Deciding to Deal with Climate

February 22, 2008

by Anthony Brazel for the Arizona Republic

During the 1960s, I had the good fortune of spending several summers on some ice- and snowfields in Alaska, at a time when it was commonly thought that global cooling was a climate trend and that we were returning to an ice age. A few decades later, I returned to Alaska to map and analyze glaciers, and found many dramatically retreated up their valleys by one-quarter of a mile or more.
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Special on the Ramifications of the Urban Transformation

February 8, 2008

Science Magazine
“News articles offer an on-the-ground look at how cities are tackling specific problems from poverty and sanitation to traffic jams. Reviews and Perspectives examine how cities take shape and the impacts of urbanization on the environment, human health, economic growth, and the demographics of the developing world.”

Be sure to check out the video presentation including GIOS researcher Nancy Grimm.

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We Must Invest to be Sustainable

February 2, 2008

by Jim Holway for the Arizona Republic

I am often asked: Are our current growth and water use “sustainable?” This simple question does not have a simple answer.

First, we have many options on how we choose to use our water. Second, the backdrop against which we view our water supply and use is constantly changing-our population continues to expand, our economy grows, our desires and expectations evolve, and we respond to any number of external events, including new technologies, global climate, and energy availability. Third, sustainability can be defined and measured in different ways with differing results. Read more »