Professor Christopher K.R.T. Jones — Recipient of the 2020 MPE Prize
Professor Chris Jones is the Bill Guthridge Distinguished Professor in Mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of the Mathematics and Climate Research Network (MCRN). The 2020 MPE Prize recognizes Professor Jones for his many significant contributions to climate science and the mathematics of planet Earth.
Category Archives: Sustainability
Fields Institute: Focus Program on Commodities, Energy and Environmental Finance
During August 2013, the Fields Institute in Toronto hosted a Focus Program on Commodities, Energy and Environmental Finance. The Focus Program addressed the interaction of markets and environment, including such MPE themes as sustainable development, effective risk management of weather events, and the role of finance in the production and consumption of energy. Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Finance, Risk Analysis, Sustainability, Workshop Report
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Is Natural Gas Clean?
There is an interesting opinion article in this week’s Wednesday New York Times, “Is natural gas `clean’?” by Mark Bittman. Continue reading
Posted in Energy, Sustainability
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Scientific Research on Sustainability and Its Impact on Policy and Management
I recently had the opportunity to lecture on “Aquaculture and Sustainability of Coastal Ecosystems” at the NSF-funded Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) in Columbus, Ohio. The MBI focuses on different theme programs; in the fall of 2013 the theme program is … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Resource Management, Sustainability
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DIMACS/CCICADA Workshop on Urban Planning for Climate Events
As part of the workshop cluster on Sustainable Human Environments, a preworkshop on urban planning for climate events will be sponsored by DIMACS/CCICADA as part of the Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013+ program. Continue reading
Posted in Sustainability, Workshop Announcement
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MPE2013+ Workshop at ASU, January 7-10, 2014
A workshop “Mathematics of Planet Earth: Challenges and Opportunities” will be held at Arizona State University, January 7-10, 2014. The workshop aims to expose students and junior researchers to the challenges facing our planet, the role of the mathematical sciences in addressing those challenges, and the opportunities to get involved in the effort. Continue reading
Optimal Control and Marine Protected Areas
There are two standard ways to restrict harvesting of fish in order to maintain or improve the population. One way is to establish marine protected areas where fishing is prohibited and the other is to allow fishing everywhere but at something less than maximal capacity. Just a few days ago I noticed an interesting preprint in ArXiV that sets up a mathematical framework for deciding whether protected areas should be used and, if so, where they should be established. Continue reading
Posted in Resource Management, Sustainability
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Mathematics and Sustainability – A Trio of Autumn Workshops
In support of worldwide MPE2013 efforts, NSF’s Mathematical Biosciences Institute (MBI) at Ohio State University is hosting three autumn workshops aimed at the interface of mathematics and the science of sustainability. Continue reading
DIMACS/CCICADA Collaboration on REU and Other Sustainability Projects
The Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS) and the Command Control Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), both based at Rutgers University, have collaborated on some recent activities to enhance the summer experience for several undergraduate students participating in the DIMACS/CCICADA Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. DIMACS and CCICADA recently co-hosted a workshop on Science and Technology Innovations in Hurricane Sandy Research. Continue reading
Posted in Astrophysics, Atmosphere, Biodiversity, Biogeochemistry, Biology, Biosphere, Carbon Cycle, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Modeling, Climate System, Complex Systems, Computational Science, Conference, Conference Announcement, Conference Report, Cryosphere, Data, Data Assimilation, Data Visualization, Dimension Reduction, Disease Modeling, Dynamical Systems, Ecology, Economics, Energy, Epidemiology, Evolution, Extreme Events, Finance, General, Geophysics, Imaging, Inverse Problems, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Meteorology, Natural Disasters, Networks, Ocean, Optimization, Paleoclimate, Patterns, Political Systems, Probability, Public Event, Public Health, Renewable Energy, Resource Management, Risk Analysis, Social Systems, Statistics, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Tipping Phenomena, Transportation, Uncertainty Quantification, Weather, Workshop Announcement, Workshop Report
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MPE-Related News Items
Several articles in the past few weeks have caught my attention. Continue reading
2013 SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems
The 2013 SIAM Conference on Applications of Dynamical Systems (DS13) will be held at the Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Snowbird, Utah, May 19-23. Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Conference Announcement, Energy, Mathematics, Sustainability, Weather
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“Sustainability Improves Student Learning (SISL) in STEM”
How precarious is the existence of the Monarch butterfly? Does personal diet affect the environment? What are the consequences of increased human life expectancy? Continue reading
Posted in General, Mathematics, Sustainability, Workshop Report
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Raspberry Fields Forever (cont’d)
Our team had begun our initial work on what we call the “berry problem”, and I was able to describe our efforts to help stakeholders in the Pajaro Valley region in California balance water needs among competing interests. Continue reading
National Environmental Education Week, Green Ribbon Schools, and Earth Day
This week (April 14-20) is National Environmental Education Week. Monday April 22 is Earth Day! On that day, the U.S. Department of Education will announce the winners of the second annual Green Ribbon School awards. Continue reading
Posted in General, Sustainable Development
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Raspberry Fields Forever
In January of 2011, AIM held a Sustainability Problems workshop, with the goal of bringing together mathematicians and industry representatives to work on a variety of sustainability problems, including renewable energy, air quality, water management, and other environmental issues. Continue reading
Celebrate the Mathematics of Sustainability
April is Mathematics Awareness Month (MAM). This year’s theme is Mathematics of Sustainability, which explores how mathematics helps us better understand these complex questions. Continue reading
Posted in Mathematics, Sustainable Development
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The Mathematics of Sustainability
Assuring a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren is, arguably, the greatest challenge facing humanity and raises a plethora of scientific and mathemat- ical challenges. In the language of the Brundtland Report World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, it means leaving for future generations the same options we have for how we want to live our lives. However, operationalizing that concept is easier said than done. Continue reading
Posted in General, Sustainable Development
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Recommended Reading
Earlier this week, I had the good fortune to attend a talk here in Washington, DC, by former Vice-President Al Gore on “The Future, Six Drivers of Global Change.” This is the title of his latest book, which had just appeared. The talk was sponsored by my favorite bookstore, “Politics and Prose.” Continue reading
