Environmental Changes and Human Well-Being: Information and Hope
Presented by Dr. Jane Lubchenco
Thursday, February 22, 2007, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Salem Public Library’s Loucks Auditorium
The path-breaking Millennium Ecosystem Assessment synthesizes scientific knowledge about the ways in which people benefit from “ecosystem services” such as water and air purification, climate regulation, the provision of seafood and crops, the protection of coastlines from storm damage, and places to enjoy nature. Professor Jane Lubchenco will discuss the state of ecosystem services and the innovative approaches being used to retain critical services while meeting the needs of current and future generations. A lead author of the assessment, Dr. Lubchenco is Distinguished Professor of Zoology at Oregon State University. Her many honors include a MacArthur (‘genius’) Fellowship and the 2005 American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology.
You might want to put this Friends of Straub Environmental Learning Center lecture on your calendar. Dr. Lubchenco was named, in 2002, one of the fifty most important women in science by Discover Magazine. She founded the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program that “teaches outstanding academic environmental scientists to be effective leaders and communicators of scientific information to the public, policy makers, the media and the private sector.” She currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board.
You may have understood the first time--I didn't--but based on a little reading in Dr. Lubchenco's pages on the OSU website, ecosystem "services" in the above lecture summary refers to beneficial processes that nature has provided. Maybe those services will be diminished if we're not more careful. I'm interested. I'm going.
