News & Events
The Environmental Policy and Culture Program has moved to 2010 Sheridan Rd.
2009-10 Speaker Series
Buildings don't use Energy: People Do
Social Responsibility, Environmental literacy, and (un)sustainable architecture
Kathryn Janda, Oxford University
Tuesday, Novermber 24, 12:30-1:30
Lake Roon, Norris Center
Other Events
Alternative Energy and the American Worker: The Prospect of a Clean Coal Industry
Friday, November 20th, at 5:30 PM
University Hall Room 122
Sponsored by NCDC's Undergraduate Lecture Series on Race, Poverty, and Inequality
and One Book, One Northwestern
Past Speakers
International Negotiations and the Road to Copenhagen
Michele Betsill, Colorado State University
November 5, 2009
Part of the 2009 Climate Change Symposium
Speakers include: Lonnie Thompson, Ohio State University; Francesca Mclnerney,
Northwestern University; David Archer, University of Chicago; Gavin Schmidt,
NASA Goddard Institute; Liz Moyer, University of Chicago.
Co-Sponsored by Earth and Planetary Sciences, the Initiative for Sustainability and Energy
at Northwestern, and One Book One Northwestern.
November 5, 2009
See report in the Daily Northwestern climate change symposium
Environmental Threats to the Great Lakes
Debra Shore, Commissioner, Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Thomas Cmar, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
October 22 , 2009
Co-sponsored by the Chicago Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility
Thinking Locally, Acting Globally: Environmental Politics and Canada's Tar Sands
Ian Urquhart, University of Alberta
May 12, 2009
Professor Urquhart provided an overview of the rise of the tar sands (or oil sands) industry in northeastern Alberta, efforts to counter it, and the industry’s response to these efforts. He recounted the evolution of tar sands operations, from the humble investment projections of the National Oil Sands Task Force in the mid-1990s to the industry’s colossal success since. Essential to understanding the boom, he says—and what makes it different from past booms, such as the oft-compared Klondike Gold Rush of the 1980s—is the neoliberal backdrop upon which it took place. The government has left the industry, in practice, virtually free from regulation, with the paradoxical result that cost overruns and difficulties sustaining profitability have plagued it.
For the first decade, until about 2005, activist opposition to the tar sands industry (which came mostly from a single NGO, Pembina) was moderate and emphasized collaboration; it was also ineffective. Urquhart offered possible explanations for this approach, and noted the substantial corporate financial contribution to Pembina’s revenues. This period resulted in voluntary environmental agreements—such as greenhouse gas reductions—with the industry, as well as increased public awareness; it also resulted, however, in regulatory hearings following which approvals were invariably granted.
Since 2005, because of the failure of domestic politics and the rise of international actors, the opposition has increasingly sought international outlets (thus the title of his talk). Activists need to focus their efforts, says Urquhart, toward Americans, especially—both consumers and politicians. Few Americans know, for instance, that Canada is the biggest supplier of petroleum to the United States, and has been since 2001. New actors publicizing tar sands operations include the National Resources Defense Council, Greenpeace, and Environment Illinois. Investors are also being alerted: A recent Greenpeace UK report warned investors of the negative effects of tar sands operations. These efforts have been made easier by certain discoveries—cancer among First Nation groups living along the Athabasca River and a flock of dead ducks in a tailings pond of one industrial site, among others. Google Earth, too, has surely helped, insofar as it makes it possible to see the full extent of destruction in the region (and from space, literally, at that).
The industry has, however, responded to the opposition, sparking a public relations war and even lawsuits. They have argued that they are, in fact, good stewards, pointing to their efforts to plant trees, employ Native Americans, capture carbon emissions, and restore land, for instance. In the end, there has been no change to government policies regarding leases or project approval. Fully nine new mining or updating projects have been approved since December 2006, and companies have laid claim to large tracts of untouched land.
The mineable tar sands area, which is covered mostly by boreal forest, occupies an area of about twelve hundred square miles, or five times the size of the Metro-Chicago region.
Written by Alice Cherry
Creating a More Sustainable American City- The Metro Portland Vision
Jim Desmond, Director, Metro Sustainability Center, Portland, Oregon
April 23, 2009
The key for long-term sustainability is understanding and promoting reciprocity between man and nature. At the center of man relation with nature is the need to protecting land. Metro Portland runs one of the most successful land acquisition programs in the country. The central goal of the program is to find better ways to blend the boundary between the built and natural environment so they are not in conflict with one another.
The environmental history concerning land and growth varies greatly from the East coast to the West coast. In the last twenty years, developed land base around the United States has increased by leaps and bounds. Conversely, during that same time Portland has doubled in size while managing to keep its ecological footprint growth around 5%. Metro helps to redefined how people think about the city and adjacent suburbs. For too long the city and suburbs have been perceived as separate entities. The reality is that neither would exist without the other and they are connected in many ways.
As a government agency, the Metro Sustainability Center in Portland is composed of 25 different cities, 2 counties, serves 1.4 million people and is the only elected regional government in the U.S. Metro is the entity that deals with all issues of sustainability for the region. Meeting every two weeks, representatives from these 25 cities come to Portland to try and reach agreements on issues of regional importance.
The Metro Center was originally created to manage the urban growth boundary (UGB) of the Portland area. Following its success, the same concept has begun being applied in various other locations. In fact, state law in Oregon now requires every jurisdiction to have an UGB outside of which no development is allowed. Metro is currently developing a regional growth strategy in an attempt to align transportation corridors to cut down commute time, allow for more efficient land use patterns and manage growth patterns. While Portland is a pedestrian-friendly city with 7% of downtown workers using alternative means of transportation other than cars, there is still great room for improvement.Reducing waste and increasing recycling in the Portland area is another important goal of the Sustainability Center. In 1988 26% of waste was estimated to being recycled, and a goal of reaching 62% recycling rate at 2009 was set then. In pursuit of this goal, for years there has been mandatory mixed recycling in which haulers were required to pick all items except food waste. The goal has been reached.
The greatest challenge for Metro is addressing increases in Carbon emissions. Statewide, Oregon’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020, and by 70% by 2050. In an attempt to stave off some of the problems associated with increases in waste and carbon due to population increases, modifications towards sustainability are being made to cities amenities. These include transportation, land use/community design, resource conservation, natural areas acquisition and restoration, building, research capabilities, and community outreach. Modifications have so far included a regional outreach plan, a carbon calculator to analyze all the consequences of actions performed on the environment prior to action, nature friendly development, nature neighborhoods to promote awareness, design competitions to promote green practices, conservation education, citizen oversight committees and land acquisition for future preservation, conservation, and education.
Currently, the Metro Sustainability Center is conducting a carbon footprint inventory with the help of 25 full time researches. After the inventory is completed, a climate action plan will be designed.
Written by Samantha Nemecek
Health and Human Rights Consequences of Climate Change
Maureen MuCue, MD. Professor of Global Health, University of Iowa
April 20, 2009
Professor McCue began her talk by discussing the different connotations that the terms global warming, climate change, and climate chaos have. She said that the public believes that global warming is going to reach a plateau, but it is chaos that we are actually facing. McCue discussed the high uncertainty involved with predicting the effects of climate change and the need to act according to the precautionary principle. A lack of full scientific certainty must not cause postponing cost effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
Global warming is an economic, human rights, lifestyle, and health issue. It is about race, class, democratic participation, national security and global security. We need to realize that we have to pay to protect our environment because we have been exploiting it freely for hundreds of years. McCue then showed maps of the globe to demonstrated how much more vulnerable developing countries are to the effects of global warming. That’s despite the fact they are the least responsible for the CO2 emissions contributing to it. 13 times more people die per reported disaster in poor countries than in developed ones.
Global warming is and will continue to alter hydrologic systems, rainfall patterns, melt polar ice caps and glaciers, melt permafrost, create storm surges and sea levels rising. In addition, global warming is causing an increase in pests and disease vectors, which have serious health implications. Predictions indicate that over 50 million people will likely be displaced by 2010 because of rising sea levels, desertification, dried up aquifers, and weather-induced flooding. Worldwide, 634 million people live in areas at or below sea level and /or are subject to storm surges. Natural disasters have quadrupled in the last 2 decades. Some of the effects of climate change that impact human health are increased heat leading to illness and death, increased levels of CO2 creating allergens and respiratory diseases, storms leading to injuries, water, and vector borne diseases. Droughts lead to wild fires and famine, crop failures create hunger and malnutrition, and overall conflict over scarce resources becomes more likely. In warmer temperatures, mosquitoes mature more rapidly, their range enlarges, their breeding season is prolonged, their rate of production increase and the number of blood meals increases.
McCue raised several questions about how to rethink global warming in the context of security. What is military’s role in contribution to climate change? Does militarism mean security? What % of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the production of weapons? What can we do?Real homeland security needs to be approached from a pre-emptive public health perspective. Warming and response plans, alternatives infrastructure development, and society wide adaptations need to be implemented. On a more personal level, we can start by eating lower on the food chaining, sharing more, and becoming engaged in the political process.
Written by Elizabeth Summers
Water Conflicts and Crises in China
Jennifer Turner, The Woodrow Wilson International Center
April 16, 2009
Dr. Turner provided an excellent overview of the broad range of environmental problems China faces and the interconnections between these problems. China’s current status as the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses is closely related to the significant increase in mercury realized in coal burning, which infiltrates water and the fish we eat, as well as the atmosphere. China’s huge industrial sector continues to grow rapidly and produces dangerous levels of air pollution. China currently does not have the institutions to deal with the range and magnitude of environmental problems it is facing and creating.
One of the most difficult dilemmas China currently faces centers on the issue of water. The pressure of growing population on fresh water and the history of open access to water resources have led to many conflicts among communities competing over the use of water. Historically, communities were able to cooperate in some instances. However growing pressures on resources, partly due to local governments push for economic development, and the imposition of flawed regulation have led to conflicts over and abuse of water resources. Water pollution and drought are also serious concerns. In 1997, the Yellow River did not reach the ocean for seven days. This drought caused conflict among farmers. Much of the water in China is polluted. In China, 60,000 die yearly from diarrhea due to polluted water. Almost half of the water in China is rated grade four or five, meaning it can’t be used for anything. One hundred and ninety million people get sick from drinking water in China each year, and this data could actually be an underestimation, as the data from China is quite patchy.
Air pollution is also a serious problem in China. China’s huge industrial sector, among other factors, has led the country to become the world’s number one emitter of greenhouse gasses. Everything the nation does affects us; mercury released from the burning of coal is transferred into our water, atmosphere, and the food we eat. China is quickly becoming an industrial location for the rest of the world’s production. As their GDP has grown, so has air pollution. Unfortunately, the country does not have the institutions necessary to deal with this pollution.
Recently, the Center for Legal Assistance for Pollution Victims, an NGO, has been working to aid those negatively impacted by environmental degradation in China. This organization operates in a university, keeping it politically safe. Lawyers from around China do pro-bono work for the organization, hoping to build a legal system that is of the capacity to help China’s declining environment. One main problem concerning environmental action in China is a lack of personal empowerment. Many people see the growing pollution as a sign of increasing national wealth. Additionally, there has been a push to legitimize the communist party by increasing local wealth. Unfortunately, corrupt governmental structure is furthering the strain on the environment. Factories are supplied by portions of the country’s revenue, and as a result, are not concerned with environmental regulations.
Fortunately, the public of China is beginning to realize the serious nature of the water pollution threat. At first, farmers’ concerns were pushed off and their petitions went unanswered. As a result, the farmers barricaded the industrial park and beat up many local police. There have since been about 5000 significant environmental protests in rural China. Although public security bureaus have begun to retaliate by beating up farmers, protests continue. Specifically, the Xiamen protest was quite effective, as urbanites organizing proved quite threatening to the government.
Written by Natalie Noble and Max Shaul
Adapting to a Rapidly Changing Climate: Fostering Resiliency in Social and Ecological
Systems in Tibet and Chicago
Bob Moseley, The Nature Conservancy, Director of Conservation, Illinois
April 7, 2009
Mr. Moseley’s talk focused on the importance of adapting to future climate change, as distinct from mitigating its effects by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Moseley noted that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere today will persist for at least a century, and that as a consequence much climate change is already inevitable. To illustrate the ways in which adaptation planning can be implemented, he described his experience as former director of the Conservancy’s China program, in rural Yunnan province, which forms part of the Tibetan plateau. The two broad goals of adaptation planning, he says, are to decrease vulnerability and increase resilience of ecological and social systems. To that end, his team sought to understand past effects of climate change, observe its effects in the present (i.e., monitoring), and project those of the future.
Past effects of climate change in the region were pieced together using historical landscape photography of specific sites in different time periods. This allowed the team to document, for instance, glacial retreat and the movement of forests and other vegetative zones to higher altitudes. One of the most devastating effects of temperature changes in that area, he said, is the gradual loss of alpine meadow environments, which are among the most biodiverse of the region. In some instances, accounts of the local people confirmed the team’s findings—as when yak herders lamented the incursion of shrubland into grazing areas.Monitoring of alpine meadow loss and other changes also used photography and was done in collaboration with the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine Environments, from the University of Vienna. As for the future, the team used computers to model the impact of different emissions scenarios on plant species distribution. The models uniformly predicted an expansion of woodlands at the expense of alpine meadows.These changes will have a considerable impact on the livelihood of many people in the region, who rely on the meadows as grazing land for their yaks and as a source of medicinal plants. Mr. Moseley emphasized the need for new research and conservation priorities in the region. These priorities must take into account the fact that climate is not static, but changing rapidly. This would represent an enormous shift in perspective for scientists in the area of China in which he worked; beyond the mere establishment of nature reserves, this work entails adaptation planning. Also in need of revision is the government’s ban on prescribed forest burning, an activity vital to yak herders.
Mr. Moseley ended by linking the lessons of adaptation planning on the Tibetan plateau to the same work in the Chicago region. Although climate change is happening more quickly in the former, the strategies he described are applicable to both regions. Moreover, we currently possess the information needed to develop climate-adaptive strategies in the Chicago region. Mr. Moseley praised the Chicago Climate Action Plan; he also described the need, however, for a plan that considers ecosystem (as well as human) adaptation. Climate changes forces us to consider—even as Tibetans do—humans and nature together, as one system. Chicago Wilderness, the Nature Conservancy, and the city of Chicago are working together to develop a plan of this kind.
Written by Alice Cherry
Campus Sustainability and Universities' Responses to Climate Change
Jeremy Friedman, New York University
February 27, 2009
Jeremy Friedman is the leader of the Sustainability Task Force at New York University, an advisory body of staff, faculty, and students that leads strategic planning and environmental initiatives.
Friedman suggested that sustainability incorporate three concepts: meeting present needs and not compromising ability of future generations to meet their needs; recognizing nature’s capacity; and striving for social, economic, and environmental sustainability – ‘triple bottom’ approach
He noted that more than 600 university presidents have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (CUPCC), and 250 have formed broad campus green initiatives. In addition, sustainability staff at universities doubled from 1998-2003, and again from 2006-2008. Universities are increasingly interested in sustainability for economic and educational reasons, but also because applicants have expectations for colleges to pursue sustainable policies and provide environmental education.
Universities and colleges have an important role in society in educating the next generation of leaders who will face the actual challenges of climate change. Universities also have an intellectual leadership role in society and they can influence national policy making. For example, the University of Colorado Denver created a framework for policy on climate change that the Obama Administration seems to be drawing on.
Top sustainability schools have taken different approaches. Harvard University pursues extensive research on emissions reductions but also invested in specific steps on campus including the first revolving fund. Columbia, through the Earth Institute advances practical solutions to global sustainability problems. The College of Atlantic is the first school to set being carbon-neutral as a goal and achieving it. New York University established a Sustainability Task Force in 2006 and completed green house gas inventory in 2007. The inventory shows 177,000 tons of CO2 equivalent emissions from energy use in buildings, 4,000 tons from waste, 3,000 tons from transportation. NYU’s inventory looked at emissions from point sources, which are easier to measure. There is no uniform method for measurement and assessment and it is difficult to draw boundaries on emissions. Some methods focus on point sources on campus, other methods include some measures of members of the university community including transportation to campus.
The Sustainability Task Force at NYU focused on conservation, efficiency, generation, procurement and offsetting. The biggest project is cogeneration power plant, with a $120 million investment, but smaller projects such as building retrofitting yielded over $2 million in savings.
Despite some controversy around how much universities can affect overall U.S. emissions and the reliability of measurement and evaluation, Friedman believes universities must engage now in sustainability at both the academic and operational levels. Universities should build their sustainability plans around areas of strengths at the beginning, and develop plans that emphasize their geographical, energy, and educational profiles.
Written by Meryl Summers
The Chicago Region Green Infrastructure Vision
Dennis Dreher, Director of Conservation Design for Cowhey Gudmundson Leder, Ltd, and chair of the Water Resources, Committee of the McHenry County 2030 Plan Commission.
February 12, 2009
In University Hall, Dennis Dreher spoke to a group of students, professors and interested citizens about the Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Vision. Throughout his talk, he presented facts in an engaging manner, making his enthusiasm for the topic obvious.
Dreher began his lecture by introducing the Vision to the audience. Rooting it in the tradition of Daniel Burnham – whose “Plan of Chicago” defined the city’s growth in the early 20th century – Dreher explained how the Green Infrastructure Vision project will encourage the protection of the Chicago area’s natural ecosystems in the face of continued development. He noted that the project’s scope was not limited by political boundaries. Instead, he said, it focused on the protection of biological relationships across borders – from southeastern Wisconsin to northeastern Illinois to northwestern Indiana.
The main component of the Vision is the extension and protection of “resource protection areas,” which Dreher said number about 140 and cover approximately 1.8 million acres. As the audience absorbed this figure, Dreher underscored its magnitude. “It’s a very ambitious recommendation,” he said. He pointed out that there are currently over 360,000 acres of protected public space in Chicago Wilderness, while the region as a whole encompasses over 6 million acres.
Dreher then gave the audience the opportunity to see what the plan would look like beyond the abstract view provided by maps and numbers, as he highlighted three tangible examples. He explored the case of Harms Woods within the North Branch Chicago River Cluster resource protection area. This preserve is surrounded by development, making it impossible for it to grow. In light of this challenge, Dreher listed three main strategies for resource protection: expanding the work being done to restore the ecosystem, retrofitting landscapes through innovations like rain gardens, and working with the landowners surrounding the preserve.
Dreher then described the Blackberry Creek Corridor, an example of how conservation development could be an opportunity to make the Vision a reality. Unlike traditional sprawling development, conservation development clusters buildings together on small lots, while preserving open space and natural landscapes. The third example Dreher highlighted is the Boone Creek Watershed where private landowners with large estates could set aside portions of their property as off-limits for development. Interestingly, he noted that this is a “win-win” proposition for both the public, which gets biodiversity, and the landowners, who get tax breaks.
Dreher concluded his presentation by reminding his audience of the benefits of the Vision – aesthetic improvements, increased human connection to nature, economic rewards, and better public health.
Written by Daniel Foster
On the brink of the Anthropocene: The Fossil Fuel Era as seen by a geologist
in 1 million AD
Professor Raymond Pierrehumbert, University of Chicago
January 15, 2009
Raymond Pierrehumbert is a geological sciences professor at the University of Chicago and was a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Third Assessment Report. As the first speaker in the Environmental Policy and Culture Program’s series, Pierrehumbert was an engaging speaker, answering questions for almost two hours after the talk! In front of an audience of about 70 students and faculty, Pierrehumbert simplified the science behind global climate change to explain the dire threats to our environment and the need for drastic changes in policy and individual behavior.
Pierrehumbert began his talk by discussing the recent frigid weather in Chicago. Surprisingly, the sub zero temperatures on the day of the talk were considered normal when Pierrehumbert was growing up in Evanston in the 70s. Global climate change is not only causing the overall average temperature to rise, but also causing strange weather patterns all over the world. What we are experiencing now is called a snapback, where the assumed trends of global warming do not occur. This makes it very difficult to convince policy makers of the urgency to cut green house gas emissions and consumption.
Pierrehumbert suggests that we are no longer in the geological era or the Holocene, but on the threshold of a new era called the Anthropocene. Humans have become more than a force of nature by co-opting natural photosynthesis processes, disrupting natural nitrogen cycles by manufacturing nitrogen fertilizers, and most importantly, altering the carbon cycle. The natural carbon cycle is the rate at which carbon rocks are brought down into the earth and resurface at mid-ocean ridges and volcanoes. These fossil fuels have built up over the last half a billion years and were buried below the earth’s surface before it combined with oxygen, making it inaccessible. The release of this ancient carbon and the daily increase in carbon emissions pose a serious danger. With an excess of physics-based lab experiments on infrared radiation absorption and satellite images, there is no doubt that global warming is real. Pierrehumbert believes the term global warming is too mild, and that we should refer to these changes as global climate disruption.
Pierrehumbert noted that Burning fossil fuel and deforestation is putting carbon into the atmosphere at the rate of 9 GT per year. This is 20 times the natural rate. In order to remove just one year’s worth of carbon from the atmosphere, we would need to take 1/5 of everything that grows on land and bury it every year for five years. If we continue to burn all 5,600 GT of available fossil carbon resources, the atmospheric concentration will increase to 4 times the pre-industrial level. The level could go much higher if soils and forests start releasing carbon and if we start liquefying coal. Our inputs could also trigger a natural doubling, similar what occurred 56 million years ago, to increase temperatures by 8-10 degrees.
“These are fire alarms, not the fire,” Pierrehumbert remarked. The effects of our carbon input are only beginning to be felt. Sea ice will likely be completely gone by 2100, and the number of days that are 90 degrees or warmer will increase significantly if we continue to use business as usual strategies. Uncertainty does not justify inaction. Carbon dioxide is fundamentally different in its potential to alter life on earth and we cannot wait to see how bad it gets before taking action.
Written by Meryl Summers
