Succinct Science—Audio Interviews from SESYNC

On this episode of Succinct Science, SESYNC's Erin Duffy has a conversation with Dr. Lori Peek, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, about questions, such as:

• How "natural" are natural disasters? 

• What are the dimensions of "risk" that combine to form disasters? 

• What is sociology and how can it be integrated with other disciplines such as engineering to ...

From more intense wildfires and hurricanes to displacement and increased vulnerability to and from poverty—some effects of climate change are already here. And while there is still much to be done to heal our earth, a poignant question arises: How do we adapt to the atmospheric shifts that are irreversible? How do we make strategic plans for the future amid cascading uncertainties and mounting risks? Can we co-evolve solutions that...

Did you know that most of the land in the United States is privately owned? Approximately 60% of it, in fact. Therefore, how this land is managed has vast implications for the overall health of our environment—including our air and water. But, who makes a majority of those decisions and how do they go about doing it? 

In this episode, Dr. Robyn Wilson and Dr. Rebecca Epanchin-Niell discuss their teams’ efforts to model private land...

The issue of climate change is both existential and urgent. Climate activists around the world continue to call for systemic changes from governments, green technology investments from industries, and sometimes even scientific acceptance from individuals. But that begs some questions, what if we did change our behaviors?  What if we as individuals, conglomerates, and perhaps most importantly, political governing bodies, headed our ...

The issue of climate change is both existential and urgent. Climate activists around the world continue to call for systemic changes from governments, green technology investments from industries, and sometimes even scientific acceptance from individuals. But that begs some questions, what if we did change our behaviors?  What if we as individuals, conglomerates, and perhaps most importantly, political governing bodies, headed...

Protecting habitats is essential to the preservation of species and as such, conservationists stress the importance of not only maintaining, but expanding, what are known as protected areas. However, at the same time, there is an increasing demand for food production. As cropland is responsible for widespread habitat loss, this presents an increasingly urgent issue, especially in areas with both high biodiversity and high food inse...

Breath. It gives us life. From the moment we enter the world and throughout our days we take in the air around us. But for some of us taking each breath is not always easy. Asthma affects approximately one in eight individuals in the United States and has effects ranging from minor inconveniences to loss of school time for children or even loss of life. But, in order to ameliorate this problem, a better understanding of what causes...

Food. We all need it, and most of us love it. It keeps our bodies moving, sometimes encourages us to learn new skills, and brings us together. But what about the food that goes uneaten? Well, there is hardly a person today who is not aware to some extent that food waste, especially in the United States, is a problem. But here at SESYNC, we are focused on finding solutions—solutions to complex environmental problems—and food waste i...