"Ecological Implications of Climate Change". Rosina Bierbaum, University of Michigan. Hosted by Don Wilhite, Director of The School of Natural Resources @ UNL. Dr. Bierbaum is Dean of the School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan. Dr. Bierbaum received her Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution at the State University of New York, Stony Brook. Since joining the University of Michigan in 2001, she has overseen creation of a new undergraduate Program in the Environment; enhanced interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate teaching; tripled research activity in the School; and developed a new M.S. track in Business, Engineering, and Natural Resources. Prior to her appointment as Dean, she was a member of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and advisor to Vice President Al Gore. Rosina’s seminar will address “Ecological Implications of Climate Change.” Other less formal discussions will focus on the challenges and opportunities of creating an interdisciplinary research, teaching, and outreach program in natural resources and the environment. Rosina’s visit to SNR will be February 13-14.
Suddenly, it’s bioenergy - ethanol and biodiesel. Bioenergy to solve the climate change problem caused by greenhouse gases. Bioenergy to inject vitality into declining rural communities. Bioenergy to free us from international oil villains. But wait… Bioenergy will drive food prices up and starve the poor by appropriating the food supply for energy. Bioenergy will ruin our livestock sector. Bioenergy will deforest the tropics and desertify the plains. Bioenergy will benefit farm landowners, but no one else. And bioenergy will happen only with billions of dollars of subsidies - can we afford it? In this course, students will evaluate the prospects for biofuels in the context of climate change and the world energy market. Participants will first review climate change assessments and the relationship of climate change to world energy markets, and will then examine the potential role of biofuels in reducing carbon emissions. Issues to be addressed include the potential effects of biofuels on food security and on natural resource sustainability, and a comparison of biofuel subsidies versus carbon taxes in mitigating climate change. Participants will be expected to research and report on scientific studies, and to learn and utilize various approaches to cost-benefit evaluation of public policies. Our goal is not to resolve the difficult questions raised above, but help students to sharpen their ability to analyze them and perhaps to more effectively advocate world-saving choices.
