Achieving net-zero carbon emissions in the U.S. by 2050 is feasible and would not only help address climate change but also build a more competitive economy, increase high-quality jobs, and help address social injustice in the energy system, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Sustainability scientist Clark Miller was a member of the committee that wrote the report, which emphasized that immediate action and proactive innovation are required and recommended a portfolio of near-term policies to ensure equitable access to benefits generated as a result of this transition, mitigate harms to vulnerable populations and engage public participation in decision-making, and revitalize the U.S. manufacturing sector.

Read the NASEM press release, and access the full report, Accelerating Decarbonization of the U.S. Energy System.

Pacific islands, including Hawai’i, are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, especially sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. That’s why Master of Sustainability Solutions (MSUS) students Hailey Campbell, Latrell Kaye, and Tammy Nguyen are working with Local2030 Islands Network to create an adaptation framework to enhance islands’ capacity to deal with climate change impacts. Through locally-driven and culturally informed practices, they hope to advance sustainable development in island communities using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals* (SDG).

Read more about the team’s effort in the Q&A below.

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ASU hosts a series of Our Commons Future conference events organized by the International Association for the Study of the Commons. The aim of the conference is to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers for the purpose of improving governance and management, advancing understanding, and creating sustainable solutions for commons, common-pool resources, or any other form of shared resources. IASC will especially focus on the increasing diversity of domains where concepts of commons are applied.

Future Conferences

• Fisheries and Aquaculture, Mar 9–11, 2021

• Commoning the Anthropocene, Apr 21–23, 2021*

• Conceptualizing the Urban Commons, May 6–8, 2021

• Polycentricity, May 17–19, 2021

• Water Commons, May 19–21, 2021

• Knowledge Commons, June 9–11, 2021

• Land and Forest Commons, September 2021 (information coming soon)

• General Conference, October 11-15, 2021

Arizona State University was well represented at the 2021 AAAS meeting, held from Feb. 8-11, with a showcase of more than 50 virtual tours, live chats, scientific sessions, student presentations and poster sessions, and special plenary sessions by world scientific leaders.

The theme for AAAS 2021 was “Understanding Dynamic Ecosystems.” From the environments that we inhabit to the social systems in which we live and work, we are all embedded in a variety of ecosystems. Finding ways of maintaining the stable balance of these ecosystems in the face of rapidly changing circumstances is critical for our advancement.

• WATCH: ASU presentations from this year's AAAS annual meeting

• Read a detailed summary of the event on ASU News
• Sustainability doctoral student wins AAAS student e-poster competition
• AAAS award marks ASU advances in STEM diversity, equity and inclusion

Climate change has contributed to the severity of tropical storms, causing unprecedented coastal erosion and record rates of flooding. Countries around the world are searching for ways to prevent tropical storms from decimating their coastal infrastructure, and the University of Miami has found a tropical solution: coral reefs. Coral reefs can reduce wave energy by up to 97%. However, corals have also suffered from climate change, and are threatened by extinction. Cassie Sturman (@CassieSturman) interviews Diego Lirman and Landolf Rhode-Barbarigos from the University of Miami’s coral reef restoration team who empathize the importance of rescuing coral reefs from climate change. Learn more about the University of Miami's coral restoration program at their website, and find them on Twitter (@rescueareef). You can also follow the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Restoration Hub (@RestorationHub).

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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.

“Become an expert in what you are doing, and [customers] will all be sent to you… It gives you the power to fight and the power to learn more, and deeper than others.”

Ghislaine Tessa Ketcha - Founder and CEO of Millenium Immobilier, Cameroon

2020 WE Empower Finalist, Sub-Saharan Africa

The continuation of climate change is expected to bring about detrimental effects across the world, but Ghislaine Tessa Ketcha is working to create smart green housing in Cameroon so that local communities will be resilient to the projected increases in the already sweltering average temperatures. As the owner of Millenium Immobilier, Tessa Ketcha’s vision of engineering a sustainable future to handle the challenges that are on the horizon is becoming a reality. WE Empower intern, Sidney McKee, interviewed Tessa Ketcha and reveals how the Millenium Immobilier is tackling emergent climate issues through innovative solutions and is leading to a more adaptable and prosperous Cameroon where local residents will not only be prepared for an uncertain future, but will thrive.

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On February 24, 2021, ASU Project Cities hosted a somewhat-rescheduled spring semester kickoff event with City of Peoria leadership and Project Cities students. Students had the opportunity to gain insights from a panel of Peoria city leadership, who all turned out to be ASU grads, representing a combined 68 years of local government experience. Peoria City Manager Jeff Tyne and Deputy City Manager Katie Gregory answered questions about public sector professional development and provided valuable insights on the current and future state of housing in Peoria, as well as the importance of community engagement for student projects.

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Sustainability PhD student Wenjuan Liu has won first place in the American Association for the Advancement of Science 2021 student e-poster competition. Arizona State University was the host of this year's conference, the world's largest scientific meeting.

Liu's advisors in the School of Sustainability are Hallie Eakin and Datu Agusdinata. Liu's poster, Li Mining-Community-Aquifer Interactions in Salar De Atacama: An Agent-Based Model, was presented live on February 10.

Liu describes the significance of her research: "This research developed an agent-based model to examine how mining’s brine pumping behaviors affect groundwater movements and how changes in water resources affect social-stress dynamics under different mining projections. Our simulations highlight the importance of understanding and managing the downside risks of lithium extraction, point out potential pathways to help build community resilience, and identify governance challenges in regulating lithium mining stemming from resource uncertainties. This study also contributes to informing lithium-mining stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities to provide better management of the world’s largest lithium production sites for a sustainable future."

The abstract follows.

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Distinguished sustainability scientist Bryan McKinley Jones Brayboy has been named ASU's new vice president for social advancement. His duties will include overseeing and implementing a variety of academic and social initiatives in Arizona and Hawaii.

“I’m very excited about this portfolio because it allows me to take on new challenges that are near and dear to my heart,” said Brayboy, President’s Professor, director of the Center for Indian Education and ASU’s senior adviser to the president on American Indian affairs. “This work is an opportunity for ASU to continue living our charter. The social advancement aspect is crucial. Part of my role is to convene people and to bring our vast intellectual and research power to assist in helping create the conditions for a better society.”

Read the full article on ASU News.

Join us on International Women’s Day for the first in a series of events showcasing ASU’s initiatives and partnerships advancing Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls.

Panelists will discuss the barriers women face due to discriminatory laws around the world and learn how ASU is combating these challenges by partnering with global organizations on SDG5 initiatives, including the SDG 5 Training for Parliamentarians and Global Changemakers and WE (women entrepreneurs) Empower UN SDG Challenge.

More info and registration.

Sustainability scholar Shawn Walker, assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences in the New College at ASU, has been quoted in a recent article on disinformation and conspiracy theories.

The article, The Disinformation Vaccine: Is There a Cure for Conspiracy Theories?, appeared February 24, 2021, in Rolling Stone. The article discusses research by Cambridge University's Sander van der Linden, who believes we can protect people against bad information through something akin to inoculation – a sort of truth vaccine. He calls his tactic "prebunking."

Walker, skeptical of applying concepts such as inoculation and herd immunity to disinformation, says the epidemiological approach risks overlooking the nuances and differences between online communities and how one form of intervention or solution might work in, say, a particular Reddit subgroup but not on Twitter. “There has to be thoughtful engagement and the understanding of the different balkanization of these communities,” Walker says. “Some you want to go in and engage, and some you don’t want to because it feeds the beast.” Walker goes on to explore the ethics around profit motives and the snuffing out of not just disinformation but unpopular opinions and inconvenient facts.

By Kana Miller, Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Certificate student 

This blog is part of a series from the December Arizona Immersive program of the Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program. Students virtually toured the state, meeting with farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, government staff and non-profit leaders.

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By Stu Lourey, Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Certificate student

This blog is part of a series from the December Arizona Immersive program of the Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program. Students virtually toured the state, meeting with farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, government staff and non-profit leaders.

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Dr. Lelani Mannetti (Twitter @LelaniM) is a postdoctoral researcher at Georgia State University's Urban Studies Institute. Her research focuses on the analysis of social-ecological systems, particularly surrounding adaptive co-governance of complex systems. In this episode, Dr. Yeowon Kim (Twitter @Yeowon__Kim) talks with her about how she became interested in integrating social, ecological, and technological dimensions for urban resilience study and how her work and academic training in South Africa has affected her becoming an interdisciplinary scholar studying urban systems. Furthermore, she features how the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network’s scenarios team has been adapting their approaches to participatory scenarios development processes during the COVID pandemic, and how she envisions Atlanta’s urban future as a connected and greener city integrating diverse voices of people in the city.

Learn more about Dr. Mannetti and her research here: https://urbaninstitute.gsu.edu/profile/lelani-mannetti/.

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.

Our team recently wrapped up our first ever virtual Sustainability Opportunity Professional Certificate program.

We had 24 incredible professionals from diverse backgrounds and organizations join us for six weeks of unique online learning with ASU sustainability scholars and professors of practice.

What alumni are saying about the Sustainability Opportunity program:

• “The Sustainability Opportunity has been one of the most promising and enjoyable experiences of my career. I was blown away by every class and presenter.”
• "It was a great experience that I recommend to anyone, no matter your profession."
• "I think the class helped assure me I was headed in the right direction and remind me that I am personally equipped to lead this endeavor. It was just the boost of confidence I needed at just the right time."

We are excited to offer this professional certificate program again in Fall 2021. If you are interested in enhancing your sustainability skillset, you can receive updates on this program by subscribing to our newsletter and keeping an eye on our website for announcements.

The Handbook on Human and Planetary Health will focus on demonstrating how planetary health may be pursued, with an emphasis on humans and on human influences. This which will follow on the success of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education, which is a "living edition" and the Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the world´s largest editorial project on sustainable development ever undertaken.

The Handbook on Human and Planetary Health will focus on:

1. Outlining which human activities influence or disturb natural systems
2. Describing the health impacts of environmental problems to human health
3. Illustrating some of the measures which may be deployed to change current trends (e.g. reductions in resource consumption)
4. Showcasing tested solutions to reduce human influences on planetary health

The publication is paying a special attention to the relations between the environment and zoonetic diseases. Other related themes may also be accepted. The publication will be part of the world´s leading peer-reviewed book series on matters related to sustainable development. This will be a high-impact, high citations, peer-reviewed piece.

The editorial team is now asking for expressions of interest, with the following details:

1. Title of the possible contribution
2. One paragraph describing it
3. Names and contact details of the authors

The deadline is 20th March 2021. Full papers are due by 20th June 2021. The book is expected to be published in late 2021. The expressions of interest should be sent by the above deadline to: iusdrp@ls.haw-hamburg.de. Further details on submissions and the format to be followed will be discussed with the authors whose outlines have been accepted.

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By Wesley Conner, Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Certificate student 

This blog is part of a series from the December Arizona Immersive program of the Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program. Students virtually toured the state, meeting with farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, government staff and non-profit leaders. 

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“It’s important to do it, to express your ideas. For us, it was really important to do it in a sustainable way.”

Andrea De la Piedra & Mia Perdomo - Co-Founders of Aequales, Latin America

2020 WE Empower Finalist, Latin America & the Caribbean

Ensuring gender equality in today’s world is one of the most fundamental endeavors in obtaining a more equitable, just, and sustainable society. Co-founders Andrea De la Piedra and Mia Perdomo are leading the fight to ensure gender equality through Aequales, a company that brings tools to organizations for closing gender gaps through measurement technology and consultancy services. WE Empower intern, Sidney McKee, interviewed De la Piedra and expands upon how Aequales is furthering gender equality not only in Peru, Colombia, and Mexico but also across the globe.

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By Eric Hemphill, Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Certificate student

This blog is part of a series from the December Arizona Immersive program of the Food Policy and Sustainability Leadership Graduate Certificate Program. Students virtually toured the state, meeting with farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, government staff and non-profit leaders.

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Dr. Marccus Hendricks is an Associate Professor of Urban Studies and Planning in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at the University of Maryland, College Park. Here, Marissa Matsler interviews Dr. Hendricks about his work with communities throughout his dissertation research in Texas and as an early career researcher in Maryland. He discusses his bold visions for the future in which we collectively seize on the opportunities of this historic moment – especially the current focus on environmental justice – to better design and plan cities. Dr. Hendricks also offers his advice to others looking to follow in his academic footsteps. You can read more at arch.umd.edu/sirj and follow Dr. Hendricks on Twitter at @mdhDuBois. You can read his recent piece, Transforming Public Safety and Urban Infrastructure to Mitigate Climate and Public Health Disasters, here.

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.