Maxwell School News and Commentary
Filtered by: Environment
The Dynamic Sustainability Lab: Creating a Sustainable Future
“We try to explain the environmental, economic and social benefits as well as possible unintended consequences and risks of the net-zero transition to decision makers,” says Jay Golden, founder and director of the lab and the Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance in the Maxwell School.
See related: Climate Change, Energy, Student Experience, Sustainability
Natalie Koch Speaks on ‘Arid Empire’ for Arizona State Library
The Maxwell School professor’s recent book is relevant as the state grapples with controversy over a Saudi dairy company’s farming.
See related: Agriculture, Middle East & North Africa, United States, Water
Sultana Piece on Collaborating to Advance Water Justice Published in Nature
“Globally, safe water access for all can be achieved only by involving Indigenous and local communities in water governance and climate planning. People are not voiceless, they simply remain unheard. The way forward is through listening,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Climate Change, Water
Report Co-Authored by Golden on Economic Impact of Bio-based Products Highlighted by USDA
The report, based on 2021 data, showed that the biobased products industry continued to grow, even during the economic setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
See related: Agriculture, Environment, Sustainability, United States
Koch Speaks With Freakonomics Radio About Why Arizona Grows Feed for Cows in Saudi Arabia
"What makes Arizona special is that when you have this desert land, you can grow alfalfa at an incredibly fast rate because of the amount of sunshine. So, as long as you have plentiful water, you can just grow," says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Agriculture, Middle East & North Africa, United States, Water
Catherine Herrold Receives Award to Study Locally Led Development in Serbia
The associate professor will analyze how Serbians organize for social change at the local level.
Timur Hammond - How Are We Shaped by the Places We Call Home?
Timur Hammond, assistant professor of geography and the environment, explores the impact of our environments in shaping identity and culture.
See related: Environment, Infrastructure, Urban Issues
Maxwell and Whitman Launch Joint Graduate Program in Sustainable Organizations and Policy
This joint program leverages the national reputations and programmatic strengths of both schools in preparing students to be versatile, multidisciplinary, forward-looking experts and leaders ready to take on the important challenges across the globe related to sustainability.
Sultana Discusses the Feedback Loops Between War and Fossil Fuels in Atmos Article
“The control of oil and gas resources has been a key factor in many conflicts and geopolitical imperialism, either by providing part of the motivation for an invasion or by helping countries fund their militaries,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment. “Conflict, in turn, feeds production by driving up oil and gas prices,” she adds.
See related: Conflict, International Affairs, Middle East & North Africa, Natural Resources
Koch Weighs In on the Location of the UN’s 2024 Climate Summit in NY Times Article
While there is an unavoidable conflict in a petrostate hosting a climate summit, it may also be fitting: The country that was home to the oil industry’s beginnings may also host negotiations that could one day bring the petroleum era to an end. “It is possible to frame it as something of a closure,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Central Asia, Climate Change, Europe, International Governmental Organizations