Global Land Project - Future Earth

The third Open Science Meeting of the Global Land Project (GLP 3rd OSM 2016), was held last week at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. The conference, aimed at bringing together the Land System Science community to present, discuss and foster progress towards a sustainable land use future, included the presentation of a working paper (with a UGA anthropology faculty contributor) on lessons learned on biofuel sustainability to date – and from these lessons they distill a set of sine qua nons for sustainable biofuel governance. From the paper's abstract:

Biofuels have been promoted worldwide under the assumption that they can support several transformative yet unresolved policy goals, such as transitioning towards a more secure and climate-friendly energy system, while delivering other co-benefits to workers and rural communities. Drawing on the best published evidence to date on performance, a set of companion papers. question many of the assumptions commonly attributed to biofuels: their carbon neutrality, their positive effect on rural livelihoods, and (in cases of under-performance) policymakers’ ability to effectively govern for sustainability. This paper takes these findings as its starting point and asks, “What next?” for countries wishing to advance national biofuel programmes as one of several options for the necessary divestment from fossil fuels. Deriving recommendations for national biofuel programmes based on past performance is no easy task. 

We should say not, but there is no choice but to continue on woking on these highly complex systems issues that require a diversity of expertise to match the commitments of these researchers. In that regard, Future Earth is a critical international research platform:

Launched in 2015, Future Earth is a 10-year initiative to advance Global Sustainability Science, build capacity in this rapidly expanding area of research and provide an international research agenda to guide natural and social scientists working around the world. But it is also a platform for international engagement to ensure that knowledge is generated in partnership with society and users of science.

Our congratulations and thanks to associate professor Laura German for her contributions to this intiative. Finding solutions and continuing to promote and educate on the surrounding issues (and even The Issue itself) is our challenge. Great progress has been achieved despite the persistence of tremendous obstacles. Climate-friendly energy systems, their design and utilization, plus the impact of sustainable living on our built environment will have some impact on practically every student now on campus. We celebrate in advance the many great careers that will also move us in positive directions.

Image, via.