Search

Search Results

• 1. [Article] Getting Plant Conservation Right (or Not): The Case of the United States

  Effective plant conservation includes addressing basic needs such as information about species distribution and rarity; research, management, education, and training capacity to mitigate threats facing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Getting Plant Conservation Right (or Not): The Case of the United States Author: Havens, Kayri, Kramer, Andrea T., Guerrant, Edward O., Jr. Year: 2014 Effective plant conservation includes addressing basic needs such as information about species distribution and rarity; research, management, education, and training capacity to mitigate threats facing threatened species; policy and funding to support continued capacity and conservation; and, ultimately, a public that understands and supports the importance of plants and the need for their conservation. Coordination of plant conservation efforts is also needed to ensure that resources and expertise are used in a strategic, efficient, and effective manner.We argue that no country is currently getting plant conservation right; plants are becoming increasingly rare around the world. Plants are often not fully protected by policy, their conservation is underfunded, and their importance is underappreciated. However, some countries have progressed further than others. Here we outline areas where the United States is strong and highlight components that need work to meet the country’s plant conservation needs. Title: Getting Plant Conservation Right (or Not): The Case of the United States Author: Havens, Kayri, Kramer, Andrea T., Guerrant, Edward O., Jr. Year: 2014 Effective plant conservation includes addressing basic needs such as information about species distribution and rarity; research, management, education, and training capacity to mitigate threats facing threatened species; policy and funding to support continued capacity and conservation; and, ultimately, a public that understands and supports the importance of plants and the need for their conservation. Coordination of plant conservation efforts is also needed to ensure that resources and expertise are used in a strategic, efficient, and effective manner.We argue that no country is currently getting plant conservation right; plants are becoming increasingly rare around the world. Plants are often not fully protected by policy, their conservation is underfunded, and their importance is underappreciated. However, some countries have progressed further than others. Here we outline areas where the United States is strong and highlight components that need work to meet the country’s plant conservation needs. Close

• 2. [Article] Managing our environmental portfolio

  No set of issues has tended to separate economists and ecologists, especially in the mind of the public, more than those surrounding the linkages between economic growth, human carrying capacity, and the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Managing our environmental portfolio Author: Costanza, Robert, Daly, Herman E., Folke, Carl, Hawken, Paul, Holling, C. S., McMichael, A. J., Pimentel, David, Rapport, David Year: 2000 No set of issues has tended to separate economists and ecologists, especially in the mind of the public, more than those surrounding the linkages between economic growth, human carrying capacity, and the environment. The general lack of interest among the majority of economists in problems of the environment and a parallel lack of interest among the majority of ecologists in economic issues, combined with a lack of dialogue between the two groups, has allowed extreme positions to take hold in the public debate and to influence policy to an inordinate degree. Title: Managing our environmental portfolio Author: Costanza, Robert, Daly, Herman E., Folke, Carl, Hawken, Paul, Holling, C. S., McMichael, A. J., Pimentel, David, Rapport, David Year: 2000 No set of issues has tended to separate economists and ecologists, especially in the mind of the public, more than those surrounding the linkages between economic growth, human carrying capacity, and the environment. The general lack of interest among the majority of economists in problems of the environment and a parallel lack of interest among the majority of ecologists in economic issues, combined with a lack of dialogue between the two groups, has allowed extreme positions to take hold in the public debate and to influence policy to an inordinate degree. Close

• 3. [Article] The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States

  We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific effect of wildfire on employment and wage growth in western US counties. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment and wage growth in the quarter(s) during which suppression efforts were active. However, this effect transitioned to increased economic volatility following a wildfire. The effect of wildfire also varied by the type of county in which wildfire occurred. The amount of suppression costs invested locally had the strongest influence on employment growth, indicating that there may be room for augmenting how local economies experience wildfire either through the development of community capacity or by addressing barriers to local spending in federal wildfire policy. Title: The Effects of Large Wildfires on Employment and Wage Growth and Volatility in the Western United States Author: Nielsen-Pincus, Max, Moseley, Cassandra, Gebert, Krista Year: 2013 We examined the effect of large wildfires on economic growth and volatility in the western United States. We matched wildfire data with quarterly employment and earnings growth data to assess the specific effect of wildfire on employment and wage growth in western US counties. Wildfires generally tended to exhibit positive effects on employment and wage growth in the quarter(s) during which suppression efforts were active. However, this effect transitioned to increased economic volatility following a wildfire. The effect of wildfire also varied by the type of county in which wildfire occurred. The amount of suppression costs invested locally had the strongest influence on employment growth, indicating that there may be room for augmenting how local economies experience wildfire either through the development of community capacity or by addressing barriers to local spending in federal wildfire policy. Close

• 4. [Article] Building Capacity for Sustainability through Curricular and Faculty Development: A Learning Outcomes Approach

  Portland State University has made integration of sustainability across its academic programs an institutional priority. This article describes the strategies that have been used to engage faculty in developing ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Building Capacity for Sustainability through Curricular and Faculty Development: A Learning Outcomes Approach Author: Allen, Jennifer H., Gerwing, Jeffrey J., McBride, Leslie G. Year: 2010 Portland State University has made integration of sustainability across its academic programs an institutional priority. This article describes the strategies that have been used to engage faculty in developing sustainability curricula, including adopting sustainability as one of eight campus-wide learning outcomes, incorporating sustainability into the general education program, providing faculty development, and developing a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. The article shares lessons learned and next steps planned to advance Portland State's sustainability curricula. Title: Building Capacity for Sustainability through Curricular and Faculty Development: A Learning Outcomes Approach Author: Allen, Jennifer H., Gerwing, Jeffrey J., McBride, Leslie G. Year: 2010 Portland State University has made integration of sustainability across its academic programs an institutional priority. This article describes the strategies that have been used to engage faculty in developing sustainability curricula, including adopting sustainability as one of eight campus-wide learning outcomes, incorporating sustainability into the general education program, providing faculty development, and developing a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. The article shares lessons learned and next steps planned to advance Portland State's sustainability curricula. Close

• 5. [Article] Planning Approaches for Water Resources Development in the Lower Mekong Basin

  Governments in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) face decisions that involve trade-offs between, for example, the economic benefits from hydropower generation and potentially irreversible negative impacts on ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Planning Approaches for Water Resources Development in the Lower Mekong Basin Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Paquet, Peter, King, Jeffrey, Halimi, Shpresa, Sanguanngoi, Hansa, Bach, Nguyen Luong, Frankel, Richard, Ganaseni, Jiragorn, Intralawan, Apisom, Morell, David Year: 2011 Governments in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) face decisions that involve trade-offs between, for example, the economic benefits from hydropower generation and potentially irreversible negative impacts on the ecosystems that provide livelihoods and food security to the rural poor. These decisions involve complex problems that are both poorly understood in scientific terms and subject to rapid, potentially catastrophic change over time. A comprehensive, whole systems approach that adequately addresses the risks and uncertainties involved is necessary, but this is a daunting challenge for researchers, decision makers, and managers. They must develop the capacity to plan, coordinate, and implement a program that improves sustainable societal well-being across national boundaries in the face of these uncertainties, which include impacts on native capture fisheries, biodiversity, wetlands and other biological resources, ecosystem services (i.e., the ecological characteristics, functions, or processes that directly or indirectly contribute to human well-being), and indigenous cultures and ways of life. Title: Planning Approaches for Water Resources Development in the Lower Mekong Basin Author: Costanza, Robert, Kubiszewski, Ida, Paquet, Peter, King, Jeffrey, Halimi, Shpresa, Sanguanngoi, Hansa, Bach, Nguyen Luong, Frankel, Richard, Ganaseni, Jiragorn, Intralawan, Apisom, Morell, David Year: 2011 Governments in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) face decisions that involve trade-offs between, for example, the economic benefits from hydropower generation and potentially irreversible negative impacts on the ecosystems that provide livelihoods and food security to the rural poor. These decisions involve complex problems that are both poorly understood in scientific terms and subject to rapid, potentially catastrophic change over time. A comprehensive, whole systems approach that adequately addresses the risks and uncertainties involved is necessary, but this is a daunting challenge for researchers, decision makers, and managers. They must develop the capacity to plan, coordinate, and implement a program that improves sustainable societal well-being across national boundaries in the face of these uncertainties, which include impacts on native capture fisheries, biodiversity, wetlands and other biological resources, ecosystem services (i.e., the ecological characteristics, functions, or processes that directly or indirectly contribute to human well-being), and indigenous cultures and ways of life. Close

• 6. [Article] A System Dynamics Model of the Pacific Coast Rockfish Fishery

  This paper presents a model of the dynamic behavior of the yellowtail rockfish of the Pacific Coast of the United States. The purpose of the model is to generate endogenously the historical data for fish ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: A System Dynamics Model of the Pacific Coast Rockfish Fishery Author: Wakeland, Wayne, Cangur, Olgay, Rueda, Guillermo, Scholz, Astrid Year: 2003 This paper presents a model of the dynamic behavior of the yellowtail rockfish of the Pacific Coast of the United States. The purpose of the model is to generate endogenously the historical data for fish population, fishing vessels, regulatory parameters, and fish harvest. The model was subjected to a variety of tests to determine its sensitivity to changes in key parameters and initial values, including extreme conditions. Model results indicate that acceptable biological catch and fleet capacity must be adjusted quickly in response to changing conditions, in order to improve fishery sustainability. Additional analysis reinforces the policy of setting the maximum sustainable yield at 40%. Title: A System Dynamics Model of the Pacific Coast Rockfish Fishery Author: Wakeland, Wayne, Cangur, Olgay, Rueda, Guillermo, Scholz, Astrid Year: 2003 This paper presents a model of the dynamic behavior of the yellowtail rockfish of the Pacific Coast of the United States. The purpose of the model is to generate endogenously the historical data for fish population, fishing vessels, regulatory parameters, and fish harvest. The model was subjected to a variety of tests to determine its sensitivity to changes in key parameters and initial values, including extreme conditions. Model results indicate that acceptable biological catch and fleet capacity must be adjusted quickly in response to changing conditions, in order to improve fishery sustainability. Additional analysis reinforces the policy of setting the maximum sustainable yield at 40%. Close

• 7. [Article] Urban Water Demand Modeling: Review of Concepts, Methods, and Organizing Principles

  In this paper, we use a theoretical framework of coupled human and natural systems to review the methodological advances in urban water demand modeling over the past 3 decades. The goal of this review ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Urban Water Demand Modeling: Review of Concepts, Methods, and Organizing Principles Author: Chang, Heejun, House-Peters, Lily Year: 2011 In this paper, we use a theoretical framework of coupled human and natural systems to review the methodological advances in urban water demand modeling over the past 3 decades. The goal of this review is to quantify the capacity of increasingly complex modeling techniques to account for complex human and natural processes, uncertainty, and resilience across spatial and temporal scales. This review begins with coupled human and natural systems theory and situates urban water demand within this framework. The second section reviews urban water demand literature and summarizes methodological advances in relation to four central themes: (1) interactions within and across multiple spatial and temporal scales, (2) acknowledgment and quantification of uncertainty, (3) identification of thresholds, nonlinear system response, and the consequences for resilience, and (4) the transition from simple statistical modeling to fully integrated dynamic modeling. This review will show that increasingly effective models have resulted from technological advances in spatial science and innovations in statistical methods. These models provide unbiased, accurate estimates of the determinants of urban water demand at increasingly fine spatial and temporal resolution. Dynamic models capable of incorporating alternative future scenarios and local stochastic analysis are leading a trend away from deterministic prediction. Title: Urban Water Demand Modeling: Review of Concepts, Methods, and Organizing Principles Author: Chang, Heejun, House-Peters, Lily Year: 2011 In this paper, we use a theoretical framework of coupled human and natural systems to review the methodological advances in urban water demand modeling over the past 3 decades. The goal of this review is to quantify the capacity of increasingly complex modeling techniques to account for complex human and natural processes, uncertainty, and resilience across spatial and temporal scales. This review begins with coupled human and natural systems theory and situates urban water demand within this framework. The second section reviews urban water demand literature and summarizes methodological advances in relation to four central themes: (1) interactions within and across multiple spatial and temporal scales, (2) acknowledgment and quantification of uncertainty, (3) identification of thresholds, nonlinear system response, and the consequences for resilience, and (4) the transition from simple statistical modeling to fully integrated dynamic modeling. This review will show that increasingly effective models have resulted from technological advances in spatial science and innovations in statistical methods. These models provide unbiased, accurate estimates of the determinants of urban water demand at increasingly fine spatial and temporal resolution. Dynamic models capable of incorporating alternative future scenarios and local stochastic analysis are leading a trend away from deterministic prediction. Close

• 8. [Article] North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability

  The United States (U.S.) and Canada will experience climate changes through direct effects of local changes (e.g., temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events), as well as through indirect effects, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Author: Fields, Christopher B., Mortsch, Linda D., Brklacich, Michael, Forbes, Donald L., Kovacs, Paul, Patz, Jonathan A., Running, Steven W., Scott, Michael J., Andrey, Jean, Cayan, Dan, Demuth, Mike, Hamlet, Alan, Jones, Gregory, Mills, Evan, Mills, Scott, Minns, Charles K., Sailor, David J., Saunders, Mark, Scott, Daniel, Solecki, William Year: 2007 The United States (U.S.) and Canada will experience climate changes through direct effects of local changes (e.g., temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events), as well as through indirect effects, transmitted among regions by interconnected economies and migrations of humans and other species. Variations in wealth and geography, however, lead to an uneven distribution of likely impacts, vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt. This chapter reviews and synthesises the state of knowledge on direct and indirect impacts, vulnerability and adaptations for North America (comprising Canada and the U.S). Hawaii and other U.S. protectorates are discussed in Chapter 16 on Small Islands, and Mexico and Central America are treated in Chapter 13 on Latin America. Chapter 15, Polar Regions, covers high-latitude issues and peoples. Title: North America. Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability Author: Fields, Christopher B., Mortsch, Linda D., Brklacich, Michael, Forbes, Donald L., Kovacs, Paul, Patz, Jonathan A., Running, Steven W., Scott, Michael J., Andrey, Jean, Cayan, Dan, Demuth, Mike, Hamlet, Alan, Jones, Gregory, Mills, Evan, Mills, Scott, Minns, Charles K., Sailor, David J., Saunders, Mark, Scott, Daniel, Solecki, William Year: 2007 The United States (U.S.) and Canada will experience climate changes through direct effects of local changes (e.g., temperature, precipitation and extreme weather events), as well as through indirect effects, transmitted among regions by interconnected economies and migrations of humans and other species. Variations in wealth and geography, however, lead to an uneven distribution of likely impacts, vulnerabilities and capacities to adapt. This chapter reviews and synthesises the state of knowledge on direct and indirect impacts, vulnerability and adaptations for North America (comprising Canada and the U.S). Hawaii and other U.S. protectorates are discussed in Chapter 16 on Small Islands, and Mexico and Central America are treated in Chapter 13 on Latin America. Chapter 15, Polar Regions, covers high-latitude issues and peoples. Close

• 9. [Article] Beyond GDP: The Need for New Measures of Progress

  This paper is a call for better indicators of human well-being in nations around the world. We critique the inappropriate use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of national well-being, something ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Beyond GDP: The Need for New Measures of Progress Author: Costanza, Robert, Hart, Maureen, Talberth, John, Posner, Stephen Year: 2009 This paper is a call for better indicators of human well-being in nations around the world. We critique the inappropriate use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of national well-being, something for which it was never designed. We also question the idea that economic growth is always synonymous with improved well-being. Useful measures of progress and well-being must be measures of the degree to which society?s goals (i.e., to sustainably provide basic human needs for food, shelter, freedom, participation, etc.) are met, rather than measures of the mere volume of marketed economic activity, which is only one means to that end. Various alternatives and complements to GDP are discussed in terms of their motives, objectives, and limitations. Some of these are revised measures of economic activity while others measure changes in community capital?natural, social, human, and built?in an attempt to measure the extent to which development is using up the principle of community capital rather than living off its interest. We conclude that much useful work has been done; many of the alternative indicators have been used successfully in various levels of community planning. But the continued misuse of GDP as a measure of well-being necessitates an immediate, aggressive, and ongoing campaign to change the indicators that decision makers are using to guide policies and evaluate progress. We need indicators that promote truly sustainable development?development that improves the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the supporting ecosystems. We end with a call for consensus on appropriate new measures of progress toward this new social goal. Title: Beyond GDP: The Need for New Measures of Progress Author: Costanza, Robert, Hart, Maureen, Talberth, John, Posner, Stephen Year: 2009 This paper is a call for better indicators of human well-being in nations around the world. We critique the inappropriate use of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of national well-being, something for which it was never designed. We also question the idea that economic growth is always synonymous with improved well-being. Useful measures of progress and well-being must be measures of the degree to which society?s goals (i.e., to sustainably provide basic human needs for food, shelter, freedom, participation, etc.) are met, rather than measures of the mere volume of marketed economic activity, which is only one means to that end. Various alternatives and complements to GDP are discussed in terms of their motives, objectives, and limitations. Some of these are revised measures of economic activity while others measure changes in community capital?natural, social, human, and built?in an attempt to measure the extent to which development is using up the principle of community capital rather than living off its interest. We conclude that much useful work has been done; many of the alternative indicators have been used successfully in various levels of community planning. But the continued misuse of GDP as a measure of well-being necessitates an immediate, aggressive, and ongoing campaign to change the indicators that decision makers are using to guide policies and evaluate progress. We need indicators that promote truly sustainable development?development that improves the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of the supporting ecosystems. We end with a call for consensus on appropriate new measures of progress toward this new social goal. Close

• 10. [Article] Pathways to Sustainability Careers: Building Capacity To Solve Complex Problems

  Many of the central sustainability challenges facing society today—climate change, social inequality, and resource degradation, to name a few—are socially complex, politically fraught, and imperfectly ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Pathways to Sustainability Careers: Building Capacity To Solve Complex Problems Author: Allen, Jennifer H., Beaudoin, Fletcher, Lloyd-Pool, Elizabeth, Sherman, Jacob Year: 2014 Many of the central sustainability challenges facing society today—climate change, social inequality, and resource degradation, to name a few—are socially complex, politically fraught, and imperfectly understood. To be able to effectively engage in addressing such “wicked problems,” individuals need a mixture of content knowledge and soft skills that enable them to critically analyze these challenges from a systems perspective, develop creative solutions, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with others who may not share common views. Such skill sets and abilities are also more generally valuable in navigating personal, organizational, and societal complexities. Portland State University’s (PSU) Pathways to Sustainability Careers initiative seeks to better integrate programs that provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to engage with complex problems and be competitive and effective in sustainability-related careers. While PSU already offers a number of programs relevant to this effort, these opportunities are scattered across the university; finding these opportunities and organizing them into a coherent and complementary set of experiences can be challenging. The Pathways effort is focused on more effectively knitting together existing programs and emergent initiatives from across the university in order to engage faculty and staff through a collective action approach. By doing so, this initiative endeavors to provide a more intentional, cohesive, and easily navigable set of pathways for students, which will provide them with the academic knowledge, leadership skills, and real-world experiences needed to engage with “wicked” problems, and prepare them to successfully navigate an increasingly complex world. Title: Pathways to Sustainability Careers: Building Capacity To Solve Complex Problems Author: Allen, Jennifer H., Beaudoin, Fletcher, Lloyd-Pool, Elizabeth, Sherman, Jacob Year: 2014 Many of the central sustainability challenges facing society today—climate change, social inequality, and resource degradation, to name a few—are socially complex, politically fraught, and imperfectly understood. To be able to effectively engage in addressing such “wicked problems,” individuals need a mixture of content knowledge and soft skills that enable them to critically analyze these challenges from a systems perspective, develop creative solutions, communicate effectively, and work collaboratively with others who may not share common views. Such skill sets and abilities are also more generally valuable in navigating personal, organizational, and societal complexities. Portland State University’s (PSU) Pathways to Sustainability Careers initiative seeks to better integrate programs that provide students with the knowledge and experience they need to engage with complex problems and be competitive and effective in sustainability-related careers. While PSU already offers a number of programs relevant to this effort, these opportunities are scattered across the university; finding these opportunities and organizing them into a coherent and complementary set of experiences can be challenging. The Pathways effort is focused on more effectively knitting together existing programs and emergent initiatives from across the university in order to engage faculty and staff through a collective action approach. By doing so, this initiative endeavors to provide a more intentional, cohesive, and easily navigable set of pathways for students, which will provide them with the academic knowledge, leadership skills, and real-world experiences needed to engage with “wicked” problems, and prepare them to successfully navigate an increasingly complex world. Close