What people take from nature – water, food, timber, inspiration, relaxation – are so abundant, it seems self-evident. Until you try to quantitatively understand how and to what extent they contribute to humans.
In today’s world, where competition for and degradation of natural resources increases globally, it becomes ever more crucial to quantify the value of ecosystem services – the precise term that defines nature’s benefits, and even more important to link how different types of ecosystem services affect various components of human well-being.
Buying an energy-efficient appliance or light bulb can seem like a green act and a good idea.
But that depends on if the buyer is red or blue.
Thomas Dietz of the Michigan State University’s Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability and colleagues muse on the complexities consumers exhibit when deciding whether or not to put their money where their carbon footprint is.
Chuck Leavell, a world-class rock musician currently touring with the Rolling Stones, chatted a bit about what sustainability -- and wood -- mean to a piano player.
CSIS Ph.D. candidate Abigail Lynch received the 2013 Paul W. Rodgers Scholarship from the International Association of Great Lakes Research. The scholarship is given to support the advancement of knowledge relating to Great Lakes aquatic ecosystem health and management.
