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SYMPOSIA
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•••As of February 1, 2002
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| Science and Sustainability |
Fisheries-Induced Changes in Marine Ecosystems
Saturday, February 16, 2002 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon |
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| Daniel Pauly, University of British Columbia |
| Fisheries nowadays are the key anthropogenic factor impacting on the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, contrary to the widely held perception that gives this role to 'pollution' or climate change. Fisheries alter marine ecosystems directly, by removing a large fraction of the biomass of coastal and offshore resources at all higher trophic levels. In addition, fisheries have indirect effects, by altering the food supply of the remaining marine predators, and by damaging bottom habitats. One result is that the biomass of upper-trophic level vertebrate groups in most marine ecosystems now is between one and two orders of magnitude lower than at the beginning of industrialized fisheries about 150 years ago, or even in 1950, when the fisheries resumed exploitation of stocks that had recovered during WWII. This symposium quantifies these impacts with emphasis on the North Atlantic (US and Canadian east coasts, western and northern Europe). Reconstructed ecosystems of the late 19th century will be presented and compared with their present, depleted counterparts. Various bioeconomic approaches will be used to evaluate the foregone benefits resulting from past overfishing. This symposium will present ways to mitigate the impacts of fisheries on, and to rebuild, marine ecosystems, the overall aim being to identify management policies that reconcile the extraction of living resources for food with the conservation of biodiversity and the maintenance of ecosystem services. The symposium presents multidisciplinary scientific results on how to return marine ecosystems to healthy states-crucial for achieving sustainability in the global economy. |
| 1 | A Rule-Based Approach to Construction of Fisheries Catch Distribution Maps | Reg Watson (Speaker), University of British Columbia |
| 2 | The Ecosystem of Northern Cod: Pre and Post Collapse | Alida Bundy (Speaker), Bedford Institute of Oceanography |
| 3 | A Century of Change of Icelandic Fisheries and Ecosystems | Hreidar Thor Valtysson (Speaker), University of Akureyri |
| 4 | Long-Term Fisheries-Induced Changes in Vertebrate Biomass in the North Atlantic | Villy Christensen (Speaker), North Sea Centre, Denmark |
| 5 | Economics of Overfishing and of Rebuilding North Atlantic Ecosystems | Ussif Rashid Sumaila (Speaker), Michelsen Institute |
| 6 | Ecosystem Rebuilding: Prospects for Regional and National Fisheries Managements Plans | Andrew Rosenberg (Speaker), University of New Hampshire |
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Restoration Ecology and Native Environments: Challenging Realities Provoke Changing Perspectives
Saturday, February 16, 2002 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
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| Mark Davis, Macalester College |
| The relatively young discipline and practice of Restoration Ecology is experiencing growing pains. The traditional view that restoration means restoring native environments, and that species should be dichotomously valued according to their place of origin (e.g., native=good, and exotic=bad) is beginning to be challenged in the scientific literature. Furthermore, this dichotomy is starting to be questioned by restoration ecologists themselves, who have begun to realize that, in many instances, they can meet the goals of some projects with introduced species just as well as with native species. In addition, they recognize that it is often simply impossible, or at least prohibitive, in terms of money and effort, to successfully exclude or eradicate exotic species from restored environments. These and other critics acknowledge that many introduced species are causing serious ecological, economic, and health problems that need to be aggressively addressed, but note that the same is true for many native species as well. They argue that it is time to dispense with the native/exotic dichotomy and instead evaluate all species (native and introduced) as desirable or problem species in terms of the goals of the specific project. Many of these arguments strike at core assumptions and goals of traditional restoration and conservation efforts and thus, for many, they are quite controversial. This symposium should be intellectually exciting with important practical consequences for the large and broad group of individuals, organizations, and agencies involved with restoring native environments and controlling the spread and impact of problem species. |
| 1 | Native Environments and Exotic Species: An Ecological Perspective | Richard Mack (Speaker), Washington State University |
| 2 | Federal Government Efforts to Address Invasive Species | Christopher Dionigi (Speaker), National Invasive Species Council |
| 3 | Restoration Ecology: A Scientific Reevaluation of Goals and Assumptions | Mark Davis (Speaker), Macalester College |
| 4 | Restoration Ecology and Invasive Species: A Philosophical Reevaluation of Goals and Assumptions | Mark Sagoff (Speaker), University of Maryland |
| 5 | The Imperative for Ecological Restoration | Andre Clewell (Speaker), A.F. Clewell, Inc. |
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The Search for a Common Future: Communicating about Global Sustainability
Friday, February 15, 2002 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. |
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| Rachelle D. Hollander, National Science Foundation; Clark Miller, University of Wisconsin |
| The search for global sustainability is, in part, an effort to stabilize planetary-scale ecological systems. It is also, however, a search for ways that people of vastly unequal technological capacity and means can live together as a global community in peace and security. As such, the ways that people communicate about sustainability and its links to important aspects of nature, society, and economy take on great importance. In this symposium, we present empirical and normative research on the communications practices used in debates about global environmental science and politics. In particular, we look at features of these communications practices that contribute to difficulties in achieving mutual understanding between different communities, e.g., between scientific disciplines, among countries, or between scientists and public officials. The goal of these presentations is to make explicit some of the assumptions underlying various positions in global environmental debates, so that the merits of views that rest on them might be better assessed. |
| 1 | Science Advice for Global Sustainability | Clark Miller (Speaker), University of Wisconsin |
| 2 | CO/W MILLER | Sheila Jasanoff (Speaker), Harvard University |
| 3 | Economics and Ecological Modernization in Climate Change Policy Deliberation | Stephen C. Zehr (Speaker), University of Southern Indiana |
| 4 | Ethics, Political Realism and Global Change Science | Peter Singer (Speaker), Princeton University |
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Science and Democracy: Citizen's Consensus Conferences and Genetically Modified Foods
Monday, February 18, 2002 9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. |
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| Steven B. Katz, North Carolina State University |
| At the 2001 AAAS Meeting, there were no fewer than four symposia devoted to the agricultural biotechnology, and all of them had as a major focus the problem of public perception, communication, and/or participation in decision-making. From the standpoint of biotechnology researchers and industry, the problem is pressing because of public resistance based on widely divergent views of GMFs. Farmers generally have embraced the new technology. But it is consumers who will determine the fate of agricultural biotechnology. While market forces such as price and the availability of alternatives will shape the outcome, a democracy demands public participation in the process, and thus mutually informed citizens and scientists. But given the differences of perceptions, values, and knowledge between experts and citizens, how to communicate with and involve the public in biotechnology decision making is a complicated one; while theories and positions of various parties have been described, no concrete suggestions have emerged from the discussion. This symposium examines concrete alternatives for public participation in GMF decision-making and report on a NSF and Kenan Institute funded Citizens’ Consensus Conference experiment being conducted at North Carolina State University. Employing two versions of the Danish Consensus Conference model, one in a face-to-face context and the other entirely on the Internet, the experiment at NCSU will track both cognitive and affective elements in citizen deliberation and will test the effectiveness of online citizen participation. (The only other attempt with a Citizens’ Consensus Conference in the U.S. was at the Loka Institute.) |
| 1 | Neglecting Political R&D, and the Problem of Involving the Public | Edward J. Woodhouse (Speaker), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| 2 | No Title Available | Katherine R. Smith (Discussant), Economic Research Service, USDA |
| 3 | No Title Available | Steven B. Katz (Moderator), North Carolina State University |
| 4 | Citizen's Consensus Conferences, Learning and Public Confidence | Patrick Hamlett (Speaker), North Carolina State University |
| 5 | GMF's and Decision Logic: Public Thinking and Scientific Information | Jane Macoubrie (Speaker), North Carolina State University |
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Sustainable Agriculture in the Developing World: Innovative Examples
Monday, February 18, 2002 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
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| Suteera Nagavajara, AAAS; Marina Ratchford, AAAS |
| Hunger and malnutrition are common concerns that dominate many developing countries in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Environmental degradation associated with unsustainable agricultural practices is another great concern. Developing countries share an urgent need to battle the problems related to the health of the environment, food security, unsustainable food production, unequal distribution of food, and poverty. While some countries are more advanced in developing and implementing appropriate approaches to sustainable agriculture, others are still lagging behind. Through cooperation among these countries, expertise and know-how will be exchanged and indigenous capacity can be generated, managed, and utilized in ways that address each country's own basic needs. The symposium showcases successful approaches and techniques in sustainable agriculture developed and/or implemented by developing countries. Representatives from developing countries in Asia, South America, the Caribbean and Africa share lessons learned on how to balance food security and ecological concerns and how to address hunger and unequal distribution of food. Speakers also provide a developing country perspective on what is considered sustainable agriculture and how that perception may be different from that of researchers and practitioners in the U.S. and Europe. The symposium also addresses: Challenges facing developing countries in their efforts to foster sustainable agriculture practices; best practices, technologies and models of agricultural development for economic stability, food security, and environment protection in different regions of the world; and International cooperation in sustainable agricultural research and application. |
| 1 | Sustainable Agriculture Practices on Highlands of Northern Thailand | Phrek Gypmantasiri (Speaker), Chiang Mai University |
| 2 | Introduction and Definition of Sustainable Agriculture | Jules Pretty (Moderator), University of Essex-United Kingdom |
| 3 | Successes of Sustainable Agriculture Movement in Cuba | Maria Caridad Cruz (Speaker), Antonio Nunez Jimenez Foundation for Nature and Man |
| 4 | Alternatives to Pesticides and Sustainable Agriculture in Africa | Abou Thiam (Speaker), Pesticide Action Network |
| 5 | Economic and Environmental Benefits of No-Till Systems in Latin America | Roberto A. Peiretti (Speaker), Latin American Confederation of Farmers for Sustainable Agricultural Systems |
| 6 | A Multipurpose Rice Field: Experiences from Farmers in Cambodia Status | Yang Saing Koma (Speaker), Centre d'Etude et de Developpement Agricole |
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Physical Science and Technology in International Development
Sunday, February 17, 2002 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
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| John M. Malin, American Chemical Society; Irving A. Lerch, American Physical Society |
| Scientific development in any given region of the world accompanies the establishment of robust economies, leading to a better life for the region’s citizens. Since World War II, developed nations in Europe, Asia and the Americas have devoted considerable resources to foster science and technology in second and third world countries, citing economic development as the goal. This symposium brings together authorities in physical science, economics and science and technology development to compare instances where the introduction of science and technology expertise has led to economic development with cases where it has not. The goal is to identify the factors that are essential to success or failure in this enterprise, particularly in the new context of globalization. |
| 1 | Basic Research in Developing Countries: A Luxury or a Connection to the Future? | Mary L. Good (Speaker), University of Arkansas-Little Rock, Venture Capital Investors, L.L.C. |
| 2 | Setting Priorities and Building Capacity for Developing World Biomedical Science | Gerald Keusch (Speaker), Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health |
| 3 | The Tragedy of the Public Knowledge Commons--Impediments to Development | Paul A. David (Speaker), All Souls College |
| 4 | Scientific Capacity Building Through International Research Collaboration | Pierre Perrolle (Speaker), National Science Foundation |
| 5 | Globalization and the Relevance of Basic Research in Developing Economies | Lester Thurow (Speaker), Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
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Science and Technology for a Transition Toward Sustainability
Sunday, February 17, 2002 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon |
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| William C. Clark, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government; Pamela A. Matson, Stanford University |
| The two years leading up to the AAAS Meeting has witnessed the emergence of a new field of sustainability science. The field builds on two parallel but weakly connected revolutions of the last quarter century: one in scientific understanding of the earth system, the other in social movements for sustainable development. Sustainability science seeks to connect these two revolutions, emphasizing a program of research and development that is grounded in human needs, focused on the dynamic interactions of nature and society, and committed to learning how those interactions can be better understood and managed through place-based, integrative scholarship and experimentation. This symposium reports on new research findings that are beginning to emerge from the sustainability science agenda. The first part focuses on insights from analyses of nature-society interactions that emphasize their dynamical interdependence over decadal to century and regional to global scales. These insights include a new, norms-driven approach to assessing the role of globalization as a driving force of change in nature-society interactions; an integration of natural and social science scholarship on the determinants of vulnerability and resilience in nature-society systems; and the development of a new family of methods and models appropriate for the non-linear, multi-scalar, and multi-dimensional character of those systems. The second part reports on efforts to deepen and extend the initial formulations of sustainability science by better integrating perspectives of development scholars and environmental scientists from the south. Implications of that integration for implementing both research agendas and research systems for sustainability science will be discussed. |
| 1 | Globalization: Emerging Interactions Among Global Environmental Changes and Social Transformations | Robert W. Kates (Speaker), Ellsworth, ME |
| 2 | Vulnerability in Human-Environment Relationships | B. L. Turner II (Speaker), Clark University |
| 3 | Epistemological Issues in Sustainability Science | Gilberto C. Gallopin (Speaker), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) |
| 4 | Assessing Development Needs for Sustainability Science | Robert W. Corell (Speaker), American Meteorological Society |
| 5 | Implementing a Sustainability Science Research System | Jill Jäger (Speaker), International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change |
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The Farm Crisis: How the Heck Did We Get Here?
Friday, February 15, 2002 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon |
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| Albert G. Medvitz, McCormack Sheep and Grain |
| The beginning of a new millennium has coincided with a major farm crisis. Roughly half of national net farm income in the United States in the year 2000 was in the form of government payments to farmers. Observers believe this farm crisis is the result of major changes in the world food and farming system and is not the result of a simple business cycle. The crisis is affecting not only the traditional farm states of the mid-west, but the fruit and vegetable producing regions of the country, which have generally been cushioned from such events because of their crop diversity and relative lack of export dependency. The crisis has profound implications for the nature of our national agricultural productive capacity, funding for research and development, farm support systems, and national farm and trade policy. It is having a devastating impact on farm dependent rural America. How did the crisis arise? How can we solve it? This symposium examines various possible casual factors for the current crisis: changes in US Farm policy; trends and implications of world trade; continuing trends in the operation of large scale multi-national corporate concentrated processing and marketing systems; national and world monetary conditions including the implications of a strong dollar; and the productive capacity of US agriculture. |
| 1 | Introduction to the Farm Crisis: Its Extent and Meaning | Albert G. Medvitz (Speaker), McCormack Sheep and Grain |
| 2 | Multinational Concentrated Food Processing and Marketing Systems and the Farm Crisis | William Heffernan (Speaker), University of Missouri |
| 3 | Domestic Subsidies and the Current Farm Crisis | Ron Knutson (Speaker), Texas A&M University |
| 4 | Financial Markets, Currency Markets, and the Farm Crisis | G. Edward Schuh (Speaker), University of Minnesota, Freeman Center for International Economic Policy |
| 5 | Changing Trade Relations and the Farm Crisis | Joseph W. Glauber (Speaker), U.S. Department of Agriculture |
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Transforming Markets and Technological Systems for Environmental Sustainability
Monday, February 18, 2002 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
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| Loren Lutzenhiser, Washington State University |
| Growing evidence in Europe of the greening of industry (e.g., efforts to voluntarily mitigate the environmental impacts of the production system) has led social scientists to posit the emergence of an ecological modernization in which economic growth is accompanied by decreased environmental impacts. Although green business movements have yet to establish much of a foothold in the U.S., there is some evidence of increased environmental awareness among large American firms, and we also find a growing market transformation (MT) movement developing in and around the energy system. This MT movement aims to significantly improve the efficiency of U.S. energy use via transformative market-based changes in technology, design practices, building systems integration, public sector procurement, and consumer choices. These developments in energy efficiency market transformation are the topic of the symposium. Speakers consider the historic roots of MT and its current status, the MT paradigm’s implications for science policy (particularly R&D agendas and funding priorities), the problems that MT raises for social and economic theory (which must be broadened to support its aims), the messy realities of organizing MT interventions, what our knowledge of other multi-firm systems suggests for MT, and, overall, the prospects for success of this distinctly American form of ecological modernization. |
| 1 | Market Transformation: Engineering Sociotechnical Change in the Energy Sector | Loren Lutzenhiser (Speaker), Washington State University |
| 2 | The Struggle for Rationality: Realities of Energy Decision-making Firms | Christopher Payne (Speaker), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| 3 | Industry Self-Governance Structures: Lessons for Market Transformation | Franco Furger (Speaker), George Mason University |
| 4 | The Use of Industry Consortia in the Transformation of Technology Markets | Marc Hoffman (Speaker), Consortium for Energy Efficiency |
| 5 | From Technology Transfer to Market Transformation: Refocusing Federal Research and Development Priorities | Carl Blumstein (Speaker), University of California |
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