the Future oF the Planet

the Future oF the Planet the Future of the Planet Global warming. Exhausted natural resources. Species extinctions. Overwhelming pollution. These and other predictions of looming environmental disaster are all too familiar. They used to seem so far off—issues for someone to face someday, but certainly not us. Certainly not now. Above: the arctic summer could be icefree by mid-century. courtesy nasa Between 1960 and 2000, the Earth’s Cover (top photo): earth’s thin atmosphere as viewed from space. courtesy nasa population doubled. By 2050, more than 9 billion humans will share this world. reduce global GDP by as much as 5 to 20 percent this century. Without action, climate change may time is running out. some consequences of inaction—a warming planet, species loss, poor air quality—are already upon us. others, from rising sea levels to shifting patterns of infectious disease, threaten to fundamentally change how humans live. the risks to human life, social order, and the global economy have never been more tangible. Solutions are within reach—but only if the best information, most innovative ideas, and most passionate minds can be marshaled toward our common goals. at uc berkeley, we have assembled a powerful model for creating solutions: the Berkeley Institute of the Environment (BIE). because what’s at stake is nothing less than the future of the planet. Cover (bottom): california agriculture depends on a predictable climate. courtesy Photoshare Average temperatures in California are expected to rise between 30 and 10o F this century resulting in flooding, wildfires, air pollution, reduced snow-pack, agricultural losses and heat-related deaths could become extinct in the next 30 years Up to 20 percent of all living species A Vision of success at uc berkeley, we envision a planet where: • • energy is renewable and clean technology improves lives and protects the earth • • economies thrive resources are preserved for future generations • • communities are healthy, equitable, and sustainable environmental stewardship respects diverse cultures We believe this future is possible, and we are striving to make it a reality.  university of california, berkeley the opportunity now at uC Berkeley right now, uc berkeley scientists are using microbes to create clean, renewable energy. berkeley economists and lawyers are shaping policies to guide corporations and consumers. berkeley architects and planners are designing carbon-neutral sustainable neighborhoods. berkeley engineers are developing improved cookstoves, water treatment technologies, and public transportation systems. these and other research initiatives are proving the power of uc berkeley’s potential to confront environmental challenges. as a california land grant university, uc berkeley has always had public service as its mission. the berkeley institute of the environment continues and expands this tradition. unique among environmental institutions and programs, uc berkeley is home to: • 300 of the world’s leading environmental scholars, seven nobel laureates and over 130 members of the u.s. national academies 86 undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs with foci on the environment 87 environmental research centers 60 campus environmental organizations comprised of students, staff and faculty The Bie grew out of an initiative by faculty and deans from the following schools and colleges: College of Engineering College of Environmental Design College of Natural Resources Boalt Hall School of Law Goldman School of Public Policy Haas School of Business School of Journalism School of Public Health Letters & Sciences: Biological Sciences Letters & Sciences: Physical Sciences Letters & Sciences: Social Sciences • • • now is the time to leverage these collective intellectual resources for global environmental action. by integrating this incredible community of scientists, engineers, and scholars, the bie is developing effective new approaches for addressing environmental problems. Above: six uc berkeley nobel laureates say averting world’s climate crisis requires urgent action. the berkeley institute of the environment http://bie.berkeley.edu  |E n & gy er C lim :E ate nerg y Efficie ncy and Tech n o lo gy De ve lo p m en t• En on vir te m s me Sys n ta edic l Pr te g ra te d P u b l i c T ra n sit EnErgy & ClimatE EnvironmEnt & SoCiEty • arbon-Neutr tion C ds • In al Li vin r hbo hoo ig Ne SuStainablE CommunitiES on g En vir on e fre m Putting ideas into practice Above: bie research programs fall into three interconnected, multi-disciplinary themes. existing projects are provided as examples under each theme. Below: students in the beahrs environmental leadership Program at uc berkeley learn low-cost techniques to monitor river quality. uc berkeley is redefining what a great research university can be. our best ideas are not locked up inside an ivory tower. instead, we are committed to delivering results that work in the real world. through the bie we engage directly with governments, industry, nGos, and individual communities. We seek out projects where issues are most urgent and where solutions can provide the highest social returns on investment. bie research programs fall into three interconnected, multi-disciplinary themes: sustainable communities; environment and society; energy and climate change. each program may contain several research projects that will grow and change over time. bie research themes reflect the intrinsic relationships between human settlements, ecosystems, and climate: sustainable communities depend on healthy ecosystems and both human and natural systems rely on a stable climate.  university of california, berkeley t& So cie ty: Lif ecy cle o f w a te r S u st ainabl e Co m mu nit ies : Ca rb BIe research Programs and Projects en Sustainable Communities the bie’s Urban Sustainability Initiative, supported with seed money by the Gordon and betty moore foundation, is incubating innovative demonstration projects in cities around the world. two projects under this program are described below. others, in areas including water and sanitation, air and water quality monitoring, health, green buildings and lifecycle assessment, are currently seeking funding. in cape town, south africa and Dar es salaam, tanzania usi researchers are collaborating with local partners on sustainable energy and wastewater treatment. Above: the city of chengdu, china has won international recognition for its efforts to clean up the funan river sustainable neighborhood Demonstration Project in china WHat’S nEXt? With one year of seed funding from the Gordon and betty moore Conduct life cycle cost assessment of green foundation, urban design pioneer harrison fraker and collaborators building options from tongji university and beijing university are overhauling the Develop design principles for replicable models of standard inefficient “superblock” neighborhood design in china. sustainable urban development teams of uc berkeley and chinese researchers are working Initiate green neighborhood construction in Jiaxing, Qingdao, and chengdu to design, build and monitor a replicable transit-oriented sustainable neighborhood which generates all of its energy from onsite renewables, processes all of its sewage, food, and green wastes and recycles all of its water. the incorporation of biogas, wind, and solar technologies, combined with innovative design, will realize the first carbon-neutral community of its kind that can be replicated on a massive scale. WHat’S nEXt? Design and implement a feeder bus system that integrates with Chengdu’s BRT and Metro systems rics to monitor Chengdu’s public transportation system integrated Public transit systems in china researchers from the institute of transportation studies are leveraging seed funding from the Gordon and betty moore foundation to help planners in chengdu link its “bus rapid transit” (brt) system to passengers’ homes and jobs through a “first and last mile” transit service. by providing whole-trip service to passengers, the program aims to temper chengdu’s rising car dependence and address critical greenhouse gas and air quality problems. the berkeley institute of the environment http://bie.berkeley.edu  Identify a set of sustainability met- Right: networks of low-cost wireless motes enable bie scientists to monitor climate conditions in natural environmentsMotes sense environmental parameters at high frequency and transmit these readings to the internet. Environment & Society the life cycle of Water Good decision-making requires information. atmospheric scientist inez fung has teamed up with engineers, ecologists, hydrologists, and computer scientists to study the life cycle of water. supported by the W.m. keck foundation, the hydroWatch project is designing a new framework for quantifying incredibly complex pathways of water and pollutants. by designing advanced new sensors that can monitor water above, within, and below plant canopies as well as in soils and streams, the team has a prototype system that can readily be replicated to investigate the effects of climate change and urban development on freshwater supply. WHat’S nEXt? Develop low cost wireless sensor networks for natural, agricultural and urban systems water cycle and impacts on the California’s economy ning frameworks for California and beyond Predict changes in California’s Inform public policy and plan- Energy & Climate Change energy efficiency and technology Development uc berkeley is leading the way towards a low carbon economy. together with the lawrence berkeley national laboratory, we boast the largest group of energy experts on the planet, and have embarked upon two of the most significant energy research efforts ever undertaken. The Helios Project aims to convert sunlight to carbon-neutral energy sources WHat’S nEXt? and transportation fuels, while the new Energy Biosciences Institute (ebi), a partnership with the energy company bP Model the environmental and socio-economic implications and the university of illinois, will develop agricultural and of scaling-up energy systems proposed by UC Berkeley microbial sources of clean, renewable bioenergy. the bie, researchers, including the Helios and EBI initiatives Work with city, state and national governments, NGOs and through the leadership of co-director Dan kammen, is working to design, disseminate and assess secure energy the private sector to ensure that sustainability concerns are at the forefront of future energy decision-making technologies that minimize environmental impacts.  university of california, berkeley environmental Prediction berkeley climate scientists, ecologists, economists, policy experts, computer scientists, and mathematicians are collaborating on a new generation of an integrated earth system model to link global environmental predictions to regional and local decisions. the initiative, spearheaded by bill collins of lbnl WHat’S nEXt? and the Department of earth and Planetary science, will be Link energy supply and demand, the water cycle, air quality, useful for assessing risk as well as for prioritizing policy and climate modeling into an integrated system and investment decisions. michael hanneman is one of the Use the model to predict altered weather and air quality patmany campus economists focusing on the environment terns associated with changes in climate and climate change. he is exploring the impact of climate Model the economic cost of a changing environment on propchange on agriculture, water and urban communities. erty values, risk of natural disasters, and health outcomes. Above: the distribution of global energy consumption was powerfully captured by this nasa image of the world and night cradle-to-grave assessment tools for a low carbon future every dollar spent by consumers leaves an environmental footprint. What is the impact of manufacturing, shipping, and selling an automobile, television, or gallon of milk? What consumer choices make lighter environmental footprints than others? We have developed a way to provide information on the “carbon footprints” of over 1,100 types of goods and services—anything anyone can buy—and we are pursuing new partnerships to bring this information to retailers, consumers, and city governments. WHat’S nEXt? Improve lifecycle assessment tools for products, households, businesses and communities Disseminate information and options to consumers at point of sale and through multi-media applications their environmental impact Build partnerships with businesses and city governments to monitor Left: bie co-Directors inez fung and Dan kammen the berkeley institute of the environment http://bie.berkeley.edu  the BIe approach the berkeley institute of the environment takes a three-pronged approach: 1. Innovating Solutions for the Future We assemble the brightest minds from disparate fields into focused think tanks and Do tanks to cultivate and implement new approaches and solutions to environmental problems. these working groups are empowered to spin off new research projects and propose innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental problems. some of the big ideas we have engaged include: • • • • Designing and choosing new transportation fuels selecting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in large technical systems responding to challenges presented by natural disasters incorporating the value of ecosystem services into public policy • • • assessing the environmental implications of nanotechnology incorporating local knowledge and cultural values into environmental practices understanding the role of science, society and the media on environmental policy and consciousness 2. Putting Ideas into Practice the bie advances projects that go beyond research to deliver real solutions to the world. our goal is to create innovative technologies and best practices that not only improve lives in individual communities, but also scale up approaches so they can be adapted in appropriate ways around the globe. current demonstration projects include: • • sustainable neighborhood demonstration projects in china, south africa and tanzania an integrated public transportation system in china • • Wireless technology to monitor the lifecycle of water in california technology to estimate the “carbon footprints” of products, households, and communities in the u.s. 3. Training Tomorrow’s Environmental Citizens and Leaders We are greening the uc berkeley curriculum by adding environment-themed minors and specializations for students all across campus, in addition to the many existing majors with an environmental focus. We are also providing opportunities for students to launch their own research, get involved in on-the-ground learning experiences, and intern with the most effective environmental organizations around. the bie further participates in campus-wide efforts to green the u.c. berkeley campus through initiatives by students, faculty, and staff. recent student projects funded by the bie have included evaluating zero waste technologies for the city of berkeley; developing a text messaging carpooling demonstration project for the bay area, and designing a project to allow downstream users of water resources to pay upstream users not to pollute rivers in china. the berkeley institute of the Environment 1 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, California 90-10 e-mail info@bie.berkeley.edu tel 10--08 fax 10--0 www.bie.berkeley.edu