Understanding and Solving Environmental Problems in the 21st Century. Toward a new, integrated hard problem science

326 Pages·4.935 MB·English

by  Robert Costanza and Sven Erik Jørgensen (Eds.)

Preface
This book is intended to serve a number of purposes and audiences, including:
(1) to act as a "state of the art" assessment of integrated environmental science
and its relation to real world problem solving, aimed at the academic
community, and
(2) to act as a sourcebook for managers, policy makers, and the informed public
on both the state of the science and the state of consensus among scientists
on key environmental issues.
Background and process
This book is a product of the 2nd EcoSummit, held in Halifax, Nova Scotia,
June 18-22,2000. The aim of the EcoSummit was to encourage integration of both
the natural and social sciences with the policy and decisionmaking community,
for the purpose of developing a deeper understanding of complex environmental
problems. This understanding is a necessary basis for sustainable solutions to
environmental problems.
The EcoSummit centered around the following six themes:
(1) Integrated modeling and assessment.
(2) Complex, adaptive, hierarchical systems.
(3) Ecosystem services.
(4) Science and decisionmaking.
(5) Ecosystem health and human health.
(6) Quality of life and the distribution of wealth and resources.
These themes were seen as necessary in order to reach the goal of understanding
and solving environmental problems in the 21st century. Each theme agenda was
developed in advance of the summit, and a working group on each of the six
themes was held during the course of the summit.
The structure and process of the EcoSummit was different than most scientific
meetings. It was a "summit" in that all delegates actively participated in one
or more working groups charged with developing the chapters in this book.
A plenary session was held the first morning where each theme chair presented
a background talk and posed the key questions that formed the basis of the
working group agendas. On each subsequent day there was another plenary
vi Preface
session, at which the rapporteurs summarized their working group's progress and
outcomes.
This book is an attempt to capture the "consensus" of the meeting. Consensus
in this context is taken to mean the "sense of the meeting". Every individual at the
meeting will probably not agree with every word in the following pages, but the
vast majority will agree with the vast majority of what is said. In that sense, this
book represents (to a fair approximation) the collective view of the participants,
rather than the individual view of any one or small group of the participants.
Acknowledgements
We are indebted to the staff at Elsevier Science publishers, who played a central
role in organizing and funding the EcoSummit. Mary Malin was the main
conference organizer, aided by Julie Ingram and Gerald Dorey. We would also
like to thank the other members of the organizing committee of the EcoSummit
(William Mitsch, Johannes Heeb, Tony Jakeman, Anthony King, Mohi Munawar,
David Rapport, and Mark Schwartz) and all of the presenters and participants
(see the Participant List, p. vii). Finally, a special thanks to Amanda Walker, who
did the technical editing on the manuscript, helped cajole authors to send in their
revisions, and contributed in innumerable ways in the process of taking the book
from first drafts to final publication.
Robert Costanza
and
Sven Erik Jorgensen
EcoSummit Participant List
Work Group: Integrated Assessment and Modeling
Put O. Ang Jr., Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
China
Rob M. Argent, Centre for Environmental Applied Hydrology, University of
Melbourne, Australia
David Barker, Geostructures Consulting, United Kingdom
M. Bruce Beck, Warnell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, USA
Shui Bin, Department of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University, USA
Heather Breeze, Gorsebrook Research Institute, Saint Mary's University, Canada
Tony Charles, Management Science/Environmental Science, Saint Mary's
University, Canada
Peter Deadman, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo,
Canada
Ingrid S. Eriksson, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Swedish University of
Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden
Chris Fletcher, Gorsebrook Research Institute, Saint Mary's University, Canada
Anthony Friend, School of Community and Regional Planning, Canada
Philippe Girardin, INRA, Equipe Agriculture et Environment, France
Matt Hare, Swiss Federal Institute of Environmental Science & Technology,
Switzerland
Graham Harris, CSIRO Land and Water, Canberra, Australia
Ralf Hoch, University of Kassel, Germany
Tony Jakeman, Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, The Australian
National University, Australia
Marco Janssen, Free University, The Netherlands
Elias Kautsky, Institute of Environmental Science and Technology, Yokohama
National University, Japan
Ulrik Kautsky, Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Sweden
Linda Kumblad, Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, Sweden
Guy Larocque, Natural Resources Canada, Canada
viii EcoSummit Participant List
Rebecca Letcher, Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, The Australian
National University, Australia
Kevin Lim, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada
Silvia Maltagliati, Department of Energetics " Sergio Stecco", University of
Florence, Italy
Lubos Matejicek, Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University, Czech
Republic
David Mauriello, US Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Tom Maxwell, University of Maryland, USA (as of September 2002:
Gund Institute of Ecological Economics, The University of Vermont,
Burlington, VT)
Shailendra Mudgal, INERIS, France
Bjorn Naeslund, Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, Sweden
Watam Naito, Yokohama National University, Japan
Naoki Nakatani, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan
Dapo Odulaja, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Kenya
Rannveig Olafsdottir, Department of Physical Geography, Lund University,
Sweden
Femi Osidele, Wamell School of Forest Resources, University of Georgia, USA
Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Swiss Federal Institute of Environmental Science &
Technology, Switzerland
Richard Park, Eco Modeling, USA
Paul Parker, Faculty of Environmental Studies, University of Waterloo, Canada
Dominique Pelletier, Laboratoire MAERHA, IFREMER, France
Jim Reilly, New Jersey Office of State Planning, USA
Andrea Rizzoli, Instituto Dalle Molle di Studi sullTntelligenza Artificiale
(IDSIA), Switzerland
Michelle Scoccimarro, Integrated Catchment Assessment and Management
Centre, The Australian National University, Australia
Michael Sonnenshein, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Paul Sullivan, Department of Applied Mathematics, The University of Western
Ontario, Canada
Parviz Tarikhi, Iranian Remote Sensing Center, Iran
Alexey Voinov, Institute for Ecological Economics, Center for Environmental
Science, University of Maryland, USA (as of September 2002: Gund Institute
of Ecological Economics, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT)
Work Group: Complex Adaptive Hierarchical Systems
Simone Bastianoni, University of Siena, Siena, Italy,
Stuart R. Borrett, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
EcoSummit Participant List ix
Sherry Brandt-Williams, FEDP Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve, Naples, FL, USA
Jae S. Choi, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Marko Debeljak, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Brian D. Path, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Julio Fonseca, Institute for Marine Research, Coimbra University, Coimbra,
Portugal
William E. Grant, Ecological Systems Laboratory, Department of Wildlife and
Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Dwikorita Karnawati, Gadjah Mada University, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta,
Indonesia
Joao C. Marques, Institute for Marine Research, Coimbra University, Coimbra,
Portugal
Anton Moser, Institute Of Biotechnology, Graz University Of Technology, Graz,
Austria
Felix Miiller, Ecology Center, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Claudia Pahl-Wostl, EAWAG, Ueberlandstr., Duebendorf, Switzerland
Bernard C. Patten, Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
Ralf Seppelt, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
Wolf H. Steinbom, Okologie-Zentrum der Universitat Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Yuri M. Svirezhev, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Potsdam,
Germany
Work Group: Ecosystem Services
Marie Adamsson, Goteborg University, Department of Applied Environmental
Science, Goteborg
David Barker, Geostructures Consultant, Model Farm, Crockham Hill,
Edenbridge, Kent, UK
Anja Briill, Berlin, Germany
Belinda Campbell, Department of Biological Engineering, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Andrew Dakers, Natural Resources Engineering Consultancy and Part-time
Lecturer, Environmental Management and Design Division, Lincoln
University, New Zealand
Stefan Gossling, Lund, Sweden
Bjom Guterstam, Global Water Partnership, Stockholm, Sweden
Bill Hart, Centre for Resources Studies, Daltech-Dalhousie University, Halifax,
Nova Scotia, Canada
Johannes Heeb, International Ecological Engineering Society, Wolhusen,
Switzerland
Steven Loiselle, University of Siena, Italy
X EcoSummit Participant List
Ulo Mander, Institute of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
Donata Melaku Canu, CNR-ISDGM, Venice, Italy
Ralf Roggenbauer, Leitha, Austria
Michel Roux, Swiss Federal Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
George D. Santopietro, Department of Economics, Radford University, VA, USA
Deidre Stuart, School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of
Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Mary Trudeau, Ontario, Canada
Hein D. van Bohemen, Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water
Management, Delft, Netherlands
Alan Werker, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Waterloo, Ontario,
Canada
Work Group: Science and Decisionmaking
Jim Berkson, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
Rebekah Blok, Martec Limited, Canada
Mark Borsuk, Duke University, USA
Valerie Brown, Faculty of Environmental Management & Agriculture, University
of Western Sydney, Australia
Randall Bruins, US Environmental Protection Agency, USA
Kevin Cover, City of Ottawa, Canada
Virginia Dale, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
USA
Jodi Dew, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, USA
Carl Etnier, Agricultural University of Norway, Norway
Lucia Fanning, Dalhousie University, Canada
Francisca Felix, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Mohd. Nordin Hasan, Institute for Environment and Development, University
of Kebangsaan, Malaysia
Huasheng Hong, Xiamen University, China
A.W King, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
USA
Norbert Krauchi, Forest Ecosystems and Ecological Risks Division, Swiss Federal
Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Switzerland
Wolfram Krewitt, System Analysis and Technology Assessment, Institute of
Technical Thermodynamics, Stuttgart, Germany
Ken Lubinsky, US Geological Survey, USA
John Olson, Villanova University, USA
Janina Onigkeit, University of Kassel, Germany
Gary Patterson, Nova Scotia, Canada
EcoSummit Participant List x
Irene Peters, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and
Technology (EAWAG), Switzerland
K. S. Raj an, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
Peter Reichert, Department of Systems Analysis, Integrated Assessment and
Modelling (SIAM), Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and
Technology (EAWAG), Switzerland
Edward J. Rykiel Jr., Washington State University, USA
Mark Schwartz, University of California, Davis, USA
Kamala Sharma, University of Sydney, Australia
Jason Shogren, University of Wyoming, USA
Val Smith, University of Kansas, USA
Michael Sonnenschein, University of Oldenburg, Germany
Robert St-Louis, Environment Canada, Canada
Deidre Stuart, School of Natural Resource Sciences, Queensland University of
Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Ray Supalla, University of Nebraska, USA
Diederik van der Molen, RIZA, The Netherlands
Henk van Latesteijn, Scientific Council for Government Policy, The Netherlands
Work Group: Quality of Life and the Distribution of
Wealth and Resources
Joshua Farley, University of Maryland Institute for Ecological Economics,
Solomons, MD, USA (as of September 2002: Gund Institute of Ecological
Economics, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT)
Robert Costanza, University of Maryland Institute for Ecological Economics,
Solomons, MD, USA (as of September 2002: Gund Institute of Ecological
Economics, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT)
Paul Templet, Institute for Environmental Studies, Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Michael Corson, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
Philippe Crabbe, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
Ricardo Esquivel, Colonia Mexico, Merida 97128, Yucatan, Mexico
Koyu Furusawa, Kokugakuin University, Faculty of Economics, Tokyo, Japan
William Fyfe, University of Western Ontario, Department of Earth Sciences,
London, Ontario
Orie Loucks, Miami University, OH, USA
Kelly MacDonald, Environment Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Loma MacPhee, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Chris Miller, Brenau University, Gainesville, GA, USA
Patricia O'Brien, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
Gary Patterson, Agriculture Canada, Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada
xii EcoSummit Participant List
Jaques Ribemboim, Department of Agriculture, Director, State of Pernambuco,
Recife, PE, Brazil
Lynne Scott, School of Mathematics, University of Southern Australia, Mawson
Lakes, Australia
Helena Urbano, Av. Boa Viagem 328, Recife, PE, Brazil
Sara J. Wilson, GPI Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Work Group: Ecosystem Health and Human Health
Put O. Ang Jr., Department of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
China
Dave Cote, Terra Nova National Park, Canada
Le Dien Due, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Job S. Ebenezer, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago, USA
Dean Fairbanks, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Bob Ford, Fredrick Community College, USA
Rob Gordon, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Canada
Yang Guang, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Canada
Judith Guernsey, Dalhousie University, NS, Canada
Abduel Hadi Harman Shaa, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia
Andrew Hamilton, Commission for Environmental Cooperation, Canada
William Hart, DalTech, Dalhousie University, Canada
Huasheng Hong, Xiamen University, China
Jennifer Hounsell, International Society for Ecosystem Health, Canada
John Howard, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
Banquin Huang, Xiamen University, China
Yanhe Huang, Fujian Agricultural University, China
Dwikorita Karnawati, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
Robert Lannigan, The University of Western Ontario, Canada
Sharon Lawrence, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, Gaia
Project, Canada
Yan Liu, Xiamen University, China
Diane Malley, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, Canada
Leanne McLean, Dalhousie University, Canada
Robert McMurtry, Health Canada and The University of Western Ontario,
Canada
Vincent Mercier, Environment Canada, Canada
Naoki Mori, University of Tokyo, Japan
Mohi Munawar, Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society, and
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Mary Ann Naragdao, University of the Phillipines, Phillipines, and Dalhousie
University, Canada
EcoSummit Participant List xiii
Katsuo Okamoto, National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan
Daniel Rainham, Dalhousie University, Canada
DJ. Rapport, University of Guelph, College Faculty of Environmental Design
and Rural Development, Guelph, ON, Canada, and The University of Western
Ontario, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, London, ON, Canada
Dieter Riedel, Health Canada
Elizabeth Rodriguez, Parque Nacional Mirador del Norte, Dominican Republic
Meenu Saraf, Gujarat University, India
Helene Savard, Sir Sandford Fleming College, Canada
Paul Schaberg, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station,
Burlington, VT, USA
Neil Scott, University of New Brunswick-Saint John, Canada
Annabelle Singleton, Saint Mary's University, Canada
Risa Smith, British Columbia Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks, Canada
Harold Taylor, The International Coalition for Land & Water Stewardship in the
Red River Basin, Canada
Nguyen Thi Hoang Lien, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam
Liette Vasseur, University of Moncton, Canada
Shihe Xing, Fujian Agriculture University, China
Hoang Xuan Co, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam
Introduction: Understanding and Solving
Environmental Problems in the 21st Century:
Toward a new, integrated "hard problem science"
R. Costanza and S.E. Jorgensen
Existing social, economic, and political institutions, as well as academic disci
plines, evolved at a time when natural resources and ecological services were
vast relative to the human presence, and human impacts were relatively small
and local in comparison. We have now moved from this relatively "empty world"
to a world that is relatively full (Daly, 1992). In this new "frill world", human
impacts are more global and far-reaching, and the emphasis must shifr from
addressing problems in isolation to studying whole complex systems and the
dynamic interactions between the parts. Complex systems are characterized by
non-linearities, autocatalysis, complex, time delayed feedback loops, emergent
phenomena, and chaotic behavior (Costanza et al., 1993; Kauffman, 1993;
Patten and Jorgensen, 1995; Jorgensen, 1995). This means that the whole
is significantly different from the simple sum of the parts, and scaling (the
transfer of understanding across spatial, temporal, and complexity scales) is a
core problem. Incorporating both biophysical and social dynamics makes these
problems "wickedly complex" and difficult. They are impossible to address from
within the confines of any single discipline.
To address these substantial challenges, we need to develop a new integra
tive approach to science, education, policy, and management that transcends
existing disciplinary and other boundaries. We coined the term "hard problem
science" (HPS) to refer to this new approach. It implies the following set of
characteristics:
• Consilience among all the sciences: A balanced and pluralistic kind of "leaping
together", in which the natural and social sciences and the humanities all
contribute equitably, is needed. HPS needs to be truly transdisciplinary and
multiscale, rather than either reductionist or holistic. One's discipline will be
noted much as one's place of birth is noted today - where one started on life's
journey, but not what totally defines one's life.
Understanding and Solving Environmental Problems in the 21st Century
Edited by R. Costanza and S.E. Jorgensen
© 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved