Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stuart L. Pimm
Summary: Conservation science, as a new and evolving discipline, requires exploring different approaches to protect biodiversity. It is important to find ways to reconcile the relationship between humans and nature, rather than relying solely on traditional indigenous knowledge.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Noel Castree
Summary: Since the turn of the millennium, geoscientists across various disciplines have introduced and supported the concept of the Anthropocene through publications in Ambio and other journals. This concept has drawn attention to the significant impact of human activities on Earth and provided a metaphorical framework for various geoscientific terms to coexist harmoniously. While the papers evaluated in this commentary have contributed to building this framework, there is a need to reframe the scientific perspective on the Anthropocene to consider diverse social values and potential future actions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jeffrey Sayer, Christopher Margules, Jeffrey A. McNeely
Summary: Over the past fifty years, Ambio has published papers that align with changing societal perspectives on biodiversity conservation, advocating for greater involvement of local and indigenous peoples and conservation in multi-functional landscapes. The journal emphasizes the need for a stronger scientific basis for conservation and adaptation to diverse societal preferences and changing conditions.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Susan Solomon
Summary: The papers by Crutzen and Ehhalt highlighted the potential damage to the ozone layer from human activities and laid the foundation for the Montreal Protocol.
Article
Anthropology
Kelsey E. Hanson, Steve Baumann, Theresa Pasqual, Octavius Seowtewa, T. J. Ferguson
Summary: This article discusses the impact of the National Register of Historic Places on archaeology, arguing that the concept of historic context can be used to recognize layered relationships to places and promote the production of multivocal national histories.
AMERICAN ANTIQUITY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Daniel J. Lang, Arnim Wiek
Summary: Addressing the sustainability challenges of today requires immediate and concerted action. Combining problem-oriented research with solution-oriented research can enhance the contribution of sustainability science. Advancing solution-oriented sustainability research offers opportunities for the future, and supporting students and early career researchers in this field is important.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Anne D. Bjorkman, Angela Wulff
Summary: Climate change is a pressing societal and scientific challenge, with strong signals of warming already visible in regions like the Arctic, alpine areas, and oceans. The impact of rising temperatures and acidification due to increased CO2 concentrations has had catastrophic consequences for sensitive marine organisms, reflecting a significant legacy from the biotic perspective.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Karen O'Brien
Summary: Research on global environmental change has shifted our perspective on human-environment relationships and Earth system processes, highlighting concepts such as resilience, coupled human and natural systems, and the Anthropocene. However, current research still lacks sufficient attention on deliberately transforming systems and cultures to avoid the risks warned by science.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Gene E. Likens
Summary: Early studies on acidification of lakes in southern Sweden and Norway led to legislation reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, guided by long-term research in Sweden, Norway, and the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jerry M. Melillo
Summary: Human disruptions to the global nitrogen cycle, primarily from food and energy production, have led to various health and environmental issues. The International Nitrogen Initiative has played a crucial role in informing global nitrogen management policies, but gaps and opportunities in nitrogen pollution policies still exist. Interdisciplinary science is needed to address the nitrogen management challenge in the broader context of other environmental challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Niki Frantzeskaki, Timon McPhearson, Nadja Kabisch
Summary: Urban sustainability research requires systemic solutions and a relational perspective to promote the sustainable development of cities in the social-ecological context.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jonathan W. Martin
Summary: Looking back on classic literature from 50 years ago reminds us of the crucial role of environmental chemistry and the irreversible damage caused by global pollutants. Despite advancements in policies and research, reversing pollution remains a significant challenge.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Maria Tengo, Erik Andersson
Summary: The article discusses the transformation of scientific insights into practice and the evolving views of sustainability science on actors, pathways for impacts, and roles of research and researchers in promoting sustainability transformations.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Erik Bonsdorff
Summary: Eutrophication, caused by excessive nutrients from agricultural lands and wastewater sources, has been a topic of debate for the past five decades. The use of nitrogen and phosphorus in excess, particularly after World War II, has had significant impacts on aquatic environments. This Perspective discusses four seminal papers on eutrophication in relation to current knowledge and future outlooks, emphasizing the need for science-based holistic ecosystem-level policies and management options in the context of global climate change.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ariane de Bremond
Summary: This perspective acknowledges the important contributions of Sombroek et al., Turner et al., and Brussaard et al. to laying the groundwork for a global change research agenda, as well as promoting interdisciplinary efforts to understand the human driving forces of change. Land system science emerges as an interdiscipline that aims to better understand land systems as a meeting ground for various claims on land, and to support pathways to sustainability for both people and nature.