Science and Environmental Decision Making: from the Lab to the White House and Beyond - Rosina Bierbaum
| Date/Time: | Tuesday, 07 Mar 2006 at 8:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Location: | Sun Room, Memorial Union |
| Cost: | Free |
| Contact: | |
| Phone: | 515-294-9934 |
| Channel: | Lecture Series |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Title: The role of science in environmental decision making: A scientist's view from the Congress and the White House
Abstract:
Environmental issues are increasingly complex and interrelated. While science is key to sound decision-making and the formulation of environmental policy, it is clearly never the loudest voice. This talk will explore some of the key science issues involved in acid rain and climate change and discuss how these interact with the political milieu. The evolution of the climate change negotiations clearly involved overlapping and reinforcing developments in international and domestic science and policy. Future progress, given the current stalemate, will likely require economic, energy and natural science efforts. There are four areas that deserve additional sustained attention and could perhaps help diffuse the extant political tensions: 1) working to improve responsiveness to extreme events that are becoming increasingly problematic worldwide, such as droughts, floods, and hurricanes; 2) evaluating how to cope with multiple environmental stresses such as pollution, habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and climate change, simultaneously; 3) developing lower environmental impact energy supply technologies while systematically trying to damp demand growth; and 4) enhancing assessment efforts to evaluate what is known, what is not known, what is knowable over what time scales, and what is most important to know to assist policymakers. In this way, policymakers and managers can make wise resource decisions today even as more information is being developed on interrelated complex environmental matters.
Educational Background:
Ph.D. Ecology and Evolution, 1985, State University of New York, Stony Brook
B.S. Biology, 1974, Boston College
B.A. English, 1974, Boston College
Summary:
More bio: Prior to joining SNRE Bierbaum was acting director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for the President. She joined OSTP in November 1993 as a Senior Policy Analyst and served as Assistant Director for Environment before being confirmed by the US Senate as Associate Director.
She currently serves on the Boards of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Research Council Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, the Federation of American Scientists, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, the Energy Foundation, and the Design Committee for The Heinz Center's The State of the Nation's Ecosystems project.