Tales from Planet Earth (Nov 1-3)

Tales from Planet Earth is a film festival featuring environmental films from around the world. From the fanciful to the profound, the films selected should engage audiences in thoughtful discussion of environmental issues and the use of film media to capture and to examine those issues.  Attending the festival will be many of the film-makers themselves with whom to discuss their work.

The festival is a public outreach event from the Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE) and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

All festival events are free and open to the public as space/seating accommodates.  The opening roundtable, moderated by Professor Gregg Mitman, will feature Ruth Ozeki, Alex Rivera, Marie-Hélène Cousineau, and Zach Kunuk in a conversation examining questions of time and culture in the age of the Anthropocene (marking the unprecedented scale of human impact upon the planet).

View film schedule, thematic list; speaker schedule, and ways to connect (Facebook, Twitter).

First Robin of Spring?

In the depths of winter, many of us will eagerly seek any indication that spring will arrive, to note the promise of seasonal change.  Others will record that change systematically to inform our understanding of this planet and its climate.  And, while my grandmother once maintained an annual desk diary of her observations, and would solicit my own, our online networks facilitate greater collaboration, locally and nationally. 

Discover your inner phenologist with the following sites.  Find inspiration from the Arboretum’s Naturalist’s Notes and the Cooperative Extension’s Wildlife Phenology Calendar (available from the Learning Store).

And, do consult with your Steenbock librarians for assistance using the library catalog to find books and more from our collections. 

Project Budburst

USA National Phenology Network

Wisconsin Phenological Society

Celebrating Forests for People

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests. This effort is intended to raise awareness and to recognize and celebrate people’s efforts to conserve and sustainably manage all types of forests.

Visit the site to read the UN Resolution and to access information regarding news and events. Additionally, consult the FAO Forestry site for links to data, maps and discussion regarding global forestry issues.

For your research needs and local library support, visit the campus libraries’ Research Guide to Forestry.

Climate Change is Global Forum (Sept 18-19)

The Holtz Center for Science & Technology Studies, in collaboration with the Nelson Institute, will host a free public forum at the Pyle Center on global climate change—what can and should be done.

The forum will begin on Thursday evening (September 18) at 7:00 PM with a panel presentation addressing such issues as carbon trading, food supply and public policy issues.

Friday evening (September 19, also at 7:00 PM) will feature a keynote lecture from climatologist Stephen H. Schneider on “Global Warming: Is the Science Settled Enough for Policy?” A reception will follow the keynote.

Homeland Security Digital Library

Agroterrorism, Climate Change, Energy, Pandemic & Avian Influenza, and Security, Food & Fuel, are among the Featured Topics in the full text Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL). (The link to Featured Topics is found in the Highlights box to the right on the opening page).

The HSDL collection provides quick access to some 57,000 important U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy documents as well as specialized resources, such as theses and reports, developed by various universities, organizations and local and state agencies.

To access this resource, visit the UW Libraries home page and select the E-Resource Gateway.
Enter "Homeland Security" in the Find Resources by Name search box.
Click on the title, Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) to launch the resource.
Click Featured Topics to browse by the subjects listed above or search the collection (a search of the general collection on the term “biofuels” nets 297 full text reports!)

With thanks to librarian, Barbara L, for this blog post.

World Food Situation (FAO)

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) offers the latest information (news, reports and statistics) on food commodity prices, supply, demand, and factors—such as climate change—that affect the market and food security.

Visit the World Food Situation portal.

No Place Like Earth!

Earth Day--a significant grassroots movement to raise awareness of the state of the environment--was first observed in the spring of 1970.

While April 22 now serves as a focal date for celebration and consciousness-raising, the lessons and spirit of Earth Day ideally generate everyday efforts to practice Earth-friendly stewardship.

Explore events worldwide!

Read Gaylord Nelson’s accounting of the first Earth Day efforts.

Explore Science Reference Guides and Earth Day-related materials from the Library of Congress

Green Week

Going green and need some inspiration? Check out the list of speakers and discussion forums, activities and campus service projects during Green Week, April 11-22.

There will be events every day; some selected ones include:

Monday, April 14

Clean Car Show and Fair-trade Coffee and Chocolate Tasting
(11:00AM - 4:00PM)
Library Mall

It's Not Easy Being Green: The Role of Narrative and Myth in Ecological Economics with speaker, Professor Timothy F.H. Allen
(beginning at 6:00 PM)
180 Science Hall

Conscious Consumerism Discussions
(three during the week with first meeting at 4:00-5:00PM)
Memorial Union, Lakefront on Langdon

Wednesday, April 16

Wisconsin’s Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth tailored to Wisconsin-specific environmental issues
(5:00-6:30PM)
Room 1A, Gordon Commons

Saturday, April 19

Environmental Justice Mini Conference
(noon-5:00PM)
Grainger Hall

Sunday, April 20

Earth Festival
Music, performances and information tables
(9:00AM – 5:00 PM)
Library Mall

Film Screening of The 11th Hour
Film explores how humanity impacts the earth's ecosystems and what can be done to change a destructive course. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.
(2:00 PM)
Memorial Union, Play Circle Theater

Lights Out!

Imagine what would happen if we all did it at the same time?! By participating in Earth Hour and putting out the lights for an hour, we can reflect upon the more apparent stars in the sky and some methods for how we may reduce our energy toll.

Earth Hour, as observed in the US, will happen on March 29, 8:00PM local time.

More than just an hour--suggestions for reducing your energy consumption.

And, of related interest:

Take Action List, from StopGlobalWarming.org

World Water Day, March 20

The United Nations, today, celebrates World Water Day with a focus upon issues of sanitation. In accordance with that focus, the Water Day site supplies links to photos, videos and factsheets regarding sanitation essentials and efforts by UN organizations to supply support and remediation.

Additionally, the UN Water site supplies links to reports and news about water scarcity, water quality, statistics and water policies. According to this site, “it is estimated that 88% of the global burden of disease is attributable to unsafe water supply, lack of sanitation and hygiene and is mostly concentrated on children in developing countries. Every day, this contributes to the deaths of 5,000 children from largely preventable causes, including diarrhoeal diseases and parasites.”

Additional links:

International Year of Sanitation

Water Resources Institute, University of Wisconsin

Databases for finding research literature on hydrology, sanitation and water resources (please consult with your librarian for other recommendations):

Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management

Geobase

Water Resources Abstracts

Sustaining Wisconsin's Environment and Economy (Conference)

Registration is now open for the second annual Nelson Institute Earth Day Conference, Sustaining Wisconsin’s Environment & Economy: Responding to Climate Change.

The conference, to be held April 16 at the Monona Terrace, will explore the potential impacts of climate change on Wisconsin and strategies that may be required in order to protect its health, natural resources and economy.

Browse conference program

Read speaker bios

Paradise Lost? An Art Exhibit

An environmental art exhibit, Paradise Lost: Climate Change in the North Woods is on display at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. The exhibit, which features paintings, quilting, sculptures, mixed media, essays, and music, is a joint project of the UW-Madison Center for Biology Education, the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and Olbrich Botanical Gardens.

The scientific information presented explores how Wisconsin’s north woods may be affected by global warming and how the public can take action to minimize its degradation.

Paradise Lost: Climate Change in the North Woods is free and open to the public from January 12 to February 8, (10:00 AM until 4:00 PM).