The Ecological Society of America (ESA) calls on world leaders attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), to pledge immediate action to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions to limit rising global temperatures initially to 2.0⁰ C and eventually below 1.5⁰ C above pre-industrial levels.
Guest post by ESA Awards Chair Nate Sanders Do you know that feeling when one of your graduate students gets their first paper published? When a postdoc in your lab lands the job of their dreams? When a policy you’ve been working on finally gets implemented, and you can see it’s having positive effects on an environmental issue? Doesn’t that…
We are very excited to be adding new value to ESA membership for this coming year. In May, the Governing Board approved a plan to support programming geared toward the career development—scientific, practical and aspirational—of ecologists. A portion of our budget spent off proceeds from the strategic reserve now enables us to develop virtual content opportunities on a wide range…
Guest Post by Dr. Laura A. Meyerson For the last 4.5 years, I have had the honor of working with a core team of 86 experts from 47 countries to help produce a global assessment of invasive alien species. The report was launched on September 4, 2023, in Bonn, Germany by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services…
Dr. Steven Running is a Professor Emeritus of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences at the University of Montana. Running received a Ph.D. (1979) in Forest Ecology from Colorado State University. His primary research interest is the development of global and regional ecosystem biogeochemical models integrating remote sensing with bioclimatology and terrestrial ecology. He has published over 270 scientific articles and two…
Large conferences leave a large environmental footprint – with air travel, accommodations, and production of single-use items all generating substantial carbon emissions and impacts on surrounding wildlife and habitats. As a way of offsetting a portion of the environmental costs of its Annual Meeting, ESA contributes $5 for each meeting registrant, which the Society then donates to a local project…
By Carmen Cid, Chair, ESA Diversity Committee Diverse environmental perspectives that integrate social and ecological knowledge are needed to manage today’s complex environmental problems for a sustainable future. This calls for relevant programs and sustained resources to build ESA’s capacity to strengthen Equity and Excellence in Ecology. How Is ESA Contributing to That Goal? We are transforming the Society by…
ESA voices its strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and support for its members. The Supreme Court ruling today reversed decades of progress under affirmative action by severely limiting the use of race in college admissions. The ruling is misguided, harms society and affects historically excluded students’ abilities to achieve and flourish within educational institutions. Ecology is a field…
by ESA President Sharon Collinge As current president of ESA, I was pleased to be able to travel to Washington, DC, to chair the most recent ESA Governing Board meeting, May 16-17. The meeting was hybrid, with five board members meeting in person with the executive director and senior staff in DC, and the other six members participating virtually. The…
The Ecological Society of America (ESA), representing 8,000 research ecologists and environmental scientists, is greatly concerned about the unintended consequences to nature and human health because of the United States Supreme Court decision in the Sackett v. EPA case that excludes the majority of wetlands from protection under the Clean Water Act. The ruling ignores the best available science and…
In this issue: Supreme Court dramatically shrinks Clean Water Act’s reach Biden administration must now rework recent Clean Water Act regulations. Join ESAL and ESA for a workshop on local policy and community engagement This June 8 workshop will provide the resources to help scientists and engineers bridge the gap between science and policy Webinar Recording Available: Protecting…
In April 2023, 15 ESA members and graduate students in ecology participated in the first in-person Graduate Student Policy Award (GSPA) event since 2019. In this post, Sarah Rothman (University of Maryland) reflects on her experience participating in the program. It was eye-opening to delve into the world of science policy and funding that makes my research possible. I’ve always…