Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] The Future of Agriculture and Society in Iowa: Four Scenarios

  Iowa is a leader in crop and livestock production, but its high productivity has had concomitant negative environmental and societal impacts and large requirements for fossil-fuel-derived inputs. Maintaining ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Future of Agriculture and Society in Iowa: Four Scenarios Author: Jarchow, Meghann E., Larsen, G. L. Drake, Costanza, Robert, Zdorkowski, Gretchen, Gailans, Stefans R., Ohde, Nicholaus, Dietzel, Ranae, Kaplan, Sara, Neal, Jeri, Petrehn, Mae Rose, Gunther, Theodore, D’Adamo, Stephanie N., McCann, Nicholas, Larson, Andrew, Damery, Phillip, Gross, Lee, Merriman, Marc, Kubiszewski, Ida, Post, Julian, Sheradin, Meghan, Liebman, Matt Year: 2012 Iowa is a leader in crop and livestock production, but its high productivity has had concomitant negative environmental and societal impacts and large requirements for fossil-fuel-derived inputs. Maintaining agricultural productivity, economic prosperity and environmental integrity will become ever more challenging as the global demand for agricultural products increases and the resources needed become increasingly limited. Here we present four scenarios for Iowa in 2100, based on combinations of differing goals for the economy and differing energy availability. In scenarios focused on high material throughput, environmental degradation and social unrest will increase. In scenarios with a focus on human and environmental welfare, environmental damage will be ameliorated and societal happiness will increase. Movement towards a society focused on human and environmental welfare will require changes in the goals of the economy, whereas no major changes will be needed to maintain focus on high throughput. When energy sources are readily available and inexpensive, the goals of the economy will be more easily met, whereas energy limitations will restrict the options available to agriculture and society. Our scenarios can be used as tools to inform people about choices that must be made to reach more desirable futures for Iowa and similar agricultural regions Title: The Future of Agriculture and Society in Iowa: Four Scenarios Author: Jarchow, Meghann E., Larsen, G. L. Drake, Costanza, Robert, Zdorkowski, Gretchen, Gailans, Stefans R., Ohde, Nicholaus, Dietzel, Ranae, Kaplan, Sara, Neal, Jeri, Petrehn, Mae Rose, Gunther, Theodore, D’Adamo, Stephanie N., McCann, Nicholas, Larson, Andrew, Damery, Phillip, Gross, Lee, Merriman, Marc, Kubiszewski, Ida, Post, Julian, Sheradin, Meghan, Liebman, Matt Year: 2012 Iowa is a leader in crop and livestock production, but its high productivity has had concomitant negative environmental and societal impacts and large requirements for fossil-fuel-derived inputs. Maintaining agricultural productivity, economic prosperity and environmental integrity will become ever more challenging as the global demand for agricultural products increases and the resources needed become increasingly limited. Here we present four scenarios for Iowa in 2100, based on combinations of differing goals for the economy and differing energy availability. In scenarios focused on high material throughput, environmental degradation and social unrest will increase. In scenarios with a focus on human and environmental welfare, environmental damage will be ameliorated and societal happiness will increase. Movement towards a society focused on human and environmental welfare will require changes in the goals of the economy, whereas no major changes will be needed to maintain focus on high throughput. When energy sources are readily available and inexpensive, the goals of the economy will be more easily met, whereas energy limitations will restrict the options available to agriculture and society. Our scenarios can be used as tools to inform people about choices that must be made to reach more desirable futures for Iowa and similar agricultural regions Close

• 2. [Article] Gaining Ground: Wetlands, Hurricanes, and the Economy: The Value of Restoring the Mississippi River Delta

  This report shows conclusively that physical sustainability and delta expansion secures vast economic benefits locally and nationally. Within the context of the current financial crisis, investment in ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Gaining Ground: Wetlands, Hurricanes, and the Economy: The Value of Restoring the Mississippi River Delta Author: Batker, David, Torre, Isabel de, Costanza, Robert, Swedeen, Paula, Day, John W., Boumans, Roelof, Bagstad, Kenneth Year: 2010 This report shows conclusively that physical sustainability and delta expansion secures vast economic benefits locally and nationally. Within the context of the current financial crisis, investment in restoration secures short-term benefits of employment, income generation, greater ecosystem services and other economic benefits, and the long term goals of increased storm protection, greater oil and gas supply reliability and other economic benefits. A sustainable restoration of the Mississippi River Delta is a good investment with a high rate of return. Gaining ground is the most successful economic strategy for securing hurricane defenses and economic development. Title: Gaining Ground: Wetlands, Hurricanes, and the Economy: The Value of Restoring the Mississippi River Delta Author: Batker, David, Torre, Isabel de, Costanza, Robert, Swedeen, Paula, Day, John W., Boumans, Roelof, Bagstad, Kenneth Year: 2010 This report shows conclusively that physical sustainability and delta expansion secures vast economic benefits locally and nationally. Within the context of the current financial crisis, investment in restoration secures short-term benefits of employment, income generation, greater ecosystem services and other economic benefits, and the long term goals of increased storm protection, greater oil and gas supply reliability and other economic benefits. A sustainable restoration of the Mississippi River Delta is a good investment with a high rate of return. Gaining ground is the most successful economic strategy for securing hurricane defenses and economic development. Close

• 3. [Article] Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

  Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Author: Turner, Will R., Brandon, Katrina, Brooks, Thomas M., Costanza, Robert Year: 2007 Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing both species and ecosystem services might be accomplished with common solutions. Yet it is unknown whether these two major conservation objectives coincide broadly enough worldwide to enable global strategies for both goals to gain synergy. In this article, we assess the concordance between these two objectives, explore how the concordance varies across different regions, and examine the global potential for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously. We find that published global priority maps for biodiversity conservation harbor a disproportionate share of estimated terrestrial ecosystem service value (ESV). Overlap of biodiversity priorities and ESV varies among regions, and in areas that have high biodiversity priority but low ESV, specialized conservation approaches are necessary. Overall, however, our findings suggest opportunities for safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. Sensitivity analyses indicate that results are robust to known limitations of available ESV data. Capitalizing on these opportunities will require the identification of synergies at fine scales, and the development of economic and policy tools to exploit them. Title: Global Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Author: Turner, Will R., Brandon, Katrina, Brooks, Thomas M., Costanza, Robert Year: 2007 Habitat destruction has driven much of the current biodiversity extinction crisis, and it compromises the essential benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans derive from functioning ecosystems. Securing both species and ecosystem services might be accomplished with common solutions. Yet it is unknown whether these two major conservation objectives coincide broadly enough worldwide to enable global strategies for both goals to gain synergy. In this article, we assess the concordance between these two objectives, explore how the concordance varies across different regions, and examine the global potential for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services simultaneously. We find that published global priority maps for biodiversity conservation harbor a disproportionate share of estimated terrestrial ecosystem service value (ESV). Overlap of biodiversity priorities and ESV varies among regions, and in areas that have high biodiversity priority but low ESV, specialized conservation approaches are necessary. Overall, however, our findings suggest opportunities for safeguarding both biodiversity and ecosystem services. Sensitivity analyses indicate that results are robust to known limitations of available ESV data. Capitalizing on these opportunities will require the identification of synergies at fine scales, and the development of economic and policy tools to exploit them. Close