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• 1. [Article] Interview with Robert Costanza, Institute for Sustainable Solutions, 2011 (audio)

  Interview of Dr. Robert Costanza by Noah Sharpsteen at Portland State University on February 22nd, 2011. The interview index is available for download.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Interview with Robert Costanza, Institute for Sustainable Solutions, 2011 (audio) Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 2011 Interview of Dr. Robert Costanza by Noah Sharpsteen at Portland State University on February 22nd, 2011. The interview index is available for download. Title: Interview with Robert Costanza, Institute for Sustainable Solutions, 2011 (audio) Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 2011 Interview of Dr. Robert Costanza by Noah Sharpsteen at Portland State University on February 22nd, 2011. The interview index is available for download. Close

• 2. [Article] Developing an Integrated History and future of People on Earth (IHOPE)

  The Integrated History and future of People of Earth (IHOPE) initiative is a global network of researchers and research projects with its International Program Office (IPO) now based at the Stockholm Resilience ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Developing an Integrated History and future of People on Earth (IHOPE) Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Heckbert, Scott, Hibbard, Kathy A., Van der Leeuw, Sander, Aulenbach, Steve, Brewer, Simon, Burek, Michael, Cornell, Sarah, Crumley, Carole L., Graumlich, Lisa J., Hegmon, Michelle, Jackson, Stephen T., Sinclair, Paul, Sörlin, Sverker, Steffen, W. L., Folke, Carl, Dearing, J. A., Scarborough, Vernon Year: 2012 The Integrated History and future of People of Earth (IHOPE) initiative is a global network of researchers and research projects with its International Program Office (IPO) now based at the Stockholm Resilience Center (SRC), Upsalla University, Arizona State University, Portland State University, and the Australian National University. Research linked to IHOPE demonstrates that Earth system changes in the past have been strongly associated with changes in the coupled human-environment system. IHOPE supports integrating knowledge and resources from the biophysical and the social sciences and the humanities to address analytical and interpretive issues associated with coupled human-earth system dynamics. This integration of human history and Earth system history is a timely and important task. Until recently, however, there have been few attempts at such integration. IHOPE will create frameworks that can be used to help achieve this integration. The overarching goal is to produce a rich understanding of the relationships between environmental and human processes over the past millennia. IHOPE recognizes that one major challenge for reaching this goal is developing ?workable? terminology that can be accepted by scholars of all disciplines. The specific objectives for IHOPE are to identify slow and rapidly moving features of complex social-ecological systems, on local to continental spatial scales, which induce resilience, stress, or collapse in linked systems of humans in nature. These objectives will be reached by exploring innovative ways of conducting inter and transdisciplinary science, including theory, case studies, and integrated modeling. Examples of projects underway to implement this initiative are briefly discussed. Title: Developing an Integrated History and future of People on Earth (IHOPE) Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Heckbert, Scott, Hibbard, Kathy A., Van der Leeuw, Sander, Aulenbach, Steve, Brewer, Simon, Burek, Michael, Cornell, Sarah, Crumley, Carole L., Graumlich, Lisa J., Hegmon, Michelle, Jackson, Stephen T., Sinclair, Paul, Sörlin, Sverker, Steffen, W. L., Folke, Carl, Dearing, J. A., Scarborough, Vernon Year: 2012 The Integrated History and future of People of Earth (IHOPE) initiative is a global network of researchers and research projects with its International Program Office (IPO) now based at the Stockholm Resilience Center (SRC), Upsalla University, Arizona State University, Portland State University, and the Australian National University. Research linked to IHOPE demonstrates that Earth system changes in the past have been strongly associated with changes in the coupled human-environment system. IHOPE supports integrating knowledge and resources from the biophysical and the social sciences and the humanities to address analytical and interpretive issues associated with coupled human-earth system dynamics. This integration of human history and Earth system history is a timely and important task. Until recently, however, there have been few attempts at such integration. IHOPE will create frameworks that can be used to help achieve this integration. The overarching goal is to produce a rich understanding of the relationships between environmental and human processes over the past millennia. IHOPE recognizes that one major challenge for reaching this goal is developing ?workable? terminology that can be accepted by scholars of all disciplines. The specific objectives for IHOPE are to identify slow and rapidly moving features of complex social-ecological systems, on local to continental spatial scales, which induce resilience, stress, or collapse in linked systems of humans in nature. These objectives will be reached by exploring innovative ways of conducting inter and transdisciplinary science, including theory, case studies, and integrated modeling. Examples of projects underway to implement this initiative are briefly discussed. Close

• 3. [Article] Toward an Integrated History to Guide the Future

  Many contemporary societal challenges manifest themselves in the domain of human?environment interactions. There is a growing recognition that responses to these challenges formulated within current disciplinary ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Toward an Integrated History to Guide the Future Author: Van der Leeuw, Sander, Costanza, Robert, Aulenbach, Steve, Brewer, Simon, Burek, Michael, Cornell, Sarah, Crumley, Carole L., Dearing, J. A., Downy, Catherine, Graumlich, Lisa J., Heckbert, Scott, Hegmon, Michelle, Hibbard, Kathy A., Jackson, Stephen T., Kubiszewski, Ida, Sinclair, Paul, Sörlin, Sverker, Steffen, W. L. Year: 2011 Many contemporary societal challenges manifest themselves in the domain of human?environment interactions. There is a growing recognition that responses to these challenges formulated within current disciplinary boundaries, in isolation from their wider contexts, cannot adequately address them. Here, we outline the need for an integrated, transdisciplinary synthesis that allows for a holistic approach, and, above all, a much longer time perspective. We outline both the need for and the fundamental characteristics of what we call ?integrated history.? This approach promises to yield new understandings of the relationship between the past, present, and possible futures of our integrated human?environment system. We recommend a unique new focus of our historical efforts on the future, rather than the past, concentrated on learning about future possibilities from history. A growing worldwide community of transdisciplinary scholars is forming around building this Integrated History and future of People on Earth (IHOPE). Building integrated models of past human societies and their interactions with their environments yields new insights into those interactions and can help to create a more sustainable and desirable future. The activity has become a major focus within the global change community. Title: Toward an Integrated History to Guide the Future Author: Van der Leeuw, Sander, Costanza, Robert, Aulenbach, Steve, Brewer, Simon, Burek, Michael, Cornell, Sarah, Crumley, Carole L., Dearing, J. A., Downy, Catherine, Graumlich, Lisa J., Heckbert, Scott, Hegmon, Michelle, Hibbard, Kathy A., Jackson, Stephen T., Kubiszewski, Ida, Sinclair, Paul, Sörlin, Sverker, Steffen, W. L. Year: 2011 Many contemporary societal challenges manifest themselves in the domain of human?environment interactions. There is a growing recognition that responses to these challenges formulated within current disciplinary boundaries, in isolation from their wider contexts, cannot adequately address them. Here, we outline the need for an integrated, transdisciplinary synthesis that allows for a holistic approach, and, above all, a much longer time perspective. We outline both the need for and the fundamental characteristics of what we call ?integrated history.? This approach promises to yield new understandings of the relationship between the past, present, and possible futures of our integrated human?environment system. We recommend a unique new focus of our historical efforts on the future, rather than the past, concentrated on learning about future possibilities from history. A growing worldwide community of transdisciplinary scholars is forming around building this Integrated History and future of People on Earth (IHOPE). Building integrated models of past human societies and their interactions with their environments yields new insights into those interactions and can help to create a more sustainable and desirable future. The activity has become a major focus within the global change community. Close

• 4. [Article] Human history as a natural science. Review of: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond

  Book review of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond. W. W. Norton, New York, 1997.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Human history as a natural science. Review of: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 1999 Book review of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond. W. W. Norton, New York, 1997. Title: Human history as a natural science. Review of: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond Author: Costanza, Robert Year: 1999 Book review of Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Jared Diamond. W. W. Norton, New York, 1997. Close

• 5. [Article] DR7a: Changes in ecosystem services and migration in low-lying coastal areas over the next 50 years

  This paper examines the history and current status of ecosystem services in low-lying coastal areas (LLCAs), their potential changes because of wider environmental and social shifts, and the potential ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: DR7a: Changes in ecosystem services and migration in low-lying coastal areas over the next 50 years Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Roman, Joe, Sutton, Paul Year: 2011 This paper examines the history and current status of ecosystem services in low-lying coastal areas (LLCAs), their potential changes because of wider environmental and social shifts, and the potential impacts of these changes on human migration. We synthesised information from a number of sources on the status and value of ecosystem services in LLCAs, including information about key ecosystems that are likely to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change. We created maps of ecosystem and human population changes in LLCAs and then estimated changes in ecosystem services. Estimating the impacts of these potential changes depends on the future scenario one assumes. For our analysis four scenarios were developed for future ecosystem and ecosystem services conditions in 2060, based on the four SRES (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios) scenarios with additional reference to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Great Transition Initiative scenarios. The two axes of the SRES scenarios are global vs. regional and material economy vs. environment foci. This allowed an assessment of the plausible range of future uncertainty about ecosystem services in LLCAs and the potential for changes in ecosystem services to drive human migration. Major findings include: ? Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive on the planet. They provide more than 70% of total global ecosystem services. ? At the same time, these systems are the most threatened by climate change, human settlement and potential coastward migration. ? In the mid-1990s, approximately 25 million people were forced to leave their homelands owing to the inability to secure a livelihood as ecosystem services declined (Myers and Kent, 2009). ? In the coming decades, one estimate puts the number at 240?525 million people globally who may feel impelled to migrate because of loss of ecosystem services (Myers and Kent, 2009). ? Risk factors for coastal populations include over-exploitation of resources, including fisheries; destruction of mangroves, wetlands, and other natural infrastructure; increased storm activity; and reduced resilience to environmental perturbations. ? Coastward population migration is largest in the globalised scenarios because of increased ease of migration in a more globalised world. ? Coastal ecosystem services decline in the material economy-focused SRES scenarios but potentially increase in the environment-focused SRES scenarios, leading to higher overall quality of life. Policies should aim to preserve and restore coastal habitats. This leads to higher and more stable coastal ecosystem services and human quality of life, along with lower vulnerability to migration pressures. Additional research and integrated modelling are needed, however, to better understand the spatial dynamics of human migration and its dependence on ecosystem services. Such models could also help illuminate the transition pathways and policies necessary to achieve the preferred future scenarios. Title: DR7a: Changes in ecosystem services and migration in low-lying coastal areas over the next 50 years Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Roman, Joe, Sutton, Paul Year: 2011 This paper examines the history and current status of ecosystem services in low-lying coastal areas (LLCAs), their potential changes because of wider environmental and social shifts, and the potential impacts of these changes on human migration. We synthesised information from a number of sources on the status and value of ecosystem services in LLCAs, including information about key ecosystems that are likely to be particularly vulnerable to environmental change. We created maps of ecosystem and human population changes in LLCAs and then estimated changes in ecosystem services. Estimating the impacts of these potential changes depends on the future scenario one assumes. For our analysis four scenarios were developed for future ecosystem and ecosystem services conditions in 2060, based on the four SRES (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios) scenarios with additional reference to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and the Great Transition Initiative scenarios. The two axes of the SRES scenarios are global vs. regional and material economy vs. environment foci. This allowed an assessment of the plausible range of future uncertainty about ecosystem services in LLCAs and the potential for changes in ecosystem services to drive human migration. Major findings include: ? Coastal ecosystems are among the most productive on the planet. They provide more than 70% of total global ecosystem services. ? At the same time, these systems are the most threatened by climate change, human settlement and potential coastward migration. ? In the mid-1990s, approximately 25 million people were forced to leave their homelands owing to the inability to secure a livelihood as ecosystem services declined (Myers and Kent, 2009). ? In the coming decades, one estimate puts the number at 240?525 million people globally who may feel impelled to migrate because of loss of ecosystem services (Myers and Kent, 2009). ? Risk factors for coastal populations include over-exploitation of resources, including fisheries; destruction of mangroves, wetlands, and other natural infrastructure; increased storm activity; and reduced resilience to environmental perturbations. ? Coastward population migration is largest in the globalised scenarios because of increased ease of migration in a more globalised world. ? Coastal ecosystem services decline in the material economy-focused SRES scenarios but potentially increase in the environment-focused SRES scenarios, leading to higher overall quality of life. Policies should aim to preserve and restore coastal habitats. This leads to higher and more stable coastal ecosystem services and human quality of life, along with lower vulnerability to migration pressures. Additional research and integrated modelling are needed, however, to better understand the spatial dynamics of human migration and its dependence on ecosystem services. Such models could also help illuminate the transition pathways and policies necessary to achieve the preferred future scenarios. Close