Sustainability News

The August 2014  issue of College Planning & Management magazine includes the feature article, “Greening the Desert,” about some of the operational procedures and programs that Arizona State University employs in pursuit of its climate-neutrality goals.

Rebecca Tsosie is a senior sustainability scientist and Regents' Professor of Law at Arizona State University. In this essay, she examines sustainability policies and practices as they relate to Indigenous peoples, and illustrates why placing Indigenous peoples at the center of sustainability studies is a valuable approach.

The Ecological Society of America held its annual meeting in Sacramento from August 10-15, 2014. CAP was well represented at this meeting by several scientists and students. Below are the sessions in which students and scientists presented CAP-related research.

Convergence of microclimate across diverse cities in the US CAP presenters: Sharon Hall and Kelli Larson

Climate change, ecosystem services, and biogeochemical cycles CAP presenter: Nancy Grimm

Climate change, ecosystems, biodiversity and ecosystem services CAP presenter: Nancy Grimm

Homogenization of plant diversity in six major USA cites: Integrating socio-economic, environmental, and phylogenetic information CAP presenters: Sharon Hall and Kelli Larson

Enhancing Urban Sustainability: Social and Ecological Dimensions CAP presenters: Dan Childers and Melissa Davidson

Urban Ecosystems I CAP presenters: Sharon Hall, Kelli Larson, Julie Ripplinger, and Janet Franklin

Cross-taxa comparative analysis of long-term community data CAP presenter: Julie Ripplinger

Novel flow regimes and novel plant communities: strategies of urban-adapted riparian plants CAP presenter: Julie Stromberg

Moving from the ecology of cities to ecology for cities: Integrating urban ecology, design, and decision-making for urban sustainability CAP presenters: Dan Childers and Melissa Davidson

Sustainability: Urban Systems CAP presenters: Melissa McHale and Nancy Grimm

Carbon Lost vs. carbon gained:  A study of carbon tradeoffs among land uses in Phoenix, AZ, reveals the inadequacy of statistical spatial scaling techniques and the need for new methodologies for understanding carbon dynamics across cities CAP presenters: Nancy Grimm, Ananda Majumdar, and Melissa McHale

When the economic engine stalls: An examination of plant communities in post-recession urban landscapes CAP presenters: Julie Ripplinger and Janet Franklin

Rolf Halden, a senior sustainability scientist and director of ASU’s Center for Environmental Security, is the lead investigator of a study that examined the exposure of pregnant women and their fetuses to certain antibacterial compounds. The study, recently published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, found common germ-killers in both the urine and umbilical cords of the women that were screened.

In addition to a concern that antibacterial compounds may contribute to growing antibiotic resistance, there is evidence that materials like triclosan and triclocarban are linked to developmental and reproductive problems. Information of this nature has prompted both the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency to consider the safety of these compounds.

In anticipation of Changemaker Central’s Innovation Challenge, an ASU seed-funding campaign that encourages every academic unit to create its own theme, the School of Sustainability has teamed up with The Verizon Foundation. Given the foundation’s interest in innovative change, the School of Sustainability’s theme was born: “How can we accelerate the adoption and deployment of smart technologies to make our cities more sustainable?”

This is a question that SOS 498: “Smart City and Technology Innovation Challenge” will address in depth – a noble endeavor in light of our rapidly urbanizing and “plugged in” population of 7 billion. And given the host of smart technologies that already exist, but whose potential for a greener good is not fully realized, answers are needed.

Under the guidance of experts, students' seedling ideas will flower into feasible, sustainable solutions. The top innovations may win up to $4,000 toward the ASU Bookstore, courtesy of The Verizon Foundation. All proposals will also be submitted to the Innovation Challenge for a chance to receive thousands more in seed funding.

CAP scientist Chris Boone recently gave a presentation in Los Angeles at the Park Equity Symposium. His presentation, "It’s about process, not just outcomes," was videotaped and is now available on YouTube. It details research Boone and colleagues at the Baltimore Ecosystem Study have done on park equity in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. In his presentation, Boone states that just distribution of and access to parks is laudable but is insufficient to meet standards of justice. Any analysis of park equity must include an assessment of process, including the fairness of institutions, decision-making, and representation. Park equity assessment should include present and past processes since historical decisions can have lasting effects.

Boone and colleagues have also researched park equity in Phoenix, which will be published in an upcoming volume on CAP LTER science, edited by Charles Redman, the co-founder of the CAP research program with current CAP director, Nancy Grimm.

Roy Curtiss, III of ASU's Biodesign Institute has been selected as the recipient of the 2014 AZBio Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement by the Arizona BioIndustry Association. Curtiss, who was initially drawn to ASU by the vision of a New American University and state-of-the-art research enterprise put forth by President Michael Crow, focuses his efforts on alleviating worldwide suffering from infectious diseases. Shortly after arriving, he received the largest support of his career, more than $15.4 million from the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Roy’s lifelong dedication and achievements in bioscience research, education and innovation are really quite remarkable, and his efforts have inspired countless life science careers,” said Biodesign Institute Executive Director Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D. “His passion and commitment in taking on the challenges of combating infectious diseases and the impact he is having on urgent societal problems make him a stellar example of the translational research spirit of the Biodesign Institute.”

To position itself for future growth and furthered impact, The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) has created two leadership positions. The new roles - Chief Operating Officer and Director of Marketing, Development and Communications - are effective July 2014 and will enhance the strength of the leadership team.

The individuals filling these roles are experienced leaders in the field of sustainability. Chief Operating Officer Malcolm Fox began his career as a consultant to the US Environmental Protection Agency, and worked most recently as COO/CFO of Equitable Origin. Susan Arnot Heaney - Director of Marketing, Development and Communications - has extensive experience in the area of corporate responsibility, working with companies like Avon Products, Inc. to implement programs, policies and communications platforms for a myriad of issues.

A recent article published by the National Association of College and University Business Officers explored the trend of higher education institutions toward alternative, renewable energy options. Titled “Going for Zero,” the article presented a brief rundown of ASU’s impressive stats, demonstrating that the university is being noticed for its commitment to carbon neutrality.

In the article, Morgan Olsen - university executive vice president, treasurer and chief financial officer - shares that an important factor in maintaining carbon neutrality is ensuring its future success: “On the research front, one of the things we can contribute is the training of millions of people we educate every year to become leaders of tomorrow. While in some respects higher education has a small physical footprint compared to the rest of world, from an environmental standpoint we have an outsized ability to have positive impact through our education mission.”

The goal of the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance Student Research Grants program is to support research that assists land managers in making informed decisions about natural and cultural resources of the City of Phoenix Desert Mountain Parks and Preserves, Maricopa County Regional Parks, and City of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve.  To that end, we encourage applied and/or usable basic research that 1) fills gaps in the ecological, social, and cultural understanding of Preserve resources, and 2) addresses specific management issues.  Preference will be given to projects addressing human impact, developing indicators and standards for resource protection, local and regional benefits derived by preserve/open space park systems, assessing wildlife corridors/connectivity/linkages, climate change and/or urban heat island effects, and species inventories. Grants will be for up to $2,500 for individual research proposals or for up to $5,000 to support collaborative research projects.

For 2014 grants, the deadline for application is 9/2/2014. Awards will be announced by 9/15/2014.

Background

The Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) is a collaboration of land managers, scientists, educators, community members, and conservation-based non-profit organizations committed to focusing collective expertise on the ecological and recreational sustainability of the mountain parks/preserves in and around the Valley. The Alliance believes that community engagement in the study, restoration, and promotion of these preserves will be critical to its success.

Partners in the CAZCA are: Desert Botanical Garden (as coordinating institution); Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department; City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department- Natural Resources Division; McDowell Sonoran Conservancy; Audubon Arizona; Phoenix Mountains Preservation Council; and Arizona State University’s Central Arizona Long-term Ecological research project (CAP LTER), School of Life Sciences, School of Community Resources and Development, and Center for Biodiversity Outcomes. The partnership’s focal preserves are City of Phoenix Desert Mountain Parks and Preserves, Maricopa County Regional Parks, and City of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

The goal of the Student Research Grants program is to support research that assists land managers in making informed decisions about the natural and cultural resources of the Preserves. To that end, we encourage applied and/or usable basic scientific and scholarly research that 1) fills gaps in the ecological, social, and cultural understanding of Preserve resources, and 2) addresses specific management issues.  Grants will be for up to $2,500 for individual research proposals or for up to $5,000 to support collaborative research projects.

Eligibility

Grant recipients must be self-directed individuals whose work will contribute to the scientific knowledge of the natural and cultural resource of our local desert mountain preserves. CAZCA’s Research Grants support research in the biological, physical, social, and cultural sciences. We welcome proposals from across the study areas listed above, but 2014 priority will be given to research with opportunities for community engagement and which focus toward

• human impact
• developing indicators and standards for resource protection
• local and regional benefits derived by preserve/open space park systems
• wildlife corridors/connectivity/linkages
• climate change and/or urban heat island effects
• species inventories

CAZCA Grants are designed to support funding for graduate students, but may also be appropriate for undergraduate students. Researchers must have study sites on one or more of these preserves. Collaborative projects across two or more preserves/parks is encouraged.

Recipients must complete their work within one year of receiving grant funds, have some public outreach component to their work, and provide a final report and presentation to the partnership.

Allowable expenses

Funds may be used for a variety of purposes including but not limited to materials/supplies, local travel directly related to field work, and lab fees. Requests for permanent equipment are not encouraged, but will be considered. Any permanent equipment purchased with grant funds remains the property of the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance and will need to be returned at the end of the project. Funds may not be used for tuition, student fees, institutional overhead, course textbooks/materials, thesis preparation, publication of results, costs associated with attendance to professional meetings, or fringe benefits.

Provisional acceptance pending research permit

Grant funding is provisional until a research and collecting permit is approved and issued for each study site. Being awarded a grant is NOT A GUARANTEE that a research and collecting permit will be issued for work in a park/preserve as written in the proposal. Modification of methods or sites may be necessary. Grant recipients are encouraged to submit the application for a research and collecting permit for work in a park/preserve as soon as possible. Prior to issuing a permit, land management staff will review the project for compliance with policies and administrative concerns.

Requirements of award winners

Fulfill all conditions of the park/preserve research permit.

Awardees are required to provide the following to the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance Program Coordinator (Stacie Beute) within three months after the completion of field work.

1. At least one public outreach product such as public participation in the research itself, a talk at a nature center, or a poster, fact sheet, classroom activity to share the research process and results. If a talk is given, please share plans for study, observations to date, and similar projects already completed. Please discuss tentative choice for public outreach with CAZCA’s program coordinator Stacie Beute.
2. Provide electronic final report to include: intro, methods, results, discussion, relevance to management, literature cited, and acknowledgements or thesis/dissertation as appropriate.
3. Send several digital photos of researcher/field work in progress with captions for photos in a separate word document

Application instructions

Applicants must submit the following documents via email to Central Arizona Conservation Alliance Program Coordinator Stacie Beute (sbeute@dbg.org) by 6pm Tuesday, September 2, 2014.

1. An abstract of the proposed research endeavor and its relevance to Preserve land managers. The abstract should state the central research objective/question and methods to be employed. (250 word maximum)
2. A research proposal (2 pages maximum, 12-point font, single spaced) to include the following sections, with headings:

• Project title
• An introductory section that briefly reviews current literature on the proposed topic to provide context for and importance of the research objective/question. Research objectives or question
• A description of the research design including methods and data analysis
• A discussion of expected results and/or predictions
• A description of the significance of the proposed work to park management issues or resources (see review criteria #3 below)
• Proposed research sites
• Lists for logistical help in the park, i.e. camping in the backcountry, temporary work and/or storage space, access by private vehicle, etc

1. Literature Cited (2 page maximum)
2. Project budget and justification with detailed categories and narrative of justification. Categories:

• Materials/supplies
• Local travel
• Laboratory fees
• Equipment (if approved, see Allowable Expenses section)
• Other (with details)

1. A curriculum vitae or resume that lists research experience
2. A letter of support from a faculty or academic advisor

 Review criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel and award decisions will be made and communicated by 9/15/2014. The following criteria will be important in determining which projects are funded:

1. Completeness of application
2. Intellectual merit (overall quality of the science proposed and feasibility of the research)
3. Significance of the project to preserve/park management issues or resources, i.e. does it help managers make decisions about critical issues? Does it provide missing resource information or help set targets or indicators of desired resource condition?
4. Educational outreach component, i.e. does the applicant clearly suggest outreach component(s)? Is the outreach creative and useful to the preserve/park?

Contact Information

To ask questions, submit proposals, discuss logistics, or discuss public outreach components, contact:

Stacie Beute, Conservation Alliance Program Coordinator, Desert Botanical Garden

sbeute@dbg.org or 480.481.8187.

Rick Heffernon, recently retired from the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, has served as an Arizona Trail steward for over 15 years. In this Park and Recreation Month-inspired essay, he examines how trails sustain the physical, economic and emotional well-being of our communities.

In Fall 2013 CAP's Ecology Explorers program began a partnership with Homeward Bound, an organization that provides transitional housing, employment services, and other forms of support to low-income families with children that are homeless, recently evicted, or fleeing a domestic violence situation. Under the direction of CAP education coordinator, Gina Hupton, undergraduate and graduate students have been designing and delivering environmental education lessons to pre-school and lower elementary level students through Homeward Bound's after school program. More ...

According to a report released by the Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead --- the reservoir created by Hoover Dam --- is expected to drop to a level not seen since it was initially filled in the 1930s. Because Lake Mead serves as a major source of the Southwest's Colorado River water, the drop has certain implications for Arizona. Dave White, senior sustainability scientist and co-director of Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC), discussed several of these during an interview with KJZZ "Here and Now" host Steve Goldstein.

"State and regional water resource managers deserve accolades for the last 100 years of water management and the effectiveness of those strategies to support the economic growth and development of the region," White said. "What we need to do now is focus the conversation on the next 100 years, because there are new sets of problems ahead where our historical solutions will not be effective."

The lake is anticipated to decline to a level of 1,081.75 feet during the week of July 7, and to 1,080 feet around November of this year. The Bureau of Reclamation says that water obligations to states like Arizona, California and Nevada will be met at least through next year.

Monica Elser, education manager for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, was awarded a Citizen Science and Engagement seed grant along with Dara Wald, a Center for Policy Informatics (CPI) postdoctoral fellow. The grant, presented by the Office of the Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, will develop the project "Citizen Science to Forecast the Future of a Desert City," which builds on current research efforts at both CPI and Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC).

The project aims to develop a web-based water-reporting site, MyFuturePhoenix, to engage citizens in water management efforts. Initially, high school students will track, classify and analyze personal water use data. Once connected to WaterSim, a water policy and management simulation model developed by DCDC, participants will be able to visualize the collective effect of water use decisions made today on the Phoenix area in the year 2050.

According to Wald, "This citizen science initiative has the potential to contribute data that is currently not available for university researchers, and to collect much more data than one agency or researcher could collect alone.”

A new Solar Energy Engineering & Commercialization certificate aims to provide engineers like those leading renewable energy development in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with the specialized training they require. The three-week program focuses on solar technologies with particular emphasis on their production and application. The curriculum also explores the social and environmental aspects of the industry, as well as project management, finance, economics and supply chain management.

An additional attraction of the program is that it can be customized to meet the specific needs of individual companies, agencies and other organizations. Through a partnership with Tempe-based First Solar, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of thin-film solar cells, a custom version was developed to educate engineers with the Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA). This partnership represents an effort to support the Green Economy for Sustainable Development Initiative launched by Dubai’s leaders, as well as an aspiration to advance solar energy expertise throughout the world.

After encountering a number of Latin American school children who were unfamiliar with the species native to their home countries, Dave Pearson --- a sustainability scientist and research professor in the School of Life Sciences --- found that such knowledge was key to grasping concepts like conservation. This motivated him to host his first biodiversity workshop, which occurred while he was working toward his master's degree in Peru. Thirty years later, Pearson travels the world, holding frequent biodiversity workshops for children, adults and university students alike.

In mid-July, Pearson will host yet another workshop, this one at the Peruvian Amazonian Research Institute in Iquitos, Peru. Here he will teach dozens of university students about critical thinking, the scientific method and sustainable biodiversity. Such workshops are part of Pearson's broader plan, which is to empower the people of each country he visits to solve ecological problems in their own way. He states that other conservation efforts have failed because foreign solutions do not necessarily work for everyone.

“...when I visit other countries...I work with them rather than tell them how things work,” Pearson says. “...these are Peruvian problems with Peruvian solutions, and they know their culture well enough to make the changes their way.”

CAP Director Nancy Grimm and ASU faculty member Michael Kuby recently appeared on the local PBS affiliate KAET to discuss the Third National Climate Assessment. Grimm and Kuby are among the close to 300 co-authors on the study, which examines the effects of climate change on the US.

Sustainability scientists Nancy Grimm and Michael Kuby were among 300 authors of the Third National Climate Assessment, a report released by the National Climate Assessment and Development Advisory Committee. They discussed the report, which represents the most comprehensive look at climate change in the U.S., with Arizona Horizon host Ted Simons.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides study abroad opportunities for university students in the U.S. who are receiving federal Pell Grant funds. Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray study abroad costs. Ariel LeBarron, a sustainability major, received $5,000 to study at the University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Germany, where she will focus on German and sustainability in Fall 2014.

"The Gilman Scholarship will enhance my undergraduate experience because it allows me the ability to study in Germany to learn the language, culture and sustainability initiatives implemented throughout Germany," said LeBarron, who ultimately would like to become a professor or work with the city of Phoenix on implementing community sustainability practices.

Senior sustainability scientist and School of Sustainability professor Joshua Abbott, co-developer of a first-of-its-kind equation to estimate the monetary value of natural resources like fish stock, groundwater and forests, appeared on Arizona Horizon to discuss his research with host Ted Simons.