Is it too late to address climate change?
October 20, 2018
No, but the risk is exploding.
by Bob Litterman
I spent the better part of my career assessing risk for major financial institutions and often used mathematical modeling to understand potential outcomes. More recently I have applied the same risk assessment methodology to ask how serious is climate change, and I find that the rate at which climate change risk is growing is startling.
And, of course, I am not alone. For example, the IPCC recently released a report calling for emissions reductions of a scale requiring unprecedented systems change. In other words, according to a global scientific consensus, it is time to slam on the brakes.
The reason it is time to slam on the brakes now is that the risk created by not doing so is exploding.
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Natural disasters are an increasingly common reality for hundreds of thousands of Americans, and as climate change and urbanization amplify the frequency and intensity of these events, the response by communities, governments and private citizens is more important than ever before, according to Brian Gerber, co-director of Arizona State University's Center for Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Alex Slaymaker is only 26, but she has already received a master’s degree (the 
The 
Esteban Jobbágy, an Arizona State University Global Drylands Center affiliate, has been named a 2018 
Alexia Bednarz graduated from Arizona State University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree from the School of Sustainability and a minor in design studies from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Shortly after graduating, she landed a job with U-Haul, where she still works today as a community advocate for corporate sustainability. Bednarz was recognized on October 6 as a “Sustainability Champion” by 
Caroline Cloud graduated from the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University in 2017, and now she is working at Yellowstone National Park as a Risk and Sustainability Specialist for the park's concessions management company, Xanterra.
At an October 5 Food and Thought event sponsored by Arizona State University College of Health Solutions, Author Adrian Miller spoke about the importance of African-Americans to the executive kitchen. Miller, a James Beard Award winner, signed copies of his new book at the event, which also featured food tastings an an audience question-and-answer session.
Arizona State University Juris Doctor candidate Ember Van Vranken traveled to New York for the U.N. Global Engagement Summit as part of her volunteering as a student judge for the 
Single-use plastics — such as cups with straws, takeout containers and water bottles — are so common in our culture of convenience that we often don’t give them a second thought.
From low-carbon systems and LEED-certified building construction to water and land conservation techniques, there are many ways to promote and practice sustainability within the community. While it can be easier said than done to implement these things, one Arizona State University class did just that through Project Cities. Led by 
To successfully realize 
If conservation science is going to save the myriad species under threat in the world today, it’s going to have to go about it more efficiently, according to a paper published this week by an Arizona State University ecology professor.
Awardees of the inaugural 
Experts predict that by 2050 we’re going to have global broadband internet satellite networks, in-orbit manufacturing, space tourism, asteroid mining and lunar and Mars bases.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million Smart and Connected Communities grant to a team of researchers at Arizona’s three public universities to develop a network that integrates existing technologies and crowdsourced data to improve real-time knowledge of flooding and enhance communication during flood events.
