Two Videos walk the talk on global warming June 9, 2009
Posted by Angelo in ASU: Global Institute of Sustainability, Energy & Climate, Visitors & Attendees.Tags: Jared Blumenfeld, Richard Attenborough
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Two videos from different perspectives worth looking at.
The first is by British film-maker Richard Attenborough:
The second is a presentation by Jared Blumenfeld on how a city responds to climate change. Jared is the Director of San Francisco’s Environment Department. He visited the Decision Theater, and also spoke at ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability.
Obama to speak at ASU commencement March 25, 2009
Posted by Angelo in Arizona State University, Visitors & Attendees.Tags: Obama
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It’s official. President Obama will be addressing the 2009 Spring Commencement at Arizona State University.
The focus of the president on Arizona has many looking for meaning in what will be his second visit in the early days of his administration.
ASU is one in three universities where Obama will deliver the commencement address. The University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Naval Academy are the other two.
From climate decisions to …college decisions February 18, 2009
Posted by Angelo in Visitors & Attendees.add a comment
We are sometimes referred to as the lens through which the outside world sees the university. (We are known as a few other things as well –the front door to ASU, the bridge between scientific research and the community etc…)
So when the Flinn Scholars visit the Decision Theater every year, we begin to see how that lens works.
At a very basic level, visualization is a great way to frame a variety of challenges and outcomes that a student could relate to.
But beyond that, the work we focus on–hot-button climate issues, smart growth projects so relevant to our part of the country, the pandemic flu exercises –gives a student something more tangible than a one-pager about the academic program, or a testimonial from a graduate.
If you’re one of students as a guest of the Barrett Honors program, you’ll be glad to hear that some of the work you will this evening see had input from students like you. In fact, we have three Barrett Honors students working with us this year.
Enjoy your visit!
Partly sunny, with a chance for more optimism January 11, 2009
Posted by Angelo in Energy & Climate, Events, Visitors & Attendees.add a comment
Attendees from the American Meteorological Society conference in Phoenix were here today to see how we address complex local and national policy decisions at the Decision Theater.
They looked at one of the more complex models we have worked on here called WaterSim. It’s a way of modeling water in relation to climate uncertainty. About 90 people came through for back-to-back presentations. Interestingly, this closely follows NOAA’s full-day conference just two days ago.
Coincidence? Maybe.
If you look at the topics at AMS’ Summer Policy Colloquium, you’ll see they look at the implications of climate on cities and growth –something we focus a lot on here. One paper notes that soon –and for the first time in the history of our species– more humans will live in urban areas than they do in rural places. That sounds a lot like the discussion I heard at the breakout session of the oceanic and atmospheric policymakers. Later next week AMS will join NOAA representatives to see how new research activities in the Phoenix area could help climate warnings.
Arizona appears to have the perfect climate for this kind of thinking, with so much going on here at the Global Institute of Sustainability, and ASU and even at UA. Literally, too. One attendee ruefully remarked on Friday that the weather back home was 22 degrees –as he stepped out the door for some sunshine!
American Meteorological Society visits Decision Theater January 6, 2009
Posted by Angelo in Energy & Climate, Events, Visitors & Attendees, Visualization, Water.Tags: DCDC, WaterSim
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The American Meteorological Society will be holding its annual meeting & Summer Policy Colloquium in Phoenix.
On January 11th, after they tour the past (the Hohokam canal system) and the present (the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project), they stop over here for a look at the future
That future, will include a look at WaterSim, the interactive model of water supply and demand for the metro Phoenix region. WaterSim is a way of looking at water uncertainty in the context of climate, population growth and land use,
ASU and Sustainability – story on NBC Nightly News March 25, 2008
Posted by Angelo in ASU: Global Institute of Sustainability, ASU: School of Sustainability, Media, Visitors & Attendees.Tags: Anne Thompson, GIOS, NBC
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Follow up to my post about NBC News visit to ASU a few weeks back.
Anne Thompson did interviews on student activism in sustainability, the urban heat island work, the School of Sustainability etc.
