost-efficient, but profitable. They demonstrate how costs could be more than recouped if valuable chemicals — including useful forms of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus — were captured from wastewater.
The authors go on to propose several ways of extracting these resources, weighing the pros and cons of each. They also stress that government support will be crucial in developing these processes and making them affordable but assert that — ultimately — the benefits will outweigh the costs.
Rittmann, who directs ASU's Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, shared additional insights on the untapped potential of wastewater in this interview with ASU Now.
A unique competition took place before the January 2016 college football national championship, played in Glendale. Representatives from the four college football playoff teams, as well as Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, competed in the Playoff Plant-off.
The Ecological Society of America's SEEDS initiative, which aims to increase diversity in the field of ecology, is recruiting undergraduate students from underrepresented groups for the SPUR fellowship program. This program places students at ecological research sites across the United States. Several LTER sites are part of the SPUR fellowship program this year: Central Arizona-Phoenix (CAP) LTER, Harvard Forest LTER, Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER, Cedar Creek LTER, and Kellogg Biological Station LTER. An additional site is the Llado River Field Station in Texas.
Dr. Greg McPherson is a Research Forester with the USDA Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station located in Davis, CA, Greg grew up under a canopy of American elm trees in Howell, Michigan. Despite attempts to save the trees, all were lost to Dutch elm disease, and having felt the sting of that loss he became a green accountant, developing new methods and tools for quantifying the value of nature's benefits from city trees. He works with a team of scientists to measure and model effects of trees on energy use, urban heat islands, air pollutant uptake, carbon sequestration, and rainfall interception. Their research is helping justify investments in urban forest planning and management. In 2000, Greg received the International Society of Arboriculture's L.C. Chadwick Award for Research. Greg was a co-founder and Chair of the Tree Growth and Longevity Working Group and serves on the California Urban Forest Advisory Council. He attended University of Michigan (BGS), Utah State University (Masters in Landscape Architecture), and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Ph.D. Forestry).
