A NETWORK OF NETWORKS FOR SUSTAINABILE SCIENCE: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THE UNIVERSITIES

1. A NETWORK OF NETWORKS FOR SUSTAINABILE SCIENCE: A NEW CHALLENGE FOR THE UNIVERSITIES By Stefano Grego UniversitàdellaTuscia, Viterbo, Italy

2. Sustainability is a modification of society comparable to Agricultural Revolution in late Neolithic Industrial Revolution (US EPA)

3. The need for sustainable development initiatives to mobilize appropriate science and technology has long been recognized. Early research on sustainable yield management of renewable resources provided the foundation for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's important World Conservation Strategy, published in 1980. The case for making appropriate research and development (R&D) an integral component of sustainable development strategies was broadened by a number of international scientific organizations during the mid-1980s, promoted by the Brundtland Commission's report Our Common Future in 1987, and defended in the Agenda 21 action plan that emerged from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992.

4. From conservation regardless the human purpose to sustainable development linking for the first time the environment to development The report carefully defined sustainable development as ‘‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’

5. Sustainable development: • "Many people describe the elements of sustainable development a the “the three E": • Environment, • Equity • Economics. • It is evident that the three E have as central theme the relation between man and the environment. To rise the perfect equilibrium between these elements is probably the most challenging goal that the global society has at present. It will be more important in the future because the growth of the world population and the international economy.

6. Accordingtopanelists at a recent EPA sponsored Forum (2006), sustainabilityrequires the simultaneous promotion ofequitableeconomicgrowth, environmentalprotection, and equity (social well-being)

7. KOFI ANAN (2001) “Only by understanding the environment and how it works, can we make the necessary decisions to protect it. Only by valuing all our precious natural and human resources, can we hope to build a sustainable future. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is an unprecedented contribution to our global mission for development, sustainability, and peace.” • In other words sustainability is achieved only when there is full reconciliation between • economic development; • meeting, on an equitable basis, growing and changing human needs and aspirations; and • conserving limited natural resources and the capacity of the environment to absorb the multiple stresses that are a consequence of human activities (Hay and Mimura 2006).

8. To leave an healthy environment to our future generations we need to consider three aspects: 1. The scientific knowledge to understand 2. The economic conditions to perform the changes 3. The political mechanisms to obtain the wanted changes what Is occurring to our environment? why It is occurring? how Improving, prevent or modify the non-sustainable changes?

10. At the internationallevel, the Johannesburg Summit, building on the UnitedNationsMillenniumDeclaration, hasdefinedthesepriorities in termsof the so-called “WEHAB” targetsfor • water, • energy, • health, • agriculture, and • biodiversity

12. Sustainability in agriculture is related to: Climate change Biodiversity Soil quality

14. Aumento emissioni gas serra

15. The change of land use is regarding the modification of vegetable cover and then the alteration of carbon reserves From secondary forest to agriculture From pasture to agriculture Variazioni delle riserve di C (%) in funzione del cambiamento di uso del suolo. (Guo & Gifford, 2002)

16. Carbon Sequestration Rates of Selected Agricultural Conservation Practices(Pounds of Carbon per Acre per Year)

17. Biodiversity

20. Agriculture is a non sustainable human activity

21. For 1 kcal production are necessary 12-13 kcal

22. For 1 kcal production are necessary 3 kcal

23. Is it a matter of development or rational use of environment?

24. Harmonize the human developmentwith environmentdevelopment

25. What it is the SustainableScience? Basic or Applied? Multidisciplinary? Interdisciplinary? Transdisciplinary?

26. Multidisciplinary Agriculture Energy Foresty Rural sociology Sustainable science promotes science in each field Ecological economy Business Fishery Water Agriculture Energy Foresty Rural sociology Interdisciplinary Ecological economy Sustainable science conducts interdisciplany research Business Fishery Water

27. Agriculture Energy Forestry Rural sociology Ecological economy Sustainable science (core) Business Fishery Water Transdisciplinary Sustainable science is a distinct discipline engaged in a transdisciplinary effort arching over existing disciplines

28. University Research Education Education is a key instrument for bringing about changes in knowledge, values, behaviours and lifestyles required to achieve sustainability.

29. Contributionsfromacademia are vitalto tackle challengesof the global environmentalproblemssuchasclimatechange, which are relatedto the continuedexistenceofallhumanity • At G8 University Summit in Sapporo in July 2008 internationalcontributionsrepresentingacademiadecided • toachieve the sustainabilityof the global, social and humansystems and theirmutualrelationship and • topromoteeducationforsustainabledevelopment and constructionofaninternational networkthroughcooperationamonguniversities.

30. KNOWLEDGE NEEDS RESEARCH RESULTS

31. Sustainability science is not yet an autonomous field or discipline Its scope of core questions, criteria for quality control, and membership are consequently in substantial flux and may be expected to remain so for some time. Nonetheless, something different is surely “in the air,” something that is intellectually exciting, practically compelling, and might as well be called “sustainability science.”

32. North South practice research training naturalsciences medicine social sciences engineering global local Sustainability Science Vibrant arena

33. The central point of Sustainable Science of is to understand how “the World System” works and how is responding to perturbations.

34. The World System means living and non living components present in the atmosphere, oceans, waters and lands. Moreover we have to include the immaterial aspects as culture, costumes, languages, and all the typical aspect of complex communities.

35. CIRPS Interuniversity Center for Sustainable Development, Italy, networking 10 Italian Universities • Network for Science and Technology for Sustainability, which is supported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), • the United Nations University (UNU) Institute for Sustainability and Peace, • the IR3S of University of Tokyo and its Joint Initiative for Sustainability with UNU, • the CHANS-Net (International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems) sponsored by the US National Science Foundation, • the UNU Program of Education for Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA), • the Kyoto Science and Technology Forum for Society and the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS),

36. Representatives of major universities and research organizations worldwide met at the University of Tokyo February 5 – 7, 2009 to foster a deeper understanding of diverse academic approaches to sustainability science and to discuss how to design a framework for integrating, structuring and deploying knowledge generated on and through the practice of sustainability science. • At the conclusion of the conference, participants issued the following statement • Effective action is urgently needed to address the serious sustainability challenges the world faces today at all levels: global, regional, national, and local. • In order to ensure that sustainability science results in meaningful action, networks that transcend disciplinary, cultural, geographical, and societal barriers are crucial. Interactions between scientists across many disciplines as well as between scientists and all sectors of society are essential. While such networks exist at regional and global levels, they tend to be centered in developed countries, to be limited in both scope and participation, and to lack communication and coordination between them.

37. A network of sustainability networks can help to overcome these barriers to effectiveness and speed the translation of the newly generated knowledge to appropriate action. In the conclusion the Meeting recommend the creationof a “Network of Networks” (NNs) for sustainability scienceto facilitate effectivenessthrough the promotion of: • The identificationofcomplementarities so asto reduce duplicationofeffort and toenhancesynergies • Cultural and geographicaldiversity in network participation • Greater participationofdevelopingcountries • The engagementofindustry and otherstakeholdersfrombothdeveloped and developingcountries in the framing and executionofresearchagendas • Increasedparticipationofstudents, particularlystudentsfromdevelopingcountries

38. Wewillnever solve ourproblems using the samekindofthinking thatcausedthem in the first place Albert Einstein

39. MULTUMESC