Jane Lubchenco
The Environment and Human Well-being: Unprecedented Challenges to Society
Tuesday, October 04, 2005, 12:30 PM
Jane Lubchenco discusses the recently released Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment, a landmark study, co-chaired by Lubchenco, which reveals
that approximately 60 percent of the ecosystem services that support
life on Earth, such as fresh water, fisheries, air and water
regulation, and the regulation of regional climate, natural hazards,
and pests are being degraded or used unsustainably. Scientists warn
that the harmful consequences of this degradation could grow
significantly worse in the next 50 years. For more information, visit
the Millenium Assessment website. Lubchenco is a renowned environmental scientist and marine ecologist actively engaged in teaching, research, synthesis, and communication of scientific knowledge. Her expertise includes biodiversity, climate change, sustainability science, coastal marine ecosystems, the state of the oceans, and of the planet. Professor Lubchenco founded and co-directs the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program that teaches outstanding academic environmental scientists to be more effective communicators of scientific information to the public, policy makers, the media, and the private sector.
This lecture was part of a series co-sponsored by Reed College entitled "The Challenges Ahead: Emerging Environmental Issues." Illahee apprecites this partnership.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The Millennium Assessment presents four possible future scenarios, from “command and control world” to “sustainable world” and suggests how citizens, educators and policy makers can use the findings of the assessment to move toward the desired scenario.
