Colleague Dawn Wright brought this recent NAS publication to my attention: Understanding the Changing Planet: Strategic Directions for the Geographical Sciences. She served on the committee that authored the report, directs our department's excellent geography program (G and UG), and is our GIS guru.
Here is the blurb:
From the oceans to continental heartlands, human activities have altered the physical characteristics of Earth's surface. With Earth's population projected to peak at 8 to 12 billion people by 2050 and the additional stress of climate change, it is more important than ever to understand how and where these changes are happening. Innovation in the geographical sciences has the potential to advance knowledge of place-based environmental change, sustainability, and the impacts of a rapidly changing economy and society.
Understanding the Changing Planet outlines eleven strategic directions to focus research and leverage new technologies to harness the potential that the geographical sciences offer.
If you click on the link you can order a pre-publication copy, a final publication copy, or read it free online. Want a brief version? Here you go:
Download Strategic_directions_report_brief_final
Access the news release.
[Mea culpa alert!] I used to disparage geography till I met some hydrologists and geomorphologists who referred to themselves as (physical) geographers. I then started working with some top-flight geographers. I now appreciate all that geography encompasses - not just stuff like "Where is flax grown?" Think: Natural resources. Climate change. Land use. Demographics. Sustainability. Streamflow. Land-atmosphere interactions. More. Besides, I am proud of the fact that I am on the geography faculty in our Department of Geosciences (which is headed by Aaron Wolf, a geographer). So you can bet I am going to read this report.
And no, Terry Pratchett did not serve on the report committee.
“Geography is just physics slowed down, with a couple of trees stuck in it.” -- Terry Pratchett
Yet another interesting post, and OSU really has accumulated (quietly) some excellent geographical talent over the past 10-15 years. Geography's next big challenge - getting our presence back in most of the Ivies; not easy.
Posted by: Eric Perramond | Monday, 29 March 2010 at 06:51 AM