One of the potentially best pieces of news of 2015 came in just before its closing. While all eyes were directed toward Paris the Global Carbon Budget projection for 2015 was announced (Le Quere et al. 2015). It included the uplifting news that total annual emissions in 2015, for only the second time since the turn of the century, were projected to decrease.
Read MoreA rooftop and a continent view of climate change, birds and insects
It is rare for me to have two papers come out in two weeks and much more rare that they have so contrasting scales of extent (a single rooftop vs. thousands of locations in 18 countries). However, their insights into the workings of climate change and global environmental change, more broadly, complement each other nicely.
Read MoreSetting up an open labbook
I spend a considerable amount of time searching the jungle of opportunities for setting up an open labbook - or open lab notebook, if you like.
The result is www.psjorgensen.github.io using the jekyll bootstrap platform to store my research notes in an organized and fully open way.
Enroute Stockholm
Kungsholmen, Stockholm
This week is my last week in Copenhagen at the Sustainability Science Centre and the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, before heading off to Stockholm to start my Carlsberg funded post-doc project on Socio-ecological drivers of global natural resource efficiency.
In Stockholm I will be working at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in the Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere program. This is one of three initiatives, that together with the Stockholm Resilience Centre and the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics, have joined forces under the Changing Planet umbrella.
I am very excited to start this endeavour into integrating macroecology with natural resource studies while at the same time trying to bridge the gap between studies of natural resource use centered in fields as disparate as natural, social and environmental science, economics and engineering. Too ambitious? Maybe. But I guess "who dares nothing need hope for nothing".
As part of the project I have made a commitment to start the adoption of open science-like approaches. Think GitHub and maybe even an open notebook on this site.
Stay tuned...
A tipping point for ecology?
reblogged from www.innge.net/blog originally posted February 1st 2015
Prediction: 2015 will be a year to remember, but only time will tell if it is for good or for worse. One month into 2015, this post takes a look at some of the major events in ecological science and policy in 2015. This, coincidentally, is a good opportunity to update you on some of the events INNGE is planning for 2015. The preview also aims to present food for reflection on the scope and role of ecological research and ecological societies.
Read MoreODYSUS: Connecting sustainability researchers from five universities
For the past couple of months I have been involved in setting up a network for early career researchers in what is known as the Oresund region. What these researchers have in common is that they are working on topics related to sustainability. The network calls itself ODYSUS - Oresund Early Career Sustainability Researchers.
We recently completed a first take of the website, and I hope you will want to take a look at it and learn more about the network.
ODYSUS: (hopefully succeeding in) connecting future leaders across disciplines. Click the image.
One of the things I realized while working on this project is the power of buildings as barriers for coherence among academics located in the same region. The web-based platform that showcases researchers from five different universities on the same page, might just help break down these barrier a tad bit.
Source: www.odysus.net
Some initial outputs from Ecosystems and Wellbeing in the Green Economy
In May last year I was involved in organizing the Future Earth Yong Scientist Networking Conference on the topic of "Ecosystems and Human Wellbeing in Green Economy". I am using this post to update you on a few early outputs from the conference.
Read MoreHarnessing evolution for sustainable development
Evolutionary biology must be integrated within sustainability science to address pressing global challenges over the long-term.
Read More
Evolution research ‘crucial to development goals’
SciDev.net reports today on our recent Science review. Unfortunately space didn't allow for the importance of environmental and devlopmental manipulations to get a shout out. In a sense the story highlights the challenge to communicate that Applied Evolutionary Biology is much more than genetic engineering and gene sequencing, methods that may be perceived as more high tech and therefore more interesting for journalists and readers.
Click on the image to read the full story.
Evolution across
The weekly Danish newspaper Weekendavisen today brings a story about the interdisciplinary importance of evolutionary biology and the relevance of the broader perspective on the fight against resistance. The story is accompanied by a cartoon.
Find a contributor copy of the story here - Evolution across
Evolution across
Applying Evolutionary Biology to Address Global Challenges
Continuously updated - last update Sep. 13 2014 (Copenhagen)
The age of the Anthropocene--the scientific name given to our current geologic age--is dominated by human impacts on our environment. A warming climate. Increased resistance of pathogens and pests. A swelling population. Coping with these modern global challenges requires application of what one might call a more-ancient principle: evolution.
So reads the introduction of the NSF press release accompanying the Science Express release of a Science review entitled "Applying Evolutionary Biology to Address Global Challenges". After 3.5 half years working with Scott Carroll and a team of seven co-authors this review of progress and gaps in applying evolutionary biology to some of the most pertinent global challenges is finally out.
The review includes, among other things, commentary on how achievement of the Aichi 2020 biodiversity targets and the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals relies on actions firmly grounded in evolutionary biology.
I will update this page continuously to gather all the media threads and followups that may emerge. The paper will come out in print in November and be associated with an additional one page summary and figure. To request an author copy please follow this link to my list of publications.
The header of the Science Express release with the team of nine authors highlighted.
Communicating sustainability science priorities for #FutureEarth
I recently wrote up some thoughts about how research priorities in sustainability science could be communicated to engage a broader spectrum of society than (just) funding agencies. the blog post can be read over on Future Earth's blog. The post is based on experiences and thoughts that arose after attending a workshop organized by Future Earth in Japan in May (see related blog post).
Summer recap - Trento, Aix-en-Provence, California
I guess i didn't manage to produce a single update during the whole Nordic summer (June - August).
Here is a short overview of what I've been up to.
Festival of economy in Italy
I attended the Festival of Economy in beautiful Trento, Italy with the Institute for New Economic Thinking - Young Scholars Initiative (INET YSI). Sitting in on some of the early-career courses was a big opportunity to increase m knowledge about the history of economics and other topics.
Crux de Provence
Ecological Society of America and visiting friends in Northern California
In August I attended the ESA meeting in Sacramento staying in Davis with great friends and collaborators Scott Carroll and Jenella Loye. It was a great chance to see friends from my two years at UC Davis and UC Berkeley. The picture below is from a four day trip into Sierra Nevada, Owens Valley and the White Mountains.
Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy - blogging from Future Earth conference at Lake Como
This coming week I'm representing INNGE at this year's Future Earth young scientists networking conference on "Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy" .
Follow my blog from the conference over at INNGE's blog following this link.
Young scientists attending the Future Earth conference "Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy"
Future Earth strategic research agenda - priority setting workshop
I just got back from a two day workshop in Kyoto, Japan (see picture above). The workshop was organized by Future Earth. The aim of the workshop was to identify top research priorities for funders in global change and sustainable development research for the next three to five years.
Read my blog post from the workshop over at INNGE's blog by following this link.
Priority setting workshop participants.
Gearing up for the ecosystems & well-being in the green economy conference
From May 25 - May 30 between 30 and 40 young scientists will attend the Future Earth Young Scientists Networking Conference on Integrated Science on the topic of “Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy”. The conference will take place near the shores of Lake Como in Italy and I will be attending on behalf of INNGE which is involved as one of the co-organizing institutions.
To get everybody at some sort of the same page before the conference the worldsocialscience.org blog has been posting selected videos on human well-being, ecosystem services and their integration into economics. Follow the links to the blog posts below and catch yourself up on these important topics.
There will be much more information coming about the conference in the next two weeks.
Ten unmissable videos on the green economy
Ecosystem services -there's a lot more to it than people know
The Future Earth online survey
I recently wrote a short blog post introducing the Future Earth open online survey at INNGE's blog - you can find the post here, or just the first paragraph, below. Next week I'm excited to be one of a couple of young scientists attending a Future Earth priority setting workshop in Kyoto, Japan which will include the results of the survey.
The Future Earth open online survey - a rare chance for early career scientists
The current online survey by Future Earth is a welcome initiative and a rare chance for early career scientists to make their voice heard on the international research agenda.
New website launched
After a couple of years of neglecting my former blog "Macroecology of environmental change" mainly writing posts for the blog of the International Network of Next-Generation Ecologists, I'm gathering my professional activities on this new website. For now, this blog gathers previous posts at the two blogs. Stay tuned for more news and pictures!
/P
Born-again online presence
Early career scientist involvement in science-policy interfaces
A recent post at INNGE's blog highlights the potential role early career scientists can play in science-policy work. The recent post by Philip Donkersley follow's up on INNGE's previous involvement in the EU FP7 project BiodiversityKnowledge, exploring a mechanism for a European science-policy interface on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Below is a short excerpt, read the full post here.
INNGE was recently requested to attend the final in a series of conferences on a prototype Network of Knowledge (NoK) being developed and tested by the European Commission and previously featured on the INNGE blog.The conference brought together representatives from science, policy and private sectors to discuss the recently published White Paper for the BiodiversityKnowledge NoK.
...
INNGE’s potential input into the BiodiversityKnowledge seemed greatly anticipated by all involved. Birgit de Boissezon (Head of Sustainable Management of Natural Resources within the Directorate-General for Research & Innovation) had said that:
“BiodiversityKnowledge needs a self-sustaining mechanism of knowledge management, INNGE is greatly appreciated in this case because they represent the next generation of researchers who will have input into the system and sustain it in the future”This is certainly an uplifting statement for all early-career ecologists and points to an exciting future for a European Biodiversity Science-Policy Interface and for INNGE.
Important deadline approaching: Future Earth Young Scientist Conference
Reblogged from INNGE's blog, originally posted on Fri, 12/27/2013 - 17:21
Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy
As the year draws to a close an important deadline is approaching for ecologists interested in the links between ecology, human wellbeing and economics: A unique chance to attend a fully funded conference in Italy discussing the link between ecosystems and human wellbeing with an international selection of junior and senior scientists.
Deadline for applications is January 7!
INNGE, along with the Institute for New Economic Thinking's Young Scholars Initiative (INET YSI), is involved in organizing this year's Future Earth Young Scientist Networking Conference. The conference series is organized annually by the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and the International Council for Science (ICSU), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The call for applications can be read at the International Council for Social Science's website and is posted in its full length after the break. Please help spread the word within your network.
Here is an excerpt describing the scope of the conference series:
The Networking Conference is open to post-doctoral researchers interested in the collaboration between the social and the natural sciences. The conference will bring together senior and leading scientists and researchers with a diversity of perspectives to identify top priority questions for future research on the topic.
The meeting is designed to become the starting point for new international integrated science research spearheaded by Future Earth. They will provide not only a chance to fully realise the overview of the state of the art in the topic/field, but also to interact and network with leading thinkers – forging new collaborations, and fostering new compelling integrated science.
Travel expenses (economy trip) as well as cost for the stay at Villa Vigoni will be covered for successful applicants for the duration of the conference.
Again, here is the link to the website and the pdf detailing the application.
DFG/ICSU/ISSC Young Scientists Networking Conference on Integrated Science
Call for Applications Ecosystems and human wellbeing in the green economy
A key theme of the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in June 2012, was the promotion of a “green economy”. Future Earth, launched during Rio+20, is an ambitious new 10-year research programme which will provide the knowledge we need to tackle the most urgent challenges of the 21st century related to global sustainability, and that includes issues relating to transformations towards green economies.
The International Social Science Council (ISSC) and the International Council for Science (ICSU), in collaboration with the International Network of Next Generation Ecologists (INNGE) and Institute for New Economic Thinking’s Young Scholars Initiative (INET YSI), are planning to assemble a group of early career researchers with diverse backgrounds and research perspectives to reflect on ecosystems and human wellbeing in the transition towards green economies and debate relevant issues as part of a series of conferences on Integrated Science that are funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
The aim is to bring together creative multidimensional, interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary perspectives to address the complex topic of how future societies deal with ecosystems and human wellbeing. Young scientists will debate issues relating to the topic, questioning key assumptions, theories and models underlying the current research on ecosystems, human wellbeing, and the transformation towards green economies; dynamics of governance, justice, authority at global and local levels; and the development of research methodologies to assess change in the transformations towards sustainability.
The Networking Conference is open to post-doctoral researchers interested in the collaboration between the social and the natural sciences. The conference will bring together senior and leading scientists and researchers with a diversity of perspectives to identify top priority questions for future research on the topic.