All CAS Inquire talks will be in the City Union, Swanson Auditorium, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. and online via Zoom.
The current state of many social-ecological systems can be characterized as both unsustainable in the long-run, yet resilient to change. This talk integrates perspectives from geospatial data science, environmental governance, and complexity science to envision pathways to more sustainable futures.
Most of us are able to assess expert testimony in domains of interest using the background knowledge we have due to our interest. With sufficiently good background information we can do this in most fields, even those where there is much controversy. Most of us in fact know enough to do this even when it comes to human caused climate change, whether we realize it or not. This should put us in a position to see that the theory fits well with relatively basic scientific knowledge, and also to understand how climate modeling can represent reality even while it isn't perfect.
“Big science” projects, such as those associated with elementary particle physics, are global endeavors in which thousands of scientists build and operate large infrastructures that are deployed around the world. As a result, these scientists might have an outsized impact on greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. How can we pursue the science we love sustainably?
This talk considers fictional and poetic literary engagement by island writers from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. We first ask: what can imaginative fiction do in the face of extreme weather and climate catastrophe? What is the role of narrative fiction in drawing attention to and facilitating creative solutions to challenges such as climate change, militourism, hydrocolonialism, resource extraction, etc.? How does literature empower us to think creatively about how to construct sustainable futures?
This talk will discuss the processes and importance of storing carbon dioxide in underground rock formations in order to help combat climate change. Whilst carbon dioxide storage alone is not the silver bullet for solving climate change, it is a necessary part of the transition to a future that is less dependent on oil and gas. Case studies will be used to illustrate progress, ongoing challenges, and, more importantly, successes in the global development of this exciting technology.