A recent study published in Global Ecology and Conservation examined over 2,300 snake removals in Phoenix between 2018 and 2019, comparing removal locations to neighborhood-level socioeconomic and demographic factors. The article, entitled Unwanted residential wildlife: Evaluating social-ecological patterns for snake removals, found snake removals occurred more frequently in high-income neighborhoods with recently constructed homes closer to undeveloped desert.

Western diamondback rattlesnakes, which are venomous, were extracted most often, making up 68% of removals. The non-venomous Sonoran gopher snake was a distant runner-up, making up 16% of removals.

Sustainability scientist Heather Bateman, an associate professor at ASU who is the lead author the study, said the size and depth of the dataset from Rattlesnake Solutions is an invaluable new source of information.

Read more about the work, supported by the NSF-funded Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research program, in this AZ Central article.

The paper's abstract follows.

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Arizona State University is excited to be a Host Institution for this year’s Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education, a virtual conference taking place October 12-14. GCSHE offers three full days of live content and networking, plus 80 days of on-demand access (through December 31).

As a Host Institution, we have 200 registration passes for our university only, as well as unique opportunities to be recognized for our commitment to sustainability. Sign up using the instructions below to gain free access to this great event:

1. Click HERE to register.

   If you are a Presenter or Student Presenter, use the Presenter Access Code provided in your acceptance email. Submit an emerging issues session proposal here.

2. Fill out all the relevant fields.

   Use your institutional email address only. The Discount Code is linked to our email domain (@asu.edu, @thunderbird.asu.edu). Other email addresses (such as Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo) will not work with the Discount Code and will be deleted.

3. Enter the promotional code.

   After entering your ticket, but before clicking Checkout, enter the following Promotional Code and hit Apply: ARIZONASTATE30JUN21

   This will drop your total to $0.00.

4. Complete your registration.

   Registration deadline is October 14, 2021 at 11:59 pm ET

GCSHE has opened an Emerging Issues Call for Proposals. Proposals related to racial justice, campus reopenings, and resilience in the face of climate change are particularly welcome. If you would like to present a session at this year's conference, themed "The future is...", submit your proposal by August 20.

The Swette Center team has had the privilege to work and learn from Deb Eschmeyer, known as ‘the human exclamation point’ for a reason. Her high energy and enthusiasm have propelled and inspired our work. We are sad to see her leave us, of course, but excited to see all she will accomplish at Original Strategies. I will miss our daily interactions my lifelong friend! - Kathleen Merrigan, Executive Director 

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Eating sustainably can sometimes feel like a daunting task with so many factors to consider. This can be especially true when eating at a restaurant where you often have no idea where the food on your plate came from. You don’t have to feel this way, though. In the Phoenix metropolitan area, there are more and more restaurants making sustainability a priority. We’ve compiled a diverse list of 8 local restaurants near ASU Tempe campus with delectable, sustainable food sold at a reasonable price. They are not listed in any particular order, and you can click on the names of the restaurants to visit their websites. Do you know of a restaurant sourcing sustainable food that should be included here? Email us! swettecenter@asu.edu 

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These clubs and organizations at ASU are a great place to meet others with interests in sustainable food systems and get hands-on experience with projects. Check them out on SunDevilSync to learn more about how you can get involved! If you know of any other ASU clubs or organizations that should be added to this list, please let us know! You can email the Swette Center at swettecenter@asu.edu 

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The Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems focuses on innovative ideas and solutions to the many challenges of current food systems. In this series, we’re sitting down with the Swette Center affiliated faculty to catch up on food systems, innovation, and what makes a good meal. Read the rest of the series here. 

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Our July newsletter features the announcement of our new, free online course, Advanced CDP Reporting, inspiring articles about sustainability in business, and relevant events. Read about how Chile has developed one of the most sustainable wine industries in the world.

View the full newsletter in your browser.

We are pleased to highlight one of our star alumni, William Walker, a passionate sustainability undergraduate student. In Fall 2020, William worked with the Town of Clarkdale on the Sustainability park project in Nalini Chhetri’s Urban Sustainability Best Practices Application course. As part of this project, William worked on a small team to identify best practices for sustainability education and outdoor recreation for the Town’s 100-acre park, as well as strategies to develop sense of place through trails.

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Phoenix heat was the topic of discussion in the latest episode of PBS' 'Weathered', a show that helps explain the most common natural disasters, what causes them, how they’re changing, and what we can do to prepare. This episode features ASU researchers and HUE affiliates Mikhail Chester, Ariane Middel and David Hondula.

"Perhaps no place in the United States more clearly illustrates the dangers of global warming than Phoenix, Arizona. 2020 was their hottest year on record, with 53 days reaching at least 110 degrees F. And heat-related deaths there have more than doubled over the last 5 years. But while these trends are truly disturbing, there is hope. Because of its extreme circumstances, Phoenix has been forced to explore innovative solutions and is learning how to adapt urban life to hotter and hotter temperatures.

In this episode of Weathered, we delve into the latest science of the “urban heat island” effect, learn about the looming threat of a potential “Katina-like event” that threatens their electrical grid, and explore the gamut of options being pursued by scientists and activists to make life safer and more livable in America’s hottest city."

Ariane Middel, a HUE partner and Assistant Professor at the School of Arts, Media and Engineering (AME) and School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering (CIDSE), has been featured in National Geographic Magazine. Middel shares the urban form's significant contribution to shade and thermal comfort.

Looking to make a difference in your community and get more involved with the Phoenix local food system? Look no further. Here is a list of some great places to volunteer in and around ASU. This list is regularly updated, so if there is something you think is missing, don’t hesitate to email us at foodsystems@asu.edu!

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The ASU Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems recently released a report to help President Joe Biden set a new agriculture agenda based to organic foods. "The Critical To-Do List for Organic Agriculture: Recommendations for the President" is outlined with 46 recommendations for the current administration and Congress to use as a framework for food development and safety as well as its impacts on climate change, research, supply chain, animal welfare standards, racial justice, social equity and enforcement.

"In our report, we establish a baseline of support that USDA should provide the organic sector — 6% of whatever dollars are being distributed," said Kathleen Merrigan, Swette Center executive director and Kelly and Brian Swette Professor of Practice in Sustainable Food Systems. "We chose this number because 6% of food purchased in the U.S. today is organic. We argue that support for the organic sector should, at minimum, be commensurate with its market share."

Learn more about the center's approach to developing these recommendations and some information behind the numbers in this exclusive interview with Merrigan on ASU News.

Marissa Matsler and Robert Lloyd explore another dimension of the series title, as they chat with the authors and editors of “Cities of Light” - a new book of science fiction stories focused on solar-powered cities of the future! Guests Joey Eschrich, Clark Miller, Deji Olukotun, and Lauren Withycombe Keeler talk about the creation of the book, the ideas behind it, and how science fiction can help prepare us for the possibilities - and the demands - of future cities.

Get a free digital edition of “Cities of Light” or order a print edition here: https://csi.asu.edu/books/cities-of-light/

Arizona State University Center for Science and the Imagination (@imaginationASU): https://csi.asu.edu/

Learn more about this episode's guests and find links to their Twitter accounts below:

Joey Eschrich: https://csi.asu.edu/people/joey-eschrich/

Clark Miller (@clarkamiller): https://sustainability-innovation.asu.edu/person/clark-miller/

Deji Olukotun (@olutron): https://returnofthedeji.com/

Lauren Withycombe Keeler (@femmefutura): https://ifis.asu.edu/content/center-study-futures

Listen on iTunes, StitcherGoogle Podcasts, Spotify, or Buzzsprout.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, e-mail us at futurecitiespodcast@gmail.com or find us on Twitter @FutureCitiesPod. Learn more about the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (UREx SRN) at www.sustainability.asu.edu/urbanresilience.

We are excited to highlight Emily Hinkle, a proud Arizona State University and Project Cities alumni, who participated in multiple applied projects from 2019-2021, with the City of Glendale and the City of Peoria. Following graduation, Emily was also hired as a contractor by the SCN team, to conduct additional research and writing for the City of Peoria’s water conservation and drought contingency planning project.

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By Mauricio Bellon, Research Professor

One of the great achievements of the last century has been substantial increases in the supply of food with concomitant reductions in its price. This achievement has been associated with major changes in our food systems, particularly with the development of industrialized agriculture, changes in dietary patterns and increased availability of cheaper foods. However, we as consumers, producers and society in general are beginning to realize that these achievements can be costlier that we may have thought, in many different ways.

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People of color are far more likely to live in extreme urban heat zones. This is according to a study co-authored by sustainability scientist Glenn Sheriff. The piece, Disproportionate exposure to urban heat island intensity across major US cities, was published in Nature Communications.

The Associated Press interviewed Sheriff for its article, People of color more exposed to heat islands, study finds. Through republication on ABC News and US News and World Report, the article featuring Sheriff saw readership of over 31 million. The work was also covered by CNN and the Washington Post, as well as local NBC affiliate 12 News. Visit altmetric.com for additional metrics.

The paper’s abstract follows.

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A heat dome is baking Arizona and Nevada, where temperatures have soared past 115 degrees this week and doctors are warning that people can get third-degree burns from the sizzling asphalt.

Last month, the Phoenix City Council approved $2.8 million in new climate spending, including creating a four-person Office of Heat Response and Mitigation. “That’s a good start, but we’re clearly not doing enough yet,” said David Hondula, an Arizona State University sustainability scientist who studies heat’s consequences.

Drastically reducing heat deaths would require adding trees and shade in underserved neighborhoods and increasing funding to help residents who need help with energy bills or who lack air conditioning, among other things, he said.

“Every one of these heat deaths should be preventable,” he said. “But it’s not just an engineering problem. It means tackling tough issues like poverty or homelessness. And the numbers suggest we’re moving in the wrong direction. Right now, heat deaths are increasing faster than population growth and aging.”

Hondula was quoted in a New York Times article that has seen readership over 36 million, with more than 7,000 social media shares. ASU faculty, staff and students can read the article with a free group pass subscription via ASU Libraries.

As it drafts its next decadal strategic plan, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) should shift its focus to providing insights that help society prepare for and avoid the worst potential consequences of climate change, while protecting the most vulnerable, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Traditional climate research that projects changes in the natural environment to estimate potential consequences is not meeting the needs of decision-makers as they respond to the climate crisis, the report says.

Global Change Research Needs and Opportunities for 2022-2031 recommends USGCRP accelerate research on the multidirectional relationships among human and natural systems to advance our understanding of how to manage urgent current and future climate risks. Our food availability, for example, depends on a complex interaction between natural systems, such as the carbon and water cycles, and aspects of human systems, such as population growth or farming practices.

Sustainability scientist Nancy Grimm is an advisor to the USGRP and was an author of the report. Sustainability scientist Hallie Eakin, who is a member of the NAS Board on Environmental Change and Society, served as a reviewer of the report. Read the press release on nationalacademies.org.

To better prepare for an ever-warming world in which heat waves are increasingly common, a group of international researchers is calling attention to the physiological variables and complexities of how humans react to the heat, or their “thermoregulation.” It turns out that these variables characteristically are often oversimplified and that oversimplification can result in a faulty understanding of how heat will affect humans as the climate changes.

The researchers’ commentary, Simplicity lacks robustness when projecting heat-health outcomes in a changing climate, was published online in the journal Nature Communications. Sustainability scientist Jennifer Vanos is the lead author.

“We’re hoping that this paper will lead people to think more about the intricacies of the human body and how it deals with heat in the same way that we think about the intricacies of climate models,” said Vanos.

“We often see news reports of study results suggesting that a place in the future will not be survivable,” said Vanos. “That’s important, but we want a place to be livable, not just survivable. Livable means the climate can safely sustain work, play and well-being for an extended period of time.” Read more in ASU News.

In the June 20 edition of The New York Times, writer Jack Healy visits Phoenix to explore how the region is addressing a housing shortage while in the midst of near-record heat. The article interviews Melissa Guardaro, an assistant research professor at the Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation at Arizona State University and a HUE researcher.

“Extreme heat has made the problems we have all the more evident,” said Melissa Guardaro, regarding the rising housing crisis and the scorching heat in Phoenix.

Read the full article. ASU faculty, staff and students can read the article with a free New York Times group pass subscription via ASU Libraries.