Sustainability Digest 072415

SUSTAINABILITY DIGEST

The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability provides this list to announce seminars, meetings, colloquiums, lectures, brown bags, announcements of interest, and job opportunities to the Institute community. If you have items you’d like to add please submit them to Cindy.Zisner@asu.edu before 5 PM Wednesday. This digest is sent out on Friday morning. You may subscribe, unsubscribe, or change subscriber settings at http://lists.asu.edu/archives/giosasu.html under the Options where it says Join or Leave GIOSASU. You can see archives of list messages at the same address.

The Sustainability Digest will be taking a break Friday July 31 and Friday August 7. Please send items occurring those weeks and early August to be included in the July 24 Digest. The Digest will resume Friday August 14.

NEW ITEMS

Institute Events

1. Free Film Screening: Just Eat It

2. Sustainability Series: On the Front Lines of Urban Sustainability: Destination, Hong Kong

Other Events - Off Campus

3. Lean Path Webinar: 5 food Waste Myths to Debunk – Now!

4. Citizens' Climate Lobby Meeting and Conference Call

5. Fall 2015 Smartscape Classes

News and Announcements

6. Resilient cities: Changing the way we think about urban infrastructure

7. 7 green drone companies (and counting) cleared for takeoff

8. UGEC Viewpoints: Navigating urban complexity through stakeholders' experiences and knowledge

9. Who's accountable for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals?

10. ASU life sciences professor wins national conservation award

11. Product ecolabels: To certify or not to certify?

12. ASU archaeologist uses new methods to explore how humans became farmers

13. FedEx, United bet it's (finally) time for jet biofuels to take off

14. ASU startups present to investors at LA showcase

15. How businesses are leading the push for truck efficiency

16. Vows and Values: Our Sustainable Wedding Story

17. July Southwest Climate Outlook

18. CLIMAS Podcast: July 2015 – The Monsoon Edition

Other Jobs

19. Staff Attorney, Wild Earth Guardians

20. Environmental Educator, Cornell Cooperative Extension Rockland County

21. Environmental Quality Coordinator, Pima Association of Governments

EVENTS

Institute Events

School of Sustainability 2015 Fall Welcome and Camp SOS

(August 17, 18, 28-30 and September 30, 2015) The School of Sustainability provides a warm welcome to all incoming students with signature events where they will have the opportunity to get to know their peers, faculty and staff, and learn more about their future as a sustainability student. See web listing for various events.

NEW!

Free Film Screening: Just Eat It

(Wednesday, August 26, 2015) The award winning film Just Eat It explores our views on food and waste. With almost 50% of the food we throw out still being fit for consumption, filmmaker Grant Baldwin investigates food waste from the farm to the fridge. Doors open 6:30 p.m.; show begins 7:00 p.m. at Harkins Valley Art Theater, 509 S. Mill Ave, Tempe. More information and RSVP.

NEW!

Sustainability Series: On the Front Lines of Urban Sustainability: Destination, Hong Kong

(Tuesday, September 22, 2015) A discussion with School of Sustainability students who completed a challenging course in Hong Kong on urban sustainability by working in teams with Chinese students from City University of Hong Kong. Hear their experiences of considering urban sustainability challenges through a new cultural lens. View the posters and policy solutions they presented to the public on issues of land use, waste, energy, and conservation and biodiversity. From 12:00-1:30 p.m. in room 481, Wrigley Hall, Arizona State University at the Tempe campus. More information and RSVP.

Sustainability Series: Landscaping Reinvented: Elegant - Edible - Sustainable

(Tuesday, September 22, 2015) Justin Rohner, Agriscaping, will present Landscaping Reinvented: Elegant - Edible - Sustainable at 7:00 p.m. at Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S McClintock Dr, Tempe. More information and RSVP.

Sustainability Series: Equity - Inclusiveness - Empowerment

(Thursday, October 15, 2015) Darren Chapman, TigerMountain Foundation will present Equity - Inclusiveness - Empowerment at 6:00 p.m. at the Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S McClintock Dr, Tempe. More information and RSVP.

Other Events

On Campus

Biodesign Institute Seminar: Translating Gene Discovery Efforts into Primary Prevention and Drug Discovery: Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease

(Friday, July 31, 2015) Philip De Jager will present Translating Gene Discovery Efforts into Primary Prevention and Drug Discovery: Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease at 2:30 p.m. in the Auditorium (B105), Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University at the Tempe campus. More information.

Democracy Conference 2015: By the People

(Thursday-Saturday, December 3-5, 2015) Arizona State University will be hosting a conference on participatory democracy, civic engagement and citizenship education. The event will be designed to share research findings, engage in provocative and meaningful discussions, learn from accomplishments and failures, and be inspired by innovative approaches, strategies, policies, tools and practices. The conference will bring together academics, students, practitioners, researchers, appointed and elected public officials, teachers, administrators, members of community organizations, and all those interested in participatory democracy, public engagement and citizenship education. The conference will combine academic presentations with practical workshops, We are interested in attracting theoretical and empirical contributions that are related to the three conference themes. Submission of abstracts is April 15, 2015. More information.

Off Campus

FIXED: The Science/Fiction of Human Enhancement

(Friday, July 24, 2015) This film was produced and directed by Regan Brashear, who completed final editing on the film while sponsored by the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes (CSPO) as an artist in residence at Arizona State University. We'd like to congratulate this talented filmmaker and celebrate the PBS launch of this dynamic and thought-provoking film. How much of human body can we alter and still be human? What do we gain or lose in the process? This award-winning documentary explores the social impact of human augmentation. Haunting and humorous, poignant and political, FIXED rethinks "disability" and "normalcy" by exploring technologies that promise to change our bodies and minds forever. CSPO faculty were consulted on the development of accompanying educational materials. CSPO affiliate Gregor Wolbring of the University of Calgary is featured in the cast. Local showing in Phoenix/Tempe area Friday 7/24: 2:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., and 4:00 p.m. Find the schedule for a telecast in your area (as of this posting) or check for the most current schedule/summary of telecasts here: http://www.fixedthemovie.com/media/.

2015 Arizona Water Reuse Symposium

(Sunday-Wednesday, July 26-28, 2015) The AZ Water is a 501(c)(3)nonprofit educational organization founded in 1928 with a membership of 2,700 water/wastewater professionals dedicated to preserving and enhancing Arizona's water environment. Although AZ Water is an independent organization, it also serves as the Arizona section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Arizona member association of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). Their symposium will be held at the Little America Hotel, 2515 E. Butler Ave, Flagstaff. More information and registration.

Security & Sustainability Forum Webinar: Recycling Waste CO₂ to Fuels

(Tuesday, July 28, 2015) The Future of Sustainable Transportation Fuels webinar series will include the emerging technological possibilities for captured CO₂ from waste streams (or directly from the atmosphere) and using it as a pre-concentrated carbon source to produce transportation fuels, which falls in the space of “carbon capture and utilization” (CCU). From 10:15-11:45 a.m. MST. More information and registration.

NEW!

Lean Path Webinar: 5 food Waste Myths to Debunk – Now!

(Tuesday, July 28, 2015) Every operation has food waste, even the best in the industry. And while the topic is getting much more attention in the media today than it ever has before, there are still some misconceptions about food waste that limit action on the issue. This webinar will explore 5 myths about food waste and the facts you need to debunk them in your kitchen, including: We’ve got food waste covered—we do composting. We don’t have any food waste. Exposing our food waste will make me/us look bad. My team doesn’t care about food waste—they’re busy with other things. Tracking our food waste would take too much time/labor. 11:00 am PDT; 12:00 pm MDT; 1:00 pm CDT; 2:00 pm EDT. More information and registration.

Security & Sustainability Forum Webinar: Megatrends – The Food, Water, Energy Nexus

(Thursday, July 30, 2015) Join the Security and Sustainability Forum and hosts – the National Council on Science and the Environment, the Willdan Group and the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University -- in a free webinar as we explore the challenges and opportunities in meeting food, water and energy goals in developed and developing nations on a changing planet. From 10:15-11:45 a.m. MST. More information and registration.

GoDaddy Presents Private Screening of Code: Debugging the Gender Gap

(Thursday, July 30, 2015) Join us to see CODE, a film that examines the reasons why more girls and people of color are not seeking opportunities in computer science. It explores how cultural mindsets, stereotypes, educational hurdles, and sexism all play roles in this national crisis. At 5:30 p.m. at GoDaddy Scottsdale Auditorium, 14455 N. Hayden Rd, Scottsdale. More information. Please RSVP to jmercer@godaddy.com.

NEW!

Citizens’ Climate Lobby Meeting and Conference Call

(Saturday, August 1, 2015) Citizens' Climate Lobby is a national organization dedicated to the implementation of a carbon fee and dividend plan as a market-based way of putting a price on carbon emissions. The Phoenix-area CCL group meets at 10:00 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month to plan its efforts. The location is as follows: Escalante Multi-Generational Center, 2150 E. Orange St. in Tempe. For more information, visit http://citizensclimatelobby.org or e-mail pe4rcaz@gmail.com.

SHADE – Southwest Horticulture Annual Day of Education

(Friday, August 7, 2015) The Arizona Nursery Association will be hosting SHADE 2015, a one-day educational seminar for landscape and nursery professionals. To be held at the Arizona Biltmore, 2400 E Missouri Ave, Phoenix. More information and registration.

NEW!

Fall 2015 Smartscape Classes

(Mondays and Wednesdays, August 10-September 2, 2015) Smartscape is a comprehensive, research-based professional training program specifically designed to assist landscape professionals in the design, installation, and maintenance of attractive, water-efficient landscapes that offer a unique sense of place and value to communities. Smartscape delivers 20 hours of high-quality education on the best irrigation and horticultural practices for the desert southwest. Graduates of the course receive a certificate of completion from the University of Arizona and a chance to market themselves as a Smartscape professional by listing their contact information in the Smartscape Online Directory at www.smartscape.org/directory. Contact Kaitlin Poe-Orsburn, Smartscape Program Coordinator, with any questions or concerns at kpoe@email.arizona.edu or (602) 827-8206. For more information and registration.

8^th Annual Conference of the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

(Thursday-Friday, August 20-21, 2015) Ryerson, Tsinghua and Oxford universities are pleased to announce that the 8th Annual Conference for the Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (#AIE2015) will be held for the first time in Toronto, Canada. The AIE Conference was first held in 2008 at Tsinghua University in Beijing, consistently ranked as one of China's top institutions for higher learning, and has previously been hosted at the prestigious Oxford University in London, England. A truly international conference, the AIE has attracted more than 1,500 participants from more than 27 countries over the years. This year, conference participants will have the unique opportunity to experience Canada as an innovation nation. The AIE Conference provides a broad platform to convene scholars from around the world to present research and to stimulate discussions on critical research issues and new developments in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. We are currently welcoming proposals from current and emerging scholars, policymakers and industry partners, please see the Call for Papers. Deadline for proposals is April 15, 2015. For more information, please visit the conference website or contact Diana Cucuz at cucuzd@ryerson.ca.

Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative Lecture: Paolo Bacigalupi

(Thursday, September 17, 2015) In Paolo Bacigalupi’s most recent science fiction novel, “The Water Knife,” Phoenix is dried up and California and Nevada are not too far behind. The millions of people who rely on the Colorado River to survive are not only thirsty, but fighting for their lives. It’s a compelling story that captures a not-so-distant future. Will Phoenix eventually collapse? Will the river dry up? New York Times-bestselling author Paolo Bacigalupi will visit Phoenix to discuss “The Water Knife,” and the future of the Colorado River as part of ASU’s Imagination and Climate Futures Initiative. At the Tempe Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m. Check for tickets starting August 25.

Workshop for PhD Students: Socio-Environmental Synthesis Research Proposal Writing

(Monday-Wednesday, September 28-30, 2015) SESYNC will host a 2½-day workshop designed to prepare graduate students to apply for graduate-level research opportunities at SESYNC. This workshop will provide graduate students with: introductions to SESYNC, socio-environmental synthesis research, team science, bridging natural and social sciences, and actionable science; networking opportunities to build professional relationships with other students, particularly those from different disciplines; and training sessions on the methods, challenges, and strategies associated with writing successful proposals, especially those related to the type of work SESYNC supports. The workshop is aimed at graduate students in the natural, social, and computational sciences; humanities; communications; and business studies. There is no fee to attend; attendees will receive support for travel, meals, and accommodations. Find complete details here. Deadline for applications is July 15, 2015.

Conference on Complex Systems 2015

(Monday-Friday, September 28-October 2, 2015) The annual European Conferences on Complex Systems (ECCS) have become a major venue for the Complex Systems Community since they were started in 2003. For the first time, this year, the conference will be held in North America to foster and multiply contacts between the European, North American and Asian communities working in this domain. CCS’15 will be a major international conference and event in the area of complex systems and interdisciplinary science in general. To be held at the Hilton Doubletree Fiesta Inn, Tempe. More information.

Homeland & Global Security Forum

(Wednesday-Thursday, October 14-15, 2015) The 17^th International Summit on Transnational Crime will take place in Geneva, Switzerland. Being a multidimensional platform this Summit brings together heads of state and government, intelligence agencies, and businesses address the key to global security challenges of our world. More information.

2015 Quality of Life Conference: The Future of Quality of Life

(Thursday-Saturday, October 15-17, 2015) The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), along with co-host ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, invite researchers from all disciplines, policy makers and practitioners from across the globe to participate in the 2015 Quality of Life Conference "The Future of Quality of Life." Join an exciting convening of quality of life thinkers to explore ideas, new approaches, and innovative thinking about dimensions of quality of life that impact us all, including immigration and inclusion, climate change and issues of resources, rapid urbanization and fascinating cultures intersecting in one of the US's largest cities. October 15-17, 2015 in Phoenix. More information.

AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo

(Sunday-Wednesday, October 25-28, 2015) AASHE 2015 Conference & Expo, themed Transforming Sustainability Education, will convene a diverse group of campus representatives including faculty, students, sustainability officers, staff, administrators and presidents together with business, non-profit, government and community members for a sustainable celebration. Expected to draw approximately 2,100 participants, AASHE’s annual conference remains the largest stage in North America for sharing effective models, policies, research, collaborations and transformative actions which advance sustainability in higher education and beyond. It will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For more information.

VERGE 2015: Where Tech Meets Sustainability

(Monday-Thursday, October 26-29, 2015) See how technology accelerates sustainability solutions in a climate-constrained world. VERGE is GreenBiz Group's global event series focusing on the technologies and systems that accelerate sustainability solutions across sectors in a climate-constrained world. The event brings together the world’s largest companies, technology innovators, utilities and cities, creating a broad ecosystem of players to accelerate opportunities for business, the environment and society. The program focuses on transformative but practical, scalable, solutions-oriented exchanges through seven program tracks: Grid 2.0, Next-Gen Buildings, Smart Cities, Connected Transportation, Intelligent Supply Chains, Food & Ag Tech and Sustainable Water Systems. To be held at the Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, California. More information.

Chacmool 2015: Shallow Pasts, Endless Horizons: Sustainability & Archaeology

(Saturday-Monday, November 14-16, 2015) The Chacmool Archaeological Association and the Department of Anthropology present the 2015 Chacmool Conference being held at the University of Calgary. We encourage you to explore sustainability with us at the 48th Annual Chacmool Conference. More information.

Greenbuild: Monumental Green Conference and Expo

(Wednesday-Friday, November 18-20, 2015) Greenbuild is the premier event for sustainable building. Featuring three exhilarating days of uplifting speakers, unmatched networking opportunities, showcases, LEED workshops and tours of green buildings in Washington, DC, Greenbuild offers a place for thousands to gather and renew their commitment to the green movement. Expo will be held November 18-19 and the Conference November 18-20. More information.

21^st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate Conference

(Thursday-Sunday, January 21-24, 2016) The Science Foundation AZ and the STEM AZ Education Collaborative are proud to partner to bring you the 21st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate Conference. STEM integration is critical for developing the knowledge and skills our students, businesses, and communities desire and deserve. Critical thinking, creativity, and innovation are both goals and outcomes of educational practices that promote a transdisciplinary approach to STEM education. At the 21st Century STEM: Integrate to Innovate conference participants will engage in diverse sessions to explore and enhance STEM educational practices. Sessions will not only be outstanding learning opportunities for educators, many of them will include how business, informal education, early childhood experiences, and K-16+ classrooms create a nexus of learning that result in the 21st century graduate prepared for tomorrow’s world. The conference will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N Third St, Phoenix. For more information.

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

NEW!

Resilient cities: Changing the way we think about urban infrastructure

In the early morning of Sept. 8, 2014, rain began to fall across the Phoenix metro area. It showed no signs of stopping during the morning commute, and soon lakes were forming on streets and freeways. Drivers scrambled from their cars as floodwaters overtook their vehicles. Read more.

NEW!

7 green drone companies (and counting) cleared for takeoff (from GreenBiz.com)

As of July 20, the Federal Aviation Administration had greenlighted 833 proposals for using unmanned aerial vehicles, aka drones, for business purposes. More than 70 of the approved experiments are focused on applications in precision agriculture, including the projects launched by Vine Rangers. Read more.

NEW!

UGEC Viewpoints: Navigating urban complexity through stakeholders’ experiences and knowledge

Complexity is a natural characteristic of urban development. As cities evolve, institutions, social- and economic systems and organizational structures become more complex. Increasing complexity also implies that information about the urban sphere becomes more and more disaggregated among people, domains and space. Segregation, not only of populations, but also of the information needed to manage multifaceted system, emerges. Read more.

NEW!

Who's accountable for progress on the Sustainable Development Goals? (From GreenBiz.com)

In September, world leaders will descend on New York to set goals for creating a more sustainable world, free of extreme poverty by 2030. The 17 proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will replace the earlier Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Read more.

NEW!

ASU life sciences professor wins national conservation award

For his lasting contribution to the conservation of mammals and their habitats, the American Society of Mammalogists has given the Aldo Leopold Award to Arizona State University professor Andrew Smith. The Aldo Leopold Award is named after an American scientist who is considered to be the “father” of wildlife ecology and management. Read more.

NEW!

Product ecolabels: To certify or not to certify? (From GreenBiz.com)

With 201 ecolabel certifications in the U.S. and 459 globally, it is no wonder that businesses are confused about their value. Putting aside the important question of choosing among the multiple overlapping eco-certifications, how should a business answer the threshold question of whether to seek eco-certification in the first place? Read more.

NEW!

ASU archaeologist uses new methods to explore how humans became farmers

One of the enduring mysteries of the human experience is how and why humans moved from hunting and gathering to farming. From their beginnings, humans – like other mammals – depended on wild resources for sustenance. Then, between 8,000 and 12,000 years ago, in a transitional event known as the Neolithic Revolution, they began to create and tend to domestic ecosystems in various locations around the world, and agriculture was born. Read more.

NEW!

FedEx, United bet it's (finally) time for jet biofuels to take off (from GreenBiz.com)

In the last five years or so, an entire genre of writing about the aviation industry has developed around the potential of using greener fuels to help curb plane pollution. Read more.

NEW!

ASU startups present to investors at LA showcase

Six ASU-linked startups recently presented at First Look LA, a 250-attendee investor showcase hosted by the Los Angeles Venture Association (LAVA), which also featured technologies and startups from six Southern California research institutions and the University of Hawai’i. Read more.

NEW!

How businesses are leading the push for truck efficiency (from GreenBiz.com)

Freight transportation is the connective tissue that holds the global economy together, ensuring that the products consumers want get on the shelves where and when they want them. It is also a ripe sector for significant improvements in efficiency. Read more.

NEW!

Vows and Values: Our Sustainable Wedding Story

Brad and I met at Green Drinks, a networking group for environmental professionals. We both graduated from ASU’s School of Sustainability but never met during our undergraduate studies. Now, we are both sustainability professionals; I work for the Decision Center for a Desert City as the education and community outreach coordinator and Brad works for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality as a hazardous waste compliance officer. Read more.

EPA Launches 2015 Campus RainWorks Challenge

EPA is calling for entries in its fourth annual Campus RainWorks Challenge, a green infrastructure design competition for undergraduate and graduate students. Student teams, working with a faculty advisor, will submit design boards, a project narrative, and a letter of support for a green infrastructure project on their campuses. This year, student teams will be encouraged to incorporate climate resiliency into their stormwater management designs. Registration opens September 1 and ends September 30. Teams must submit their entries by December 18, and winners will be announced on April 22, 2016. First-place teams will earn $2,000 to divide evenly among students, and a faculty prize of $3,000 to support green infrastructure research or training. More information: www.epa.gov/campusrainworks.

Arizona Department of Water Resource Drought Program

June 2015 drought summary is online.

NEW!

July Southwest Climate Outlook

The July 2015 Southwest Climate Outlook is online.

NEW!

CLIMAS Podcast: July 2015 – The Monsoon Edition

Tune into the Southwest climate podcasts on iTunes or Southwest Climate Change Network.

OPPORTUNITIES

Institute Job Openings

Education Program Coordinator Senior, Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainable Research Network

Application deadline is July 27, 2015. To review the posting and apply to this position, please visit https://cfo.asu.edu/hr-applicant and click on Applicant under Staff Positions. Search openings for Requisition ID number 14942BR.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Resilience of Coupled Infrastructure Networks)

To apply to this position, please send application materials to giosjobs@asu.edu.