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{{Summer School on Global Sustainability}}
{{Summer School on Global Sustainability}}


These are the outlines for the scheduled lectures.  
These are the outlines for the scheduled lectures. Please review before class each day.




==Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge==
==Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge==


'''''A Matter of Trust: Social Capital and Economic Development'''''
'''''[[Discounting Climate Change]]'''''
<br>
In recent years a great many scholars have argued that the formation of social capital is
the engine of economic progress. Many others have noted, however, that the evidence is mixed.
In this paper I argue that the deep requirement for economic progress is the development of trust
among people. Defining social capital in lean terms, namely, as "interpersonal networks", I show
that when suitably directed, social capital can build and sustain trust; but if it is misdirected or
if it operates in the wrong sphere, it can hamper economic development and even cause
economies to regress. I argue, moreover, that if the idea of social capital is to serve a useful
purpose in economics, it should be interpreted as interpersonal networks whose members develop
and maintain trust in one another to keep their promises by the device of "mutual enforcement"
of agreements. But trust is the key to cooperation; "social capital" when suitably applied, is only
a means to creating trust. I also show that a natural place to look for the worth of social capital
in macroeconomic statistics in "total factor productivity" (TFP). But that implies that TFP is an
amalgam of technology and institutions. The paper concludes (Appendix) by demonstrating how
an increase in trust among people would result in an increase in total factor productivity, which
is another way of saying that an increase in trust among people would lead to an increase in the
economy's wealth.      <br><br>


'''''The Place of Nature in Economic Development'''''<br>
'''''[[Sustainable Development and Green National Accounts]]'''''
Are humanity's dealings with nature sustainable? Should one expect the global economic growth that has been experienced over the past five decades to continue in the foreseeable future? Should we be confident that knowledge and human skills will increase in such ways as to lessen our reliance on nature in relation to humanity's growing numbers and rising economic activity?
Contemporary discussions on these questions are now several decades old. If they have remained alive and continue to be shrill, it is because two opposing empirical perspectives shape them. On the one hand, if we look at specific examples of natural capital (aquifers, ocean fisheries, tropical forests, the atmosphere as a carbon sink - or ecosystems, generally), there is convincing evidence that at the rates at which we currently exploit them they are very likely to change character dramatically for the worse, with little advance notice.
 
This lecture will explore these ideas and many more in a comprehensive and detailed analysis of emerging and established economies, and externalized as well as internalized economic and policy issues.


==Ottmar Edenhofer, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research==
==Ottmar Edenhofer, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research==


'''''Can dangerous Climate Change be avoided? Causes and Impacts of Climate Change'''''
'''''[[How To Avoid a Global Bluff ]]'''''
<br>
<br>
Why the climate is changing: the mechanics of global warming. Evidence from the past and recent projections: temperature, sea level rise, precipitation. Tipping points. Impacts for developed and developing countries. The link between energy and food prices.
'''''[[The Economics of Atmospheric Stabilization]]'''''
 
'''''The Economics of Atmospheric Stabilization'''''
<br>
<br>
Greenhouse gas emissions: where are we currently, we are we heading, where should we be heading to avoid dangerous climate change? Fossil fuel resources, reserves, and the coal renaissance. The scale of the challenge: emission trajectories to avoid dangerous climate change, maybe. Energy system modeling: finding the right wedges. The role of biomass. Hybrid modeling. Mitigation costs: model comparison IMCP shows it does not cost the world to save the planet.
'''''[[Towards a Global Contract on Climate Change]]'''''
 
'''''Towards a Global Contract on Climate Change'''''
<br>
<br>
Regional mitigation costs – results from two recent model comparison exercises. International burden sharing: the role of the quota allocation rule and of tradable fossil fuel resources. The costs of delay and the gains of fast-movers. International climate policy: the Kyoto Protocol and the road to Copenhagen. The pillars of a global contract: carbon markets, technology, adaptation, reduced deforestation.


==Matthew England, University of New South Wales==
==Matthew England, University of New South Wales==


'''''Climate Change - Overview, History, GHG's, Radiative Forcing'''''
'''''[[Climate Change - A Climate Physics Primer]]'''''
<br>
<br>
'''''Climate Change - Observations (Atmosphere, Cryosphere, Oceans) and Paleoclimate'''''
'''''[[Climate Change - The Ocean's Role in Climate and Climate Change]]'''''
<br>
<br>
'''''Climate Change - Models, Projections, Detection & Attribution'''''
'''''[[Climate Change - Climate Models - How Do They Work and Why Should We Trust Them?]]'''''






==Arnulf Grubler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis==
==Arnulf Grübler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis==


'''''Climate Change and Urbanization'''''
'''''[[Climate Change and Urbanization]]'''''
<br>
<br>
'''''Climate Change and Industrial Production'''''
'''''[[Climate Change and Industrial Production]]'''''
<br>
<br>
'''''Climate Change:  Rates of Change and Constraints for Adaptation and Mitigation Measures'''''
'''''[[Climate Change:  Rates of Change and Constraints for Adaptation and Mitigation Measures]]'''''


==Andrew Hargadon, University of California, Davis==
==Andrew Hargadon, University of California, Davis==
'''"Networks of Innovation"'''
'''"[[Networks of Innovation]]"'''
 
This series of lectures explores the role of networks in the innovation process—first in the generation of new ideas and the recognition of new opportunities and, second, in the execution of those ideas—and the implications for innovations advancing global sustainability
 
'''''Networks of Innovation, I'''''<br>
The challenges of idea generation and opportunity recognition remains one of the least understood capabilities of individuals and organizations. Professor Hargadon combines evidence from historic and modern innovations in "sustainable" technologies to examine the dynamics of innovation and provide a theory that builds less on the scientific breakthrough and creative genius and more on the ability of  individuals and organizations to exploit their networks to create innovations from existing resources and opportunities.
 
'''''Networks of Innovation, II'''''<Br>
The difference between successful and failed ventures is often determined by the subtle but critical details of their design and execution.  Using historic and current cases of successful and failed innovations, Professor Hargadon provides framework for understanding how design and execution affect the success of both change efforts in sustainability, and outlines successful strategies that individuals and firms have used to advance new technological platforms.
 


==Chuck Kutscher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory==
==Chuck Kutscher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory==


<i>'''The Urgency of Climate Change and How to Address It With Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (the American Solar Energy Society study).'''</i>
<i>'''[[The Urgency of Climate Change and How to Address It With Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency]]'''</i>
<br>
<br>
'''''Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)'''''
'''''[[Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)]]'''''


==Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute==
==Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute==


'''''Winning the Oil Endgame'''''
'''''[[Winning the Oil Endgame]]'''''


'''''Winning the Coal Endgame'''''
'''''[[Winning the Coal Endgame]]'''''




==Dennis Meadows, University of New Hampshire==
==Dennis Meadows, University of New Hampshire==


'''''Obstacles to Effective Climate Policy'''''
'''''[[Obstacles to Effective Climate Policy]]'''''
<br>
Although most national leaders profess a concern about climate change and a desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere keep going up. And they are going up in almost every nation, irrespective of whether it signed the Kyoto Accord. To explain this unfortunate fact,  this session will describe four common misconceptions about climate change dynamics that are preventing effective response to the threats of climate change. 
 
'''''Fishbanks: A Strategic Game about Renewable Resource Use'''''
<br>
<br>
In this session participants will work in small teams to manage fishing companies that decide on ways to deploy and build up their assets. The challenge is to develop strategies that sustain the resource while maximizing profits of the individual firms. 
'''''[[The Structural Foundations of Sustainable Resource Use]]'''''
 
'''''The Structural Foundations of Sustainable Resource Use'''''
<br>
<br>
The concept of sustainability is profoundly different depending on whether it is applied to a renewable or to a nonrenewable resource. We will discuss those differences. This session will identify, reflect on, and apply the lessons from the Fishbanks session. It will also provide information on oil depletion, as an important example of nonrenewable resource use.


==Nebojsa Nakicenovic, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis==
==Nebojsa Nakicenovic, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis==
==Donald L. Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute and William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources==


'''''Understanding The Global Energy System'''''
'''''[[History of Technology and Energy]]'''''


The presentation will build a deeper understanding of the nature and dynamics of the global energy system and what factors will affect the future evolution of one of the world’s largest systems.  Topics will include:
'''''[[Dynamics of Technology]]'''''


-      Scale and complexity
'''''[[Future Perspectives]]'''''
==Donald L. Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute and William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources==


-      “History and the future always co-exist”
'''''[[Understanding The Global Energy System]]'''''


-      The interaction of demand, supply, technology, and geo-politics
'''''[[Energy Technology And The Implications For Sustainability]]'''''


-      Energy scenarios – differing world views
==Carlo Rubbia, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas ==


'''''[[Earth, Environment and Energy]]'''''


'''''Energy Technology And The Implications For Sustainability'''''
==Joellen Russell, University of Arizona, Biogeochemical Dynamics ==
<br>
Technology development has always been integral to the evolution of energy supply and use, from the discovery and development at scale of new sources to the creation of major use infrastructures such as automotive transport.  The presentation will build a deeper understanding of the drives and systems that enable energy technology development, the factors that affect the implementation at scale, and the implications for system sustainability.  Topics will include:


-      The energy technology “eco-system”
'''''[[Southwest Climate, the Westerly Winds and Climate Model Projections]]'''''


-      Commercialization and implementation at scale
'''''[[The Once and Future Battles of Thor and the Midgard Serpent, or: The Westerlies and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Global Climate]]'''''<br>


-      Diversifying marketplaces:  fuel and transport as a case study


-      Measures of sustainability and prospects for the future
==Sustainability in the Media Seminar Readings==
 
 
 
==Joellen Russell, University of Arizona, Biogeochemical Dynamics ==


'''''Southwest Climate, the Westerly Winds and Climate Model Projections'''''
===[[Jim Giles]]===


Climate projections for the Southwest are essential for residents, politicians, engineers, and planners. Will we get more winter rain or less? Will our monsoon get stronger or weaker? How hot will it get? The latest round of coupled climate model projections prepared for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are widely varying, but some general conclusions can be drawn.  In particular, as the westerly winds move poleward, they are moving away the winter storms that are a critical source of water to the Southwest, so improving the global climate models’ ability to simulate the westerly jet has become critical to the discovery of the links between global climate change and Southwest impacts. We will discuss the integration of global and regional models of Southwest climate.
===[[Mark Hertsgaard]]===


'''''The Once and Future Battles of Thor and the Midgard Serpent, or: The Westerlies and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Global Climate'''''<br>
===[[Julie Rehmeyer]]===


Dominated by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the vast Southern Ocean can influence large-scale surface climate features on various time scales. Its climatic relevance stems in part from it being the region where most of the transformation of the World Ocean’s water masses occurs. In climate change experiments that simulate greenhouse gas–induced warming and ozone depletion, the response of the Southern Ocean circulation patterns to the change in the Westerlies make it a region where much of the future oceanic heat storage takes place, though the magnitude of that heat storage is one of the larger sources of uncertainty associated with the transient climate response in such model projections. These links are explored here in a climate model context by analyzing a suite of experiments produced in support of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Fourth Assessment Report. The influence of the predicted change in Southern Ocean circulation over the rate of global atmospheric warming will be examined, as well as potential impacts on polar and global marine ecosystems.
===[[Andrew Revkin]]===

Latest revision as of 20:16, 15 February 2010

Summer School on Global Sustainability

These are the outlines for the scheduled lectures. Please review before class each day.


Partha Dasgupta, University of Cambridge

Discounting Climate Change

Sustainable Development and Green National Accounts

Ottmar Edenhofer, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

How To Avoid a Global Bluff
The Economics of Atmospheric Stabilization
Towards a Global Contract on Climate Change

Matthew England, University of New South Wales

Climate Change - A Climate Physics Primer
Climate Change - The Ocean's Role in Climate and Climate Change
Climate Change - Climate Models - How Do They Work and Why Should We Trust Them?


Arnulf Grübler, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

Climate Change and Urbanization
Climate Change and Industrial Production
Climate Change: Rates of Change and Constraints for Adaptation and Mitigation Measures

Andrew Hargadon, University of California, Davis

"Networks of Innovation"

Chuck Kutscher, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The Urgency of Climate Change and How to Address It With Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute

Winning the Oil Endgame

Winning the Coal Endgame


Dennis Meadows, University of New Hampshire

Obstacles to Effective Climate Policy
The Structural Foundations of Sustainable Resource Use

Nebojsa Nakicenovic, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis

History of Technology and Energy

Dynamics of Technology

Future Perspectives

Donald L. Paul, Executive Director, University of Southern California Energy Institute and William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources

Understanding The Global Energy System

Energy Technology And The Implications For Sustainability

Carlo Rubbia, Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, Medioambientales y Tecnologicas

Earth, Environment and Energy

Joellen Russell, University of Arizona, Biogeochemical Dynamics

Southwest Climate, the Westerly Winds and Climate Model Projections

The Once and Future Battles of Thor and the Midgard Serpent, or: The Westerlies and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Global Climate


Sustainability in the Media Seminar Readings

Jim Giles

Mark Hertsgaard

Julie Rehmeyer

Andrew Revkin