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Environmental Policy Roundtable
Spring 2005
Apr 22: TOWARD A CENTRAL THEORY OF
ECOLOGY (Robert
E. Ulanowicz, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, UMD)
Dr. Ulanowicz argues for a new metaphysic of ecology he calls
"Process Ecology." This new metaphysic replaces the
outworn Newtonian metaphysic and brings ecology into the 21st
century. By postulating an autocatalytic mechanism for the development
of spontaneous order in natural systems, Dr. Ulanowicz challenges
the foundational role of natural selection in neo-Darwinism.
His label for this tendency towards spontaneous order is ascendancy,
a paradoxical manifestation of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Dr. Ulanowicz's work in systems ecology affords him a broad perspective
on the behavior of ecodynamics and he looks forward to exploring
the analogues in economic systems during his presentation.
A chemical engineer by training, Dr. Ulanowicz is now Professor
of Theoretical Ecology with the University of Maryland's Chesapeake
Biological Laboratory. His early work at CBL involved research
into Chesapeake Bay estuarine hydrography and modeling of ecological
systems. His current interests include network analysis of trophic
exchanges in ecosystems, information theory, and modeling subtropical
wetland ecosystems in Florida and Belize. He has published a monograph
on the causes behind the development of ecosystems and other naturally-organizing
systems and many articles. Dr. Ulanowicz received his PhD from
Johns Hopkins University, and has taught at the Catholic University
of America.
May 6: INFERENCE WITH SPATIAL AGENT-BASED
COMPUTATIONAL LABORATORIES (Catherine
Dibble, Department of Geography, UMD)
Economic theory and game theory begin to provide formal theoretical
frameworks for analysis of the emergent macro effects of micro-level
nonstrategic and strategic interactions among agents. Yet it is
nearly impossible toextend fundamental theoretical results to realistically
distributed context-sensitive systems of heterogeneous, dynamic,
adaptive, and mobile agents when
researchers are limited to thought experiments or at best to
top-down equationbased computational models. A spatial agent-based
computational laboratory such as GeoGraphs can greatly extend
our ability to explore beyond the bounds of purely analytical
inference, to establish new theoretical and applied results for
important and interesting systems. This talk provides a basic
introduction to the GeoGraph computational laboratory and discusses
related tools for inference. Basic overview of GeoGraphs: http://jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/7/1/7.html
Catherine Dibble is an Assistant Professor in the Department
of Geography at the University of Maryland. She uses her GeoGraph
agent-based computational laboratory to model and optimize interventions
for network-influenced processes such as epidemics of infectious
diseases among highly mobile populations, and long-run regional
development and land-use changes. She has served on the International
Steering Committee for the GeoComputation Conference Series since
its inception in 1996, and has complementary expertise in synthetic
landscapes, network optimization, spatial evolutionary algorithms,
and relevance filters. For 2005-2007, she will be serving on
the US National Academies of Sciences (NAS) National Research
Council (NRC) Committee on Organizational Models from Individuals
to Societies.
Feb 11: SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS IN
PRACTICE: TRAINING, MENTORING, AND INSPIRING ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURS
WORLDWIDE. (Margie Brand, Executive Director EcoVentures
International)
Margie Brand is an internationally experienced trainer, facilitator,
curricula developer, activist, international development consultant
and entrepreneur. She has experience developing Microenterprise,
Microfinance, Sustainable Development and Entrepreneurship curricula
independently and as part of a team, which have now been translated
into over 15 languages and used in over 35 countries worldwide.
Margie has also worked extensively with program managers, board
members and managers to assist in organizational development and
capacity building strategies through facilitating strategic processes
and organizational development meetings. Most recently Margie founded
EcoVentures International, a non-profit research, education and
training organization based in Washington DC, to train and support
young leaders to understand sustainable development issues through
the creation of environmentally focused microenterprises. Born
and educated in South Africa with a degree in Business Science,
Margie has worked extensively with organizations throughout the
world in building the capacity of their microenterprise, self-sustainability
and livelihood projects.
Feb 18: IS SUSTAINABLE CITIES AN OXYMORON
OR CAN THEY BE MADE TO WORK? "Cities" (Directed by
David Springbett & Heather MacAndrew Asterisk Productions,
2000)
Note: this film is shown in VMH 1207.
As the world's cities grow and resources shrink, will we be able
to live sustainably with the earth - and with each other? Can we
take care of people and the environment? A community watershed
project in Sao Paolo, Brazil shows us how. Can urban planning be
a win-win for everyone?
This program looks at what sustainability means in locations as
diverse as East L.A., Sao Paolo, and Curitiba, Brazil, Vancouver
and Portland. Jane Jacobs, Bill McKibben, Bill Rees, California
senator Martha Escutia, and John Ryan offer their ideas on what
living sustainably in the world's cities means.
Selected One of the Best Science Films from the Past Five Years,
Science Books & Films Equinox Environmental Film Festival
(http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/cities.html)
Mar 4: GREEN CHEMISTRY - POLLUTION-FREE
TECHNOLOY AND GLOBAL BUSINESS STRATEGY (Karen
Peabody O'Brien & Jennifer L. Young, Green
Chemistry Institute)
How can science enable billions of people to have food, energy,
quality of life without causing global climate change, resource
depletion, and toxic substances in the environment? One answer
is Green Chemistry, which is the design of chemical products and
processes that reduces or eliminates the use and generation of
hazardous substances. Green Chemistry provides opportunities to
consciously design safer products starting at the molecular level
and in the process, to generate business value and opportunities
for enhanced competitive advantage. In this seminar we will discuss
Green Chemistry both as a design science and as a business phenomenon
in the context of global environmental issues and new international
norms.
Karen Peabody O'Brien joined the Green Chemistry Institute
in November 2004 to lead an initiative quantifying the economic,
environmental and social benefits accrued when companies implement
green chemistry principles to products and processes. Karen's background
is in interdisciplinary approaches to political and economic development;
she holds an M.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia,
and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.
Jennifer L. Young pursued research in green chemistry at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to earn a Ph.D.
in polymer/organic chemistry. Following a 4 year industrial polymer
research position at DuPont in the Ink Jet business, Jennifer recently
returned to her interests in environmental protection by joining
the Green Chemistry Institute (GCI) as a senior research chemist.
Mar
18: SETTING THE SCENE FOR SCENIC ROADS: THE LANDSCAPE POLITICS
OF AMERICAN AND GERMAN PARKWAYS IN THE 20th CENTURY (Tom
Zeller, Department of History, UMD)
The presentation introduces parkways as one the main ways for
Americans and Germans to experience landscapes in the 20th century.
These roads opened a window on nature, made the natural environment
accessible, and presented specific versions of nature. Zeller argues
that these
landscapes groomed for transportation were not the result of an
autonomous technology intruding upon unspoiled nature, but rather
the outcome of human decisions based on desires, values, and professional
status. These respective values were inscribed into the technology
of the road and thus onto the landscape, leaving a cultural imprint
on them.
A specialist in European environmental history and the history
of technology, Tom Zeller's research and teaching focus on the
historical interplay of technology and environment in shaping landscapes.
He has published a monograph on the landscape changes resulting
from the building of the German autobahn and high-speed railway
lines in that country and numerous articles. His current research
includes a comparative study of the driving experience in 20th-century
Germany and the United States.
Apr 8: THE DAILY PLANET: A JOURNALISTIC
SEARCH FOR SUSTAINABILITY, FROM THE AMAZON TO THE ARCTIC (Andrew
C. Revkin, The New York Times)
Reception for Andrew Revkin at the Academy of Leadership's
library (1126 Taliaferro Hall) after the seminar (2pm) - Everyone
is welcome!
The four shots to the head and chest that killed Sister Dorothy
Stang on 12 February 2005 were a brutal echo of what happened to
Chico Mendes 17 years ago. Both individuals, feared by roadbuilders
and ranchers, were peaceful activists on behalf of the Amazon's
rainforest and its poor inhabitants. The story of Chico Mendes
has been chronicled by Andrew Revkin in his book The Burning Season
- which formed the basis for the HBO film of the same name, starring
Raul Julia and directed by John Frankenheimer. The film won three
Golden Globes and two Emmys. In this seminar, Andrew Revkin describes
his 20-years (and counting) search for ways to mesh the human adventure
with the planet's limits. The quest has taken him to the Amazon
and many other places. Most recently he has made three trips to
the Arctic in two years to describe the extraordinary changes at
the top of the world that appear to be driven, long distance, by
the buildup of greenhouse emissions from smokestacks and tailpipes.
He will also do a brief reading from the new Island Press edition
of the Burning Season and sign copies. Some recent Arctic coverage
is here: www.nytimes.com/pages/science/sciencereport
Information on the book is here: www.islandpress.org/burning
Andrew Revkin, a science reporter for The New York Times, has
written about the global environment for two decades, covering
issues from the Amazon to the North Pole. His work has garnered
more than half a dozen national journalism prizes, including
an Investigative Reporters
& Editors Award and the inaugural $20,000 National Academies
Communication Award. Andrew Revkin is an adjunct professor at
Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism; he has a
biology degree from Brown and a master's degree in journalism
from Columbia.
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