Sustainability_ The Ultimate Quest-Part II_ MIT "Walks-the-Talk" _ORT Forum on public policy

Professor Jeffrey I. Steinfeld, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT-pdf), presented a [very important] paper titled "Leveraging International Collaborations for Climate and Sustainability Education" at the ORT session titled; Global Warming and Sustainable Development: Governing a Crisis, August 12 to 17, 2007, at St. Anne’s College in the University of Oxford. Professor Steinfeld’s paper was subsequently published with co-author Amanda Graham, also of MIT, under the same title in the Forum on Public Policy.

A shortened abstract of Professor Steinfeld’s and A. Graham’s ORT article is given below:

Abstract –Extract: MIT “Walks-the-Talk” ; quote

"Avoiding dangerous climate change, assuring secure and affordable energy supplies for future generations, and averting geopolitical conflict over scarce energy resources, are among the central challenges of global sustainability. Achieving these goals requires engaging multiple stakeholders having widely differing perceptions of the nature and urgency of the issues involved. A coherent but varied strategy for outreach and education is necessary in order to effectively inform and engage these multiple audiences.In the United States, public attitudes toward climate change and energy security have undergone a remarkable change during the past several years, as a result of economic pressures, perceived alterations to familiar climate patterns, and increasing attention by the media. In the absence of leadership on these issues at the national level, many states, municipalities, industries, and private actors have started taking steps to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and to begin the transition to a sustainable energy system. He describes how MIT “Walk’s-the-Talk”. "

Could there be a lesson for all here?

Further resources from MIT:
Jeff Steinfeld's Biography on MIT Chemistry Department Webpage

Martin Fellowship: Letter from Prof. Steinfeld
Excerpt:
"Humankind is currently engaged in an unprecedented, global-scale experiment involving the atmosphere, the oceans, the biosphere--all of the environmental systems on which our well-being depends. The hypothesis being explored in this experiment is whether human society can attain a sustainable relationship with our environment. We do not know what the outcome of this experiment will be--but we do know that if the experiment goes badly, we will not be able to return the sample to the Manufacturer and request a free replacement."

Martin Family Society of Fellows for Sustainability
Foundation & List of Fellows
Laboratory For Environment and Energy:
Energy & Environment the LFEE newsletter

Numerous Publications Freely Available

Sustainability_ The Ultimate Quest-Part I_ The Oxford Round Table (ORT) Forum on Public Policy

This has been a round-about trip which I am sure many of you have encountered in your web searching and blogging activities. I have split the journey into several parts.

PART I:
My meanders began by a visit to a site which appeared via AdSense publicity on my blog, thanks to The “Oxford Round Table’s (ORT) Forum on Public Policy now celebrating their 20th birthday with an “Round Table” on Environment and Sustainability held between August 10 to August 15 at St. Anne's College, Oxford.

The ORT site also references papers published in the 2007 forum.

Prof. Ruth A. Reck, Univ. of California, Davis, coordinated the 2008 Oxford Round Table session entitled: Sustainability_ The Ultimate Quest. Ruth’s own paper was entitled Setting the Balance for Global Climate Change: Scientific Evidence and the Consequences for Society following her article published the previous year in The Forum on Public Policy, Vol. 4 No. 3, 2007, title: "Climate Change and Sustainable Development."

These meetings are distinctly Interdisciplinary. Scholars representing several disciples from Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States presented papers regarding the world quest for sustainability. They have an equally distinctive “OCDE – Forum” ring to them in both in name and in spirit, may I add.

Cf. Balancing Globalization. The OCDE forum 2006, title ! link via 2 previous posts on this blog:
1. Climate Change 3 part series from FT-Financial Times-"No getting away from it" Follow-up from OCDE Forum 2008?
2. OCDE Forum 2008 : Climate Change, Growth , Stability: Prime Innovation Motivation Conversation 2-4 June 2008?

Although all the papers presented, bar one are limited to subscribers. Arguably not the best way to achieve the global reach required for “The” number one world quest by Round Table participants. However the abstracts provide excellent summaries to the busy government or company executive, ONG, green movement activists, concerned scientists and general public.

Setting the Balance for Global Climate Change: Scientific Evidence and the Consequences for Society by Ruth A. Reck, Prof. of Atmospheric Science, Dept of Land, Air and Water Resources, School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Univ of California.

Abstract excerpt quoted : (full description via ORT.)
"It has become clear to many scientists that the problems of global climate change are the most pressing issues the world faces, far exceeding the concerns of terrorism and the need to promote democracy around the world. In fact the outcomes of these other major concerns may hinge in great part upon our ability to deal with the consequences that changes in climate will have on the world's populations. Because climate has been recognized to be the most serious for the economically challenged peoples it follows that decreasing food availability, decreasing fresh water resources and deterioration of living conditions can but only add to the burdens of those less well off. Regions become politically more unstable the more unstable the weather that they experience. It is a natural consequence. It is within this frame of reference that we embark upon this topic of managing in the face of changing climatic conditions.

In this paper we review the present IPCC Reports, released in 2007, discuss the perilous nature of the current climate situation, and review some of the most recent research findings to support this conclusion. "

The full abstract is available via ORT Forum on Public Policy and from the glimpse above you can easily see that it is well worth the full read.

Note: The Oxford Round Table is a series of interdisciplinary conferences organized and run by an educational organization based in California and at Harris Manchester College in the United Kingdom, which is incorporated as a for-profit corporation in Kentucky,[1] and a not-for-profit corporation in Kentucky,[2] Illinois,[3] and England and Wales.[4] [main LINK]

The full paper title hinted at in the text above is "Clouds in a Warmer Climate: Friend or Foe?"[Pdf] by Sonia Lasher-Trapp. A little gem if I may say so.

For the "too busy executive here is a snip:

"From the most recent, best estimates, clouds
appear to be a “friend” in that they help to cool the earth and offset global warming, but it is yet too early to tell how their assistance may change as the earth‟s climate changes."

Source:
Oxford Round Table Forum on public policy