Earth and Society Initiative

Projects

The Earth and Society Initiative is currently supporting 6 interdisciplinary teams of researchers.

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Illinois Program on Nutrient Dynamics

Nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and calcium are essential parts of the global food web supporting human societies and ecological communities. Human influences on nutrient cycling often involve complex social and biophysical interactions, which include undesirable environmental consequences, such as water pollution, global climate change, and loss of biodiversity. more...

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Emerging Infectious Disease & Ecosystem Health

http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ecohealth
The Earth and Society Initiative in Disease Emergence and Ecosystem Health coordinates research, education, and outreach activities of a diverse assemblage of University of Illinois centers, programs, laboratories and individuals whose interests converge at the interface of emerging infectious diseases, anthropogenic environmental change, and biodiversity conservation. more...

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From Field to Farm Programs; Potential of Organic Agriculture to Contribute to Healthy Landscapes

Midwest agriculture is coping with changing markets, environmental challenges, and increasing public demand for healthy food and a safe environment.  The pace of change presents a challenge for educators and researches who need to anticipate trends and client needs well in advance of their manifestation. more...

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Towards Energy Security and Sustainability: Renewable Energy and Land Use in Illinois

The challenge for future energy policy is to achieve a sustainable transition towards energy security with reduced vulnerability of energy supply to risks of future disruptions, disasters and conflicts in the energy sector. Growing concern about climate change and energy security has led to increasing interest in developing domestically available renewable energy sources for meeting the electricity, heating and fuel needs in the United States. more...

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Institute for Sustainability of Intensively Managed Landscapes

Intensively managed landscapes (IMLs) refer to extensive modification of the land for agriculture and urban use. While serving as a cradle for economic prosperity of our society, IMLs are also responsible for the unintended deterioration of our environment from the alteration of natural vegetation, modification of rivers for navigation, increased loading of fertilizers and chemicals in water bodies, decline of ground water levels, reclamation of land using levees, etc. more...

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Megacatastrophes and Creeping-megacatastrophes:
Science, Policy, and Human Behavior—Research at Interfaces Critical for a Sustainable Future

Participants in this program conduct research on how the interfaces of science, policy, and human behavior can be optimized to help us attain a sustainable way of living on this planet.  They are studying how preparation for, and response to, “megacatastrophes”, can give us ways to prepare for “creeping-megacatastrophes”. more...