Empowering transformative action for a complex world
We are living in an age of increasing complexity. For decades, humanity has overexploited the very systems that make life on Earth possible. Our soils, oceans, ecosystems and atmosphere are under profound strain, while at the same time, the world order that has dominated for the past 80 years is being rewritten. The convergence of these two forces — environmental overexploitation and geopolitical realignment — is creating a negative feedback loop that intensifies risk and accelerates disruptions at every level of society. This convergence is what makes this moment uniquely precarious and it underscores the need for scalable, systemic solutions more urgently than ever.
For true transformation to take shape, we must rebuild the foundations of the institutions we rely on. Universities, for example, must reimagine the traditional academic model if they are to remain trusted partners in shaping the future. That reimagining must also extend to who leads that work. As the generation that will live with the consequences of today’s decision-making, young people are more critical than ever. They are not passive actors in this moment but catalysts of change. Already, they are sparking movements, pushing boundaries and shaping discourse. If we are to design solutions that are not only effective today but for generations to come, their perspectives must be taken into account.
This edition of Futurecast highlights the work of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory® in action. From restoring coral reefs in Hawai’i to accelerating the global shift to clean energy, these stories reveal how our students, faculty, staff and partners are confronting complexity in real time. Our path forward is being written at this very moment and its trajectory depends on whether we treat complexity as a barrier to progress or as an invitation to act.
A time of increasing complexity
Complexity has always been a part of our landscape, but historically, it was more limited in its dimensions and, therefore, easier to navigate. Environmental stressors were primarily regional. Political turbulence, while still disruptive, was usually confined to geographical boundaries. To adapt to changing environments, communities relied on local governance and generational knowledge to adapt to change.
Today, however, the systems that dictate our world are so tightly interlinked that disruptions carry a deeper, more far-reaching footprint, further straining a planet already under pressure.
This summer, for instance, torrential rains triggered deadly floods in Central Texas that destroyed entire communities. On the other end of the spectrum, the Dragon Bravo wildfire has burned more than 145,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park, prompted by persistent drought and low humidity. In the Arctic , sea ice reached a record low this past winter, signaling accelerated climate instability in one of Earth’s most vulnerable regions. Migration — often treated as isolated events — is accelerating in response to global change, political turbulence and economic disparity. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is transforming the ways we live, work and govern faster than we can adapt. These are not isolated problems but part of an interconnected network of deeper systemic imbalances in how we have structured our societies and economies and how we have defined ourselves as an integral part of nature.
The question then becomes: where do we turn to for guidance in paving a path forward?
Adapting the role of universities
For centuries, universities have been entrusted to provide clarity amid uncertainty, testing ideas, advancing discovery, cultivating critical thinking and equipping generations with the tools to meet the challenges of their time.
But the world has evolved significantly, and the same structures that once made academia a pillar of progress are now limiting its potential. Disciplines remain divided. Knowledge is often inaccessible due to privilege or hindered by bureaucracy. And the insights that emerge from academic institutions do not always reach the people and communities who need them most. Trust in academia is vanishing due to the widespread belief that it does not offer the insights required by those who must make critical decisions about the challenging issues of the present and future.
Universities, then, must rebuild trust if they are to remain society’s credible guide in times of change. Their future rests on how they adapt and engage with complexity and how deeply their work resonates with and includes the communities they seek to serve. This requires embracing a transdisciplinary, holistic approach that mirrors the complexity of our world’s interconnected systems.
This is where the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory differs from the traditional academic model.
A community of transformative impact
As the prototype for a University for the Future of the Planet , the Global Futures Laboratory is an engine of transformation, designed not only to generate insight but to shape outcomes, while restoring academia as a trusted partner of society. Our work is not limited to observation or analysis; instead, it focuses on building humanity’s capacity to act at the speed and scale this moment demands. Our success depends on seeding a broader movement, where universities, governments, philanthropies, businesses and civil society build on what we have advanced and scale what has proven effective.
To guide this effort, we have organized our work around five foundational spaces — discovery, learning, solutions, networks and engagement — with each space designed to drive transformation at scale. This integrative approach strengthens humanity’s ability to confront the challenges at our doorstep and reframe them as opportunities for creating a more resilient and regenerative future.
But this work is not ours to claim alone. Every initiative, every effort is cocreated in partnership with the very communities we seek to serve. We work across knowledge systems, drawing on the insights of the humanities and the analytical power of science and technology, recognizing that no single discipline or worldview holds all the answers.
This integrative approach enables a more holistic perspective across all geographical and temporal scales, allowing us to act more justly and innovate more responsibly. Nowhere is this more important than in our relationship with young people.
As the generation that will navigate the consequences of today’s choices, young people are not merely stakeholders in the future; they are co-designers of it. Across the globe, they are challenging norms, driving action and shaping public discourse in ways once thought impossible and they are doing it with the urgency needed to drive real change. The time to listen is now. If we are serious about building the resilient future we so often invoke, we must do more than make space. We must follow their lead, amplify their efforts and invest in their vision in a much more substantive way than we have so far.
This is what it means to design a future in which all life thrives on a healthy planet.
Shaping the way forward
The success of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory depends not only on its fundamentally different approach but also on its recognition that the future cannot be designed by one generation alone. Those who will inherit the challenges of the past must be given real agency today. By forging an intergenerational contract that enables young people to participate in the decision-making on critical issues concerning their future, the Global
Futures Laboratory ensures that it does more than build knowledge; it cultivates the shared resolve to guide society toward a thriving planetary future.
Our inability to respond more effectively is not due to a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. For decades, we have understood the risks, yet the systems that once held our world intact are unraveling faster than we ever thought possible. We already possess the knowledge and tools to activate meaningful change. What we need now is the societal will to act.
In this way, complexity is neither a fundamental problem nor an excuse, but rather a signal we need to build a future defined by opportunity. It asks us to confront not only what is failing , but to examine why it has failed and to use that insight to design what must be built in its place, not just for the moment, but for generations to come.
Peter Schlosser
Vice President and Vice Provost, Global Futures Director, Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory Arizona State University
New research reveals longterm ocean stability amid looming sea ice collapse
As climate change reshapes the Arctic, two new studies by researchers at Arizona State University and their international collaborators paint a picture that is both reassuring and alarming.
One study reveals that the circulation of warm Atlantic waters in the Arctic Ocean has remained remarkably stable over nearly three decades. The other warns that the region known as the “Last Ice Area” — long considered a final refuge for thick, multiyear sea ice — could disappear as early as the 2060s.
Together, these findings offer a sharper understanding of the Arctic’s complex ocean and ice systems. They highlight areas of resilience as well as zones of rapid vulnerability, with profound implications for life on Earth.
These findings remind us that resilience in one part of the system does not offset fragility in another,” says Peter Schlosser. “Understanding these dynamics is essential if we are to make timely and meaningful decisions to protect critical parts of the Earth system in the face of accelerating planetary change.”
Schlosser, co-author of the arctic circulation study, is vice president and vice provost of Global Futures at ASU. He also directs the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and is a professor with the College of Global Futures . He oversaw the highly specialized laboratory analyses that underpin the research during his time in Heidelberg and New York.
The study on the circulation of arctic waters, coauthored by Angelica Pasqualini, assistant research
scientist in the Global Futures Laboratory, appears in the Journal of Geophysical Research . The study on the arctic’s Last Ice Area appears in the journal Communications Earth & Environment and was co-authored by Stephanie Pfirman, deputy director and professor at the School of Ocean Futures. A special Behind-the-Paper entry in the journal further highlighting this research appears in the journal Earth & Environment and Sustainability.
Tracking Atlantic waters through Arctic time
In the first study, scientists analyzed tracer data collected from 21 Arctic oceanographic research expeditions conducted between 1987 and 2013. Their goal was to better understand how Atlantic Water circulates through the Arctic Ocean. By examining the stability of this subsurface circulation over time, the researchers were able to assess how consistently Atlantic water has been transporting heat into the Arctic.
ASU researchers, in collaboration with Columbia University and Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie in Mannheim, Germany, used a kind of chemical clock to track how Atlantic water moves through the Arctic. This “clock” is similar to carbon
dating, but it uses tritium and helium instead. By measuring the radioactive decay of these elements, it reveals how long each parcel of water has been below the surface since it was last exposed to the atmosphere. These warm waters enter through the Fram Strait and Barents Sea, flowing beneath the sea ice and carrying significant heat.
The team confirmed that Atlantic water follows a large, looping path — known as a cyclonic current — as it travels counterclockwise along the edge of the Arctic Ocean’s continental slope. They also identified multiple secondary branches guided by deep underwater ridges.
Despite growing concerns about climate-driven disruptions, the study found no significant changes in the speed or route of this circulation over nearly 30 years. This stability is particularly notable given that the Arctic has warmed significantly during this same period. It highlights how some deep ocean processes may be buffered against rapid surface change.
The researchers found that the Atlantic water flows through the Arctic at speeds that vary by location but generally range from 0.8 to 1.5 centimeters per second. This slow but steady current carries heat beneath the halocline — a stratified layer that
normally shields sea ice from warmer waters below. Understanding how this circulation system behaves is crucial, because any disruption could erode that protective barrier and accelerate melting from below.
Decline of the Arctic’s final stronghold
In marked contrast, the second study — led by researchers at McGill University, Columbia University and ASU — delivers sobering news: the Last Ice Area, a stretch of thick, multiyear sea ice north of Greenland and Canada, may not survive much longer under current warming trends.
Using a high-resolution version of the Community Earth System Model , the researchers simulated sea ice changes under a worst-case emissions scenario. For the first time, they were able to accurately resolve narrow Arctic waterways such as Nares Strait and the channels of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, which are critical escape routes for drifting sea ice. Earlier models did not fully account for these drainage channels.
The study finds that these pathways are already exporting significant volumes of ice from the Last Ice Area. As the region’s thick ice continues to thin and fragment, exports through these straits could increase dramatically. This means the Last Ice Area could collapse by as early as the 2060s.
The implications of these rapid changes in Arctic sea ice are profound. The Last Ice Area has been viewed as a potential climate refuge — a place where polar bears, seals, walruses and other ice-dependent species could survive even if the rest of the Arctic loses its summer sea ice. It’s also the site of Canada’s Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area, whose name means “the ice never melts” in Inuktitut.
But as sea ice mobility increases and protective ice arches across Nares Strait and the Queen Elizabeth Islands collapse earlier in the season — or fail to form at all — this frozen sanctuary may drain away.
“ It is easy to misinterpret these findings as showing that protecting the Last Ice Area is a lost cause, but they actually emphasize the need for action now to stabilize temperatures to ensure that the Arctic and other regions maintain critical habitats,” Pfirman says.
Two stories, one Arctic
While the studies paint very different pictures, they underscore a common theme: the Arctic is in flux, but not uniformly so. Deeper ocean currents may be more resilient than surface ice, and the pace of change depends on both local topography and global climate forces.
The stability of Atlantic water circulation suggests that some deep ocean processes remain buffered against rapid change. Meanwhile, the vulnerability of the Last Ice Area highlights the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving sea ice forecasting.
“The Arctic, driven by human activities, is changing at an unprecedented pace and is sending us signals that action to respond to the impact of this change is needed on a time scale as fast as we have ever seen before,” Schlosser says. “Given this situation, we must move beyond short-term responses and commit to systemic solutions to preserve the services the Arctic provides to vital planetary systems on local to global scales.
As Arctic sea ice shrinks and global temperatures continue to climb, these studies offer both a benchmark of what has endured — and a warning of what might soon be lost.
Professor Schlosser holds joint appointments in the School of Sustainability, the School of Ocean Futures , the School of Earth and Space Exploration in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences , and the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
From clones to conservation: ASU leads global effort to decode whiptail lizard genomes
On June 26, 2000, President Bill Clinton stood at a White House podium announcing the completion of the first draft of the human genome DNA sequence. This was the result of the world’s largest collaborative biological project at that time, the Human Genome Project, with researchers from 20 universities across the U.S., U.K., Japan, China, Germany and France. Advances in the treatment of genetic diseases, personalized medicine, understanding human evolutionary history and forensic science are just a few outcomes of sequencing that first “reference” human genome and the thousands of others that have followed.
The completion of the Human Genome Project also sparked a cascade of collaborative sequencing projects in the genomics field for species across the tree of life, leading to consortiums targeting hundreds to thousands of plant and animal species. In time, this led to the keystone initiative uniting consortiums around the world — the Earth BioGenome Project, or EBP.
The EBP is poised to sequence all 1.8 million currently recognized eukaryotic species (organisms whose DNA is enclosed in a membrane within a cell, such as plants, animals and fungi, as opposed to bacteria, which do not have a cell nucleus). The project is an international coalition of 58 sequencing projects that includes several of the same institutions that led the Human Genome Project. In December 2023, the EBP Secretariat and Harris Lewin, the EBP co-founder and Executive Council Chair, were recruited by ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory to expand infrastructure for the EBP’s goal of generating freely available reference-level genomes for all eukaryotes within the next decade.
Aspidoscelis) are composed of 42 species occupying habitats ranging from rainforest edges in southern Mexico to rocky slopes of Arizona’s Superstition Wilderness.
Named for their long, thin, whip-like tails, they are active, fast-moving lizards in which allfemale (unisexual) species that reproduce asexually (without fertilization of egg cells) have repeatedly evolved. The offspring of the unisexual (or parthenogenetic) Aspidoscelis species are full clones of their mothers. Due to the unisexual whiptail species being the result of hybridization between two divergent, sexual species, generating a reference genome for each
throughout Arizona, New Mexico and Central America to collect samples for generating highquality reference genomes for all whiptail lineages.
The outcomes of this research will answer fundamental questions on the relationship between modes of reproduction, genome evolution and biodiversity. Parthenogenesis can be advantageous in the short term because it lets asexual populations reproduce quickly and spread to new areas without needing a mate. But the lack of meiotic recombination (the genetic mixing prior to egg and sperm production) and the observation that all known asexually reproducing vertebrate species arose relatively recently
In the 2016 development paper by Aracely A. Newton and colleagues, researchers found both sexually reproducing and asexual whiptail species have similar levels of reproductive success. Learning how parthenogenesis affects adaptability and genetic diversity can help conservationists tackle the current biodiversity crisis. For example, species listed as threatened or endangered are overrepresented in parthenogenesis reports.
In part, this is because scientists have learned in recent years that many species that were thought to reproduce exclusively using sex, also produce offspring through parthenogenesis at low levels (including primarily sexual whiptail lizards),” says Barley.
The study of genome evolution and reproduction in whiptail lizards represents a pivotal step in understanding biodiversity and advancing conservation efforts. With the EBP’s ambitious goal of sequencing all eukaryotic life, the collaborative efforts at ASU and beyond are laying the groundwork for transformative discoveries. Unraveling the genetic intricacies not only deepens our understanding of life’s diversity but also holds promise for addressing the global biodiversity crisis, offering innovative solutions to protect endangered species and ecosystems.
Momentum to address Arizona’s rural groundwater issues
Groundwater is declining across Arizona. While the state’s 1980 Groundwater Management Act addressed the issue in more urbanized areas, much of rural Arizona’s groundwater remains unprotected. However, there is growing momentum, led by residents and local leaders, to act on rural groundwater.
The Arizona Water Innovation Initiative , a multiyear partnership with the state led by Arizona State University’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory in collaboration with the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering , is integrating science, policy and community engagement to empower Arizona residents as they work on rural groundwater issues.
By integrating state-of-the-art research on the state’s groundwater status with community-led rural groundwater engagement and policy support, the initiative is taking an innovative approach to a critical water issue that affects all Arizonans.
State-of-the-art groundwater research
A new study led by Karem Abdelmohsen , an associate research scientist with the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative, indicates that throughout the Colorado River Basin, groundwater losses over the last two decades have been greater than the total capacity of Lake Mead.
Trends in total water storage for 1) 2002-14, 2) 2015-24 and 3) the difference between those two time periods, indicating dramatic changes are happening in the southeastern and western parts of Arizona. Figure courtesy of Jay Famiglietti
This means, in short, that not only is the Colorado River itself shrinking, but so is groundwater in the basin itself.
“Despite knowing that groundwater declines are happening, the degree was still surprising,” says Abdelmohsen. “We found that groundwater, often seen as a backup for surface water flows, loss is on par or even more than withdrawals from the Colorado River itself.”
Jay Famiglietti , a leading groundwater expert at ASU and senior author of the study, says that this latest research paints an alarming picture of
the state of groundwater in the southwestern U.S. While most of the Colorado River Basin is losing groundwater, the biggest overdrafts are occurring in Arizona, particularly in the southeastern and western parts of the state.
“It is well documented that Colorado River flows are decreasing. What we’ve been able to add here is the degree to which groundwater is also declining in this same area, which is a double whammy,” says Famiglietti. “The Arizona picture is particularly alarming, especially for areas that are completely dependent on groundwater.”
Rural groundwater community engagement
So, what are Arizona residents to do with this information?
The two biggest areas of concern from the work led by Abdelmohsen and Famiglietti include La Paz and Cochise counties, both of which have been focal areas for community-led rural groundwater workshops organized by the Impact Water - Arizona program of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative.
During the fall of 2024, Impact Water - Arizona partnered with the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, to co-host a community-led workshop addressing water challenges in the Sulphur Springs Valley of Cochise County.
That workshop not only led one of the biggest water users in the area to reduce their groundwater use by 14%, but it also resulted in the creation of the Sulphur Springs Water Alliance , which continues to coordinate community action in the area.
“This workshop brought people together in a way that doesn’t happen often, with farmers, ranchers, residents and community leaders all in the same room, having real conversations about groundwater challenges in the valley,” said Katherine Hamberger, the coordinator of the Alliance. “It helped spark ideas, build connections and push things forward in a way that still has an impact today.”
Following the success of that workshop, the Impact Water team, led by director Susan Craig , released a call for interest open to communities across Arizona to develop their own Rural Groundwater Resilience Workshops and developed a Rural Groundwater Resilience Toolkit
“I’m passionate about working on locally driven strategies to find real, community-centered solutions to Arizona’s water challenges,” said Craig. “While rural groundwater reform remains uncertain, these workshops create space to share data, hear directly from those impacted and build the trust and momentum needed to activate change.”
Several communities across the state responded to the call for interest, and in March the Impact Water
Sulphur Springs Valley residents discuss their groundwater issues during a workshop. Photo courtesy of the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
team co-hosted a workshop with local community partners including County Supervisor Holly Irwin and local residents in La Paz County.
“We were provided with updated data regarding our groundwater basins, which outlined the severity of our situation within La Paz County,” Irwin said about the workshop where Famiglietti presented some initial data. “It also allowed for the community to interact and give feedback on the information, which is critical for me to continue to represent my constituents’ needs and concerns for our future.”
In late May, Governor Katie Hobbs visited the area and spoke with several workshop participants, in addition to meeting with rural county supervisors and other local, rural groundwater leaders from across the state, to hear about their unique challenges with aquifer depletion and subsidence.
“Having the governor come visit our ‘ground zero’ was a great opportunity to make our voices heard,” said Gary Saiter, La Paz County resident and general manager of the Wenden Domestic Water Improvement District. “Any opportunity that we have to tell our story is good for us. It simply is not right
to allow corporate farms and corporations to start pumping water at levels that threaten the future of the people who live here. We have to take action now. Governor Hobbs is welcome anytime as we continue to tell our story and try to get action.”
The Arizona Republic subsequently reported that Hobbs is committed to addressing rural groundwater issues and would consider calling a special legislative session if the conditions were right.
Seeking water solutions
It is no secret that water issues can be challenging to discuss because of the complexity involved, but breaking down that complexity is something that the Kyl Center for Water Policy, led by Sarah Porter, has been at for years.
For example, in the case of La Paz County, groundwater management is particularly complex because it is home to three of Arizona’s four designated “ transportation basins ,” areas where groundwater can legally be exported to urban areas to increase water supplies.
Neha Gupta on the left, University of Arizona, and Dayanara Avilez, Arizona State University, discuss community developed groundwater solutions. Photo by Faith Kearns
Each basin has specific rules around who can pump, how much and for what purposes, and the law includes limitations that aim to protect local water supplies and prevent over-extraction in rural areas. No transfers have been made to date, but with the uncertainty surrounding Colorado River supplies, it is becoming increasingly likely.
At the workshop, Porter was able to share helpful tools including the Arizona Water Blueprint and Groundwater Level Change App, as well as explain the challenges and opportunities around transportation basins that many residents expressed gratitude for having the chance to learn more about.
Looking ahead
As momentum builds to address rural groundwater declines in rural Arizona, both research on groundwater depletion and the community engagement efforts continue.
“We’ve made some really good progress on putting numbers to Arizona’s groundwater declines, and that
work will continue,” says Famiglietti. “We are always trying to use higher-resolution data and to improve our analyses. We found that groundwater losses are accelerating in some parts of Arizona and now are researching the causes.”
The Impact Water - Arizona team is currently in the process of working with communities on rural groundwater challenges in the Coconino Plateau area of northeastern Arizona and in Patagonia in the southeastern part of the state.
“It goes without saying that the emerging groundwater issues in each community are very different. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for rural groundwater protection,” says Michelle Oldfield , community engagement specialist with Impact Water - Arizona. “We know this kind of engagement works. We’re seeing meaningful progress when people are informed, heard and empowered. It’s laying the foundation for lasting, community-led action.”
The portal to energy innovation at ASU
Connecting people, ideas and action to spark collaboration, advance education and drive real-world impact across the energy landscape
The global energy transition isn’t just a technical puzzle — it’s one of the most complex, highstakes challenges of our time, touching every aspect of how we live, work and thrive. Meeting it demands more than theory. It requires new models of action, collaboration and accountability.
Energy Forward is Arizona State University’s bold response — not just another institute, but a new kind of “do tank” built to accelerate realworld progress. Launched in November 2024 and led by seasoned energy innovators Gary Dirks and Kelly Barr, Energy Forward brings together leaders across science, engineering, policy and business to move discovery into deployment.
Anchored within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, Energy Forward operates as an agile, transdisciplinary engine — drawing from the full breadth of ASU’s expertise to tackle energy challenges from every angle. We convene researchers, practitioners, policymakers and business leaders in one coordinated effort, focused on breaking down silos and accelerating
practical solutions. With its inaugural projects already underway, we’re actively identifying barriers, testing strategies and unlocking scalable pathways to power a more sustainable future.
Kelly Barr, associate vice president and chief alliance officer at the Global Futures Laboratory, says collaboration is absolutely critical in successfully addressing the people’s energy needs.
“
In large-scale energy change, the most powerful technology we have is collaboration. It is through co-creation that we turn ideas into action, possibilities into realities and bold visions into solutions strong enough to shape the future,” says Barr.
That’s why Energy Forward prioritizes deep collaboration — not only with energy and environmental experts, but also with communities, industries and decision-makers who are directly impacted by and instrumental to the energy transition. Our approach is built around a three-step framework: jointly identifying
problems, co-creating relevant solutions and cultivating the dialogue and partnerships necessary for effective implementation.
At its core, Energy Forward is committed to working alongside a diverse ecosystem of stakeholders to reshape the energy landscape into one that is sustainable, inclusive and resilient. This mission is fueled by a powerful network of collaborators — from community partners to pioneering researchers and sector innovators — all aligned in accelerating the shift to a thriving energy future.
Gary Dirks, senior director of the Global Futures Laboratory, says it is not enough to simply envision the future. To be successful, humanity must convert ideas to action.
Energy Forward was created to challenge the conventional ways universities engage with complex societal issues. Rather than functioning as a traditional “think tank,” it was intentionally designed as a “do tank” — a dynamic, actionoriented model that emphasizes implementation
over abstraction. This approach reflects a broader aspiration: to inspire a shift in how academic institutions nationwide engage with urgent, real-world challenges beyond the walls of research and into the realm of tangible impact.
“At the Global Futures Laboratory, collaboration isn’t just a value — it’s our operating model. We invite communities, companies and organizations to bring us their most pressing challenges, then work side by side to design and implement solutions. By uniting research, technology and policy in an action-driven partnership, we can move quickly, act decisively and deliver real impact where it’s needed most,” says Barr.
10 climate insights to guide our future
‘10
New Insights in Climate Science’ report draws policy implications from recent climate research
A group of globally renowned social, natural and climate scientists has once again convened to offer their newest annual synthesis report, “ 10 New Insights in Climate Science .”
The published report is a tool to be used in climate policy negotiations around the world, including the international climate conference COP29, provides input on recent advances in climate change research and key opportunities for impactful climate action.
Jointly produced by Future Earth , The Earth League and the World Climate Research Programme — it highlights the policy implications that can inform climate negotiations and policy through 2025 and beyond.
“The urgency to respond to climate change has never been clearer,” says Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of Global Futures at Arizona State University and co-chair of The Earth League. “Every degree of warming, every delay in action accelerates the transition from climate crisis to climate catastrophe. We have to translate our existing knowledge into action much faster to preserve Earth’s life-supporting systems and bring humanity back to a state where it is in balance with the Earth system on which it depends.”
In addition to his role as co-chair of The Earth League, Schlosser serves as the director of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at ASU. The Secretariat of The Earth League is distributed among the Global Futures Laboratory, the Climate Service Center Germany at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.
The report urges policymakers attending the COP29 conference to reflect on these insights as they conduct the latest iteration of climate negotiations for the coming year. The timing of the report also coincides with the approaching renewal of the Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement, the contributions are submitted every five years detailing each participating country’s plan to combat rising temperatures.
This year’s 10 insights are:
1. Methane levels are surging. Enforceable policies for emission reductions are essential.
2. Reductions in air pollution have implications for mitigation and adaptation given complex aerosol-climate interactions.
3. Increasing heat is making more of the planet uninhabitable.
4. Climate extremes are harming maternal and reproductive well-being.
5. Concerns about El Niño-Southern Oscillation and the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation with an increasingly warm ocean.
6. Biocultural diversity can bolster the Amazon’s resilience against climate change.
7. Critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed to climate hazards, with risk of cascading disruption across interconnected networks.
8. New frameworks for climate-resilient development in cities provide decision-makers with ideas for unlocking co-benefits.
9. Closing governance gaps in the energy transition minerals global value chain is crucial for a just and equitable energy transition.
10. Public acceptance of (or resistance to) climate policies crucially depends on perceptions of fairness.
“10 New Insights in Climate Science,” focused on recent advances in climate change research and policy opportunities, published Oct. 28. Photo courtesy of Pixabay
The scientific evidence that guides this year’s report was published between January 2023 and June 2024 — a range of time that was particularly saturated with record-shattering temperatures . According to the report, it is highly probable that 2024 will become the warmest year on record. The third insight, focused on heat, warns that there are currently 600 million people living outside of “habitable climatic conditions,” with an estimated 10% of the global population to join that demographic with each additional degree (Celsius) of future warming.
“Global temperature records continue to break, pushing the Paris Agreement’s goals further out of reach and exacerbating threats to maternal health,” says Jemilah Mahmood, executive director of the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health. Mahmood served as an editorial board member on this year’s report. “This is particularly acute in climate-vulnerable nations as it’s compounded with limited access to education and low incomes, in addition to the breakdown of critical infrastructure, which further compromises food security, sanitation and health care services.”
While higher temperatures can be felt by all, people are not uniformly affected by heat. Conditions such as age, medication use, access to cooling resources or the presence of preexisting conditions can significantly alter a person’s reaction to extreme temperatures.
“Preparedness for heat extremes, including early warning systems, must be a priority at the national and regional scale. Without action, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Mahmood says. “Without systemic shifts, future generations will be impacted.”
Both livelihood and financial threats are considered in “10 New Insights In Climate Science.” According to the report, the projected additional global economic losses due to increases in the warming weather pattern of
El Niño’s frequency — partnered with intensity resulting from global warming — could be almost $100 trillion over the 21st century.
“This report confirms that the world faces planetary-scale challenges, from the rise of methane emissions to the vulnerability of critical infrastructure,” says Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and co-chair of The Earth League.
“It shows that rising heat, ocean instability and a tipping of the Amazon rainforest could push parts of our planet beyond habitable limits. Yet, it also provides clear pathways and solutions, demonstrating that with urgent, decisive action, we still can avoid unmanageable outcomes.”
From saving to shaping: A new era for conservation
In this transformative moment for life on Earth, conservation must move beyond protecting what remains to imagining and shaping what comes next.
The Rob Walton School of Conservation Futures — the newest school in the Rob Walton College of Global Futures within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory — represents an urgent reimagining of conservation science and practice for a rapidly changing planet.
At its core, this new paradigm recognizes the challenges facing biodiversity are deeply enmeshed with human systems. The accelerating pressures of climate change, urbanization and global trade have fundamentally altered ecosystems, often beyond the realm of a prior state. Rather than striving to recreate the past, the new School of Conservation Futures aims to respond with foresight, imagination and resolve.
This new conservation ethos is distinguished by five tenets.
First, it is planetary in scope.
Conservation can no longer be confined by geographic or disciplinary boundaries. What happens in one part of the world — whether in the oceans, forests or atmosphere — reverberates globally. The new School of Conservation Futures recognizes that to protect life on Earth, we must understand and engage with the planet as one interconnected system.
Second, it is inclusive.
Too often, conservation as a practice has been the domain of a privileged few. The new School of Conservation Futures affirms that lasting solutions must be shaped collectively, especially by historically underrepresented, local and Indigenous communities.
Third, it is forward-looking.
Traditional conservation has often aimed to preserve the past. By contrast, the new school asks what futures we wish to design and what ecological function will thrive within them. It embraces innovative ecosystems, engineered resilience and adaptive management strategies as tools of foresight.
Fourth, it embraces transdisciplinary collaboration.
The scale and complexity of today’s challenges demand an integrative approach. The new school convenes ecologists, climate scientists, engineers, ethicists, policymakers and community leaders in pursuit of shared goals. It transcends disciplines to foster a new conservation literacy that combines human values with scientific rigor.
Finally, it is hopeful.
Not naively, but deliberately. In the face of ecological loss and political gridlock, the new School of Conservation Futures holds steadfast the idea that conservation can be a force of justice and renewal. Hope, then, is not a passive feeling, but an active stance.
At the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, we have embraced this ethos because the stakes could not be higher. Planetary challenges demand planetary solutions. Once narrowly defined, conservation has become a critical lever in shaping a more equitable and resilient future. The new School of Conservation Futures does not pretend the road ahead will be easy. Rather, it begins with a simple yet radical proposition: The future is not something to endure, but something we can and must design, together and without delay.
Kittilson named dean of ASU’s College of Global Futures, paving the way for transformational impact to guide our future
Arizona State University has appointed Miki Kittilson as the new dean of the College of Global Futures, a key academic unit within the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. As the college’s new leader, Kittilson will play a critical role in shaping how ASU approaches the complex, interconnected challenges facing humanity — from climate change and global inequality to political instability and ecosystem decline.
Kittilson, a first-generation college student and ASU alum, brings a personal commitment to access, inclusion and opportunity. Her experience as a social scientist and her previous leadership roles as associate and vice dean at the college have positioned her to guide it into its next phase of growth and global impact.
“Dean Kittilson’s vision aligns with ASU’s aspiration to build a new kind of college — one that drives global impact at scale,” says Nancy
Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. “She understands the complexity of this challenge and will approach it with a solutions-focused leadership style that will be instrumental in advancing our mission.”
The College of Global Futures operates as the core learning unit of the Global Futures Laboratory — the first university-based initiative of its kind, with a mission to ensure a future of well-being for all life on Earth. The college integrates teaching, research and community engagement across its three interdisciplinary schools: the School of Sustainability, the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Complex Adaptive Systems. Together, these schools address pressing issues like climate resilience, food and water security, social equity, technological advancement and systems thinking.
Kittilson’s 20-year academic career has centered on how political, economic and social systems shape global outcomes. Her scholarship includes four university press books and numerous articles in top-tier academic journals. Most notably, her coauthored book, “Reimagining the Judiciary: Women’s Representation on High Courts Worldwide” (Oxford University Press, 2022), received the American Political Science Association’s award for best book on law and courts.
“I’m honored to lead a college that is driving change — pushing boundaries, embracing innovation and working every day to build a thriving future for all,” Kittilson says. “We are transforming how knowledge is created, how ideas become action and how we empower future leaders — because the choices we make today shape our futures.”
Peter Schlosser, vice president and vice provost of Global Futures and director of the Global Futures
Laboratory, praised her for her collaborative spirit, strategic insight and ability to inspire.
“She is a natural collaborator with a clear vision regarding the potential of the College of Global Futures,” he says. “She also has a unique ability to inspire students and colleagues alike.”
Kittilson has already made a major impact at ASU, having helped launch the Global Futures Impact Scholars program and fostered new approaches to interdisciplinary education and research. As dean, she will continue building on these achievements while expanding the college’s reach and deepening its partnerships both locally and globally.
With her leadership, ASU’s College of Global Futures is poised to be a model of 21st-century education — one where students don’t just learn about global challenges but help solve them.
Carlson appointment underscores ASU BIOS’s global leadership in ocean science
Arizona State University’s Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences has taken a major step forward in advancing its global mission with the appointment of Craig Carlson as its new director. A worldrenowned marine biologist and ocean science leader, Carlson brings over three decades of scientific excellence and collaboration in Bermuda to the role. His selection affirms ASU BIOS’s position as a cornerstone of marine research, ocean education and interdisciplinary innovation in support of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory.
Carlson’s deep ties to Bermuda and ASU BIOS span more than 35 years, starting in the 1980s as a visiting researcher and later as a faculty member. His expertise bridges microbial oceanography and organic biogeochemistry, with a research focus on how microscopic organisms and dissolved organic matter interact to shape ocean health and climate processes. Through key projects such as the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study and the Microbial Observatory, Carlson has contributed to one of the most valuable long-term
data records on ocean chemistry and microbial dynamics in the Atlantic. These programs serve as vital scientific assets for tracking the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.
His leadership experience is equally impressive. Carlson has served as chair of the U.S. Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Scientific Steering Committee and as science director for BIOSSCOPE — an international initiative that unites scientists from Bermuda, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. BIOS-SCOPE exemplifies the kind of large-scale, crossborder cooperation needed to understand ocean carbon cycles and the role of marine microbes in sustaining life on Earth. Carlson’s proven ability to lead interdisciplinary teams addressing complex global issues aligns perfectly with the mission and strategy of ASU BIOS.
Carlson also brings a rich academic pedigree, holding a bachelor’s degree in biology from Colby College, a doctorate in marine microbial ecology
from the University of Maryland and postdoctoral training in organic biogeochemistry at BIOS. Since 2001, he has been a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His scholarly achievements have earned him top honors, including the G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from ASLO, fellow status from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and recognition as an ASLO Sustaining Fellow.
The appointment marks a new chapter for ASU BIOS, as Carlson takes over from outgoing director Bill Curry, who praised him as “truly well qualified” and an ideal leader for this next era of ocean research. Carlson’s vision for ASU BIOS centers on interdisciplinary collaboration, real-time problemsolving and a deep commitment to preserving the health of the oceans. His leadership is expected to amplify the impact of ASU BIOS as it works at the front lines of ocean discovery, helping shape a more sustainable and resilient future for the planet.
How can we build a healthier, thriving future?
Changemakers reflect on the past, present and future of Earth Day in panel discussion
Earth Day is a perfect moment to reflect on what has happened since its inception more than half a century ago, but also to contemplate what role we can all play in building a healthier, thriving future in which all life can thrive on our planet.
Our panelists bring together voices from policy, law, journalism and the coming generation of changemakers to discuss what Earth Day means today, what it has made possible and where we must go next.
Lisa Palmer is a journalist, author and editorial director at the Society of Environmental Journalists. She is a research professor at George Washington University and reports on climate, environment and sustainability. Her reporting has appeared in many outlets such as the New York Times, Nature, Scientific American, The Guardian, Yale’s E360 and many others. She’s the author of “Hot, Hungry Planet” and a Fulbright Fellow with global experience in research storytelling and science communication.
Michael Dorsey holds the Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service Chair with a concurrent appointment as professor of practice in the College of Global Futures at ASU. Dorsey is a globally recognized expert in sustainability, finance and environmental policy. He’s a co-founder of multiple organizations, including the Sunrise Movement, and advises on ESG investments. Dorsey has served in the U.S. and UN climate leadership roles and is a member of the Club of Rome, a group of 100 thought leaders addressing global challenges.
Karen Bradshaw is a professor of law, Alan Matthenson Research Fellow at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and a senior sustainability scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University. In addition, she is a faculty fellow at Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and a faculty affiliate scholar at the New York University School of Law Classical Liberal Institute. Bradshaw is the author of several books and her writing has won awards for influencing their respective fields.
Katie Spreitzer is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sustainability solutions and public policy at ASU. As an honors graduate of the ASU School of Sustainability, she brings a passion for climate policy and environmental education. Spreitzer has worked at the Arizona State Senate and the U.S. Department of Energy and continues to do her part by helping recruit future changemakers through her role at the College of Global Futures.
Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
What do you think has been the reason for the increase in the number of people participating in Earth Day, and what role does environmental reporting play in this increase?
Palmer: Environmental issues are health issues, they’re planetary issues, they’re legal issues, they’re social issues, they’re sustainability issues. As journalists we work to connect the dots, so we need to be able to speak to experts in law and experts in sustainability and researchers, people who are at the forefront, to be able to do that. That’s kind of the responsibility that we have, and by doing so we can share the full picture. And so for environmental reporting, we need to be on the ground seeing how the research is being done or how a specific kind of innovation or response or solution is going to be meaningful for the public at large as well as to tell them about the risks. I think through those stories that we are hearing from our communities, we’re all recognizing that it’s a part of everybody’s job.
So many environmental laws and regulations were enacted around 1970. Which of these would you credit as a direct outcome of Earth Day, or were they the result of a deeper cause?
Bradshaw: It’s so difficult to say one is the cause or the catalyst of another because they’re interconnected in these very complicated ways. It’s sort of like the new recognition that there’s no single inventor of an idea — that many things happen in many ways from many people thinking simultaneously and cocreating around the world. So very often, any famous invention or idea happens in many places simultaneously, and I think with respect to both legal and social movements, it is also the case that there are many factors simultaneously occurring that collectively cause the thing to happen. But, to pinpoint a specific place where that occurs is difficult to say. I will say Rachel Carson’s work is incredibly meaningful and that built upon other things that were happening in the United States at the time like the Civil Rights Movement. And so there were all of these forces that collectively created this incredible moment of bipartisan, truly
bipartisan action to enact what is today the field of environmental law. And environmental law is really just a bunch of statutes from the 1970s. The Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Environmental Protection Act — all of these different statutes, and they really haven’t changed or updated much since. So, I think Earth Day should not only be a reflection on what has happened and how we got here, but now also what can this generation do to create new and more responsive policies today.
So, why was that legal framework so static?
Bradshaw: That’s a great question. I think that there was a moment of public attention that happened in part because of “Silent Spring,” this very innovative, once-in-a-lifetime book that went out to so many homes because at the time we didn’t have Twitter, we didn’t have our cell phones, we didn’t even have the broad array of media influences. But it became a book of the month and was sent to millions of American households. So it’s like everyone saw the same viral video, it was just in book form. And it created a catalyst, a shared social understanding, that was reinforced
by things like rivers lighting on fire because they were so polluted. So you had a moment of bipartisanship, truly. Republicans and Democrats worked together to enact policies that moved the ball forward in some ways so far for the time that it wasn’t really necessary to do anything else, many thought at that time, because so much had been achieved. But then what happened in the ’80s, in the ’90s, in the early 2000s and where we are today is that the problems evolved and in some ways worsened. The catalyst, the moment of depolarization that occurred, had fallen away such that it was deeply polarized and no longer seen as such a bipartisan issue.
What milestones have stood out as critical turning points since Earth Day was founded?
Dorsey: I think probably the biggest one now is that the solutions, the things that we need like clean energy, like alternatives to biodiversity destruction, that stuff is now profitable but it wasn’t at the time of Earth Day. It didn’t make sense to offer those solutions. They were too costly. And we’ve seen, particularly over the past decade to 20 years, that stuff coming into the fore. In particular, just focusing on energy, the entire global solar output just last year displaced more than the emissions of all of the U.S., and at an affordable pace. Last year was the first year in humanity where we saw more than $2 trillion invested in renewables, mostly solar and wind.
And that’s only going to continue. Right now, we’re on a clip of solar deployment doubling almost every three years. It took us about eight years to go from 100 terawatt hours installed to 1,000, and under three years to get to the next 2,000. So that sort of explosive growth of the solution set is really, I think, monumental and it’s going to continue. We don’t have enough. We have got to do more. But that’s really the milestone.
Given all of that, why are we still growing the consumption of fossil fuels and related emissions?
Dorsey: Well, they’re growing but at a reduced rate. Just last year — and we could have an interesting debate on this — we had 30 companies dial out of coal. We had India and China, the two big coal players, reduce their deployment by 60%. Not enough but slowing down. So that is the pacing. And it’s interesting now, particularly in this political economic moment, you’ve got two discourses happening: one on the TV and in social media of certain people arguing against this stuff, but those same people actually are investing in it. So we can have a longer discussion about why that is. But that’s happening because of that price signal, because that change is there.
On a day like Earth Day, considering what has happened over the past 50-plus years, what’s your sense of what’s ahead?
Spreitzer: I feel hopeful about what’s going on. I know there’s a lot of things in the news that maybe aren’t so encouraging. And I talked to some of my friends who aren’t in the sustainability field, and they really don’t know what’s going on with climate change or sustainability. Maybe they don’t care? But I feel like what really does give me hope is I hear about these solutions that are going on that Michael talked about. And I hear about coal being slowly eliminated from being used in our fossil fuels. So when I hear about some of these smaller accomplishments, I think
to myself, “Okay, well, I’ve been alive for maybe 22 years? And now we’re already making this jump from using an excessive amount of coal until now?” And so I feel like what really motivates me is hearing some of those smaller successes that we’ve had and really taking them and running with it. If I keep thinking about how bleak my future looks, then that’s not motivating for me, and that’s not motivating for anyone else. And so I think if we’re really able to home in on some of those smaller successes and uplift those voices that are able to encourage us to be more hopeful, that really helps me when I think about what’s going on and what my future is going to look like.
If you look at your generation, do you feel this position is how others look at it or are you more the exception?
Spreitzer: I think I’m a pretty positive person, but I do think while people might not care about what’s going on in our environment, they still know that Earth Day is April 22. And people still think
they’re doing something good when they recycle or they bring a cup to a coffee shop. Society has changed from before to now; it has grown to accept some of these sustainability actions. I have the opportunity to travel to Vienna this summer through the College of Global Futures where I’m going to learn about all the great things they’re doing in Europe. One of my friends recently came back from a similar trip and said in France almost the entire French community has adopted a reusable cup program as a way of life. Realizing that societies can change at such a large level makes me hopeful that America can do this too, even in Arizona. I know politically it might be a little hard to pass some climate legislation, but maybe conversations that I have with people who aren’t in the sustainability field can encourage them to have some stake in the climate crisis and encourage them to do their part. I think it’s going to take more of that grassroots collective activismtype solution in order to solve climate change.
How can legal frameworks move things and to which extent do we really need that inner motivation?
Bradshaw: I loved Katie’s answer because we can translate young people’s optimism into changing the world through legal action. If I can get the person who understands they need to bring a cup into my classroom, we can do something with that. We can transform that individual action into an understanding of how to wield the tools of law and government, which are the backbone of contemporary Western society, in ways that culminate in large-scale social action. Really what law and government does is it takes a bunch of individuals and coaleses their individual interests and priorities into something that speaks socially. So law is at once everywhere and also hidden. It can coordinate groups of people in ways that can really create change.
And so the fun thing that’s emerged through the Radically Reimagining Initiative at ASU and more broadly, particularly in conversation with global partners, is understanding that you can take that enthusiasm and, instead of killing it, learn all the ways you’re able to manipulate and change law, government and society through legal innovation and then apply it to the things you care about. That kind of legal innovation is doing amazing work, but it requires more than going to Congress and asking for a new statute and instead engaging in much more organic ways.
How do we protect fact-based messaging and maintain public engagement?
Palmer: UNESCO and the UN are now funding large funds not just for academics but for journalists to begin reporting and investigating misinformation around climate change and looking at all the various crossover networks that might be involved and why. I’m seeing for the first time that journalists who do this job really well and can track down these sources and work together
in a comprehensive network and start to track this can get the information to the public much clearer. Journalists are having to go out and correct information quickly and repeatedly. We always are drawn to these really outlandish and often surprising ideas and sometimes those are the ones that are not true. We can work with young people on seeing new ways we can get new, good, factual, evidence-based information that is accurate, can be verified and as well teach and share good sources of information. We can have the best sources of information, verify the information and if you see it in one news outlet, check another source to see what another news outlet is reporting to verify what you learn. So I think there’s that literacy element that’s a part of it as well because you know there are bad actors out there who are trying to confuse us. There’s a lot of evidence behind that as well and they’re wanting to eliminate action on things as well as kind of have us talking about one issue when we really should be investigating a deeper issue. It’s making sure that we give enough information to the public in the ways that they also want to be receiving it.
We academics increasingly are not trusted. In journalism there seems to be a slightly different landscape, where people pick who they want to quote based on their belief system. How do you navigate that?
Palmer: We are looking at the same silos of information. If somebody of your political views aligns with you, you believe that person. I think there’s a lot to be said that journalists
seek truth. We both want to verify it. We both look to be as accurate as possible. And we want to be socially and scientifically relevant. I think there’s a value for a journalist to be closer to scientists to understand their flow and help it to be translated and demystified. I think there’s a much greater opportunity for younger scientists to convey their work directly to the public or even in a broader network to policymakers. The same with journalism. We have to peel back the curtains a bit to share what we do and how we work so that people can see there’s a lot to the reporting that we do versus just the eight inches of text that is on your news feed.
What have we failed to fully grasp or act on since Earth Day was created?
Dorsey: I think really the thing where we’ve probably failed is not realizing that we’re in this time of big breakthroughs. There’s this sense of fear, the dystopian sensibility, but in fact the breakthroughs are coming and they’re coming very fast.
The president’s son-in-law before the election was given a half a billion dollars from the head of the Saudi sovereign fund directed by MBS in Saudi Arabia and it was a mandate on that half a billion to put $250 million of it in solar exclusively. If you listen to his father-in-law, you would be none the wiser. One of the architects, the lead author of the chapter in Project 2025, which is the boogeyman under the bed for lots of folks, she goes by the moniker online Mississippi Mandy, Mandy Gunasekara. She put out there that people are afraid of what’s happening with all of that stuff.
financial technology, fintech. Who’s her husband? He happens to be the general counsel of Kingo Solar, one of the largest solar companies on Earth.
So some of this dystopian stuff I think is maybe a byproduct of the over-focus and emphasis on social media and that distraction. So one of the failures is just not recognizing these big breakthroughs that are happening. We need to focus our attention on what is meaningful and what has momentum and I think that’s really those solutions that are out there.
What should Earth Day look like 10, 20, 50 years in the future to remain really inspiring, effective and keep people as enthusiastic as all of you seem to be about it?
Palmer: In 10 years I want us to get to those must-haves and must-dos that we’ve been working on — what must we have to have a sustainable future? Achieving that means we must have a livable planet and we must have solid communities that work together. We must have trust in information and trust in each other and as well have it be economically viable. These are not exact, but they’re close. As a journalist covering these, why I do so is because it’s not just about trees and water and heat or whatever, it’s about all the facets of our society and I think of it as sort of this multifaceted gem. There’s so many different aspects to cover as a journalist to report out and to learn and understand — as I’m sure you feel in the classes and the coursework that you take and you teach. So for me in 10 years, I want this gem to continue to be relevant in all of
start to invest in and create this livable future. I’m looking at the 10-year timeline because I think that’s a really critical one to keep our eye on.
Spreitzer: I would probably also look at 10 years, but from the sense that younger people are starting to have really short attention spans. Because our youth population is really heavily embedded in social media and technology, scrolling through TikTok and Instagram and seeing bits of information within 30 to 60 seconds, I think looking at the 10-year timeline is going to really encourage us to gain momentum. I feel like every Earth Day I’m always like, “Oh, Earth Day is every day.” So sometimes it’s harder for me to get into that movement — but really try to encourage the younger generation to see Earth Day as a spark that starts a movement, a spark for them to realize, “Okay, my future is on the line and what can I do about it?” We have all the solutions available for us and, like Michael was saying, the solutions are out there, we just need to put them into practice. That’s why I’m ultimately going into public policy and the environmental policy route because we have the solutions available, we just need to put them into practice. So I think looking at Earth Day, we need to take our thoughts and put them into action. The younger generation is really all about how we get the ball rolling. If we use Earth Day as a way to gain momentum to take those actions, then that’s all we can ask for.
Bradshaw: I am a futurist. That means I like to cocreate new futures. So I am going to manifest a future in 10 years when we gather outside, and it’s not so hot in Phoenix in April that we cannot
be outside. I’m going to manifest a future in which Katie or someone else in this room is leading this conversation because they’ve created a position for themselves that resonates with their enthusiasm for the environment and for the planet. I am going to manifest a future where we get here by walking, by biking, where we’re eating foods that are more aligned with values of production — so that we’re not doing sort of the academic removal game that we all play where we have our real lives and then we have our academic lives or our lives at school and where it feels like a more integrated whole. I’m going to say that perhaps we come here with companion animals because I’m a big proponent of interspecies equity. So I would not be sad if the ASU campus, like my own yard in Phoenix, has been re-wilded, so that we have bobcats and javelinas and hawks sitting among us on this outdoor platform where we’re co-creating new futures and reality with a new generation of leaders that are on fire and passionate to embrace the forms of hope and optimism and solutionsbuilding. It’s more community embeddedness and outward facing rather than the more narrow academic mindset. So that’s a future I’m trying to create. That’s a rough draft made on the spot so hopefully people can cocreate better versions like v2.0, v3.0 and everyone can sort of think about what their version of that Earth Day may look like.
Dorsey: 55 years ago Earth Day was an SOS. In a decade it’s going to be about three S’s and it ought to be about three S’s: showcasing sustainability solutions. If we do the math, and we see that solar is doubling every three years, in a decade it’s going to be an order
of magnitude more — and very likely more than that. That is really the sweet spot for big breakthroughs of solutions, and I think that’s what we’re going to see in a decade from now. Even if you don’t believe it, the trajectory is already there, so let’s wait for that decade to come.
If you could leave the audience with one challenge or call to action, what would it be?
Dorsey: I would give you two easy ones. Let’s dial out of social media, let’s dial out of that addiction space, that’s really what that is. And the other one: let’s lean into that original Earth Day mandate. Really it was a call to live true to “Deimos,” “Polus,” and “Civicus” — those sort of fundamental terms of engaging as a citizen. Let’s lean into that, not just for being a good citizen, but to really help accelerate those solutions. I would put that charge to folks.
Bradshaw: Mine is: go outside. Go outside today, go outside every day, go outside every time you have an option — just go outside. I think the more time we spend in nature the better everything gets individually, in our communities, on our planet. The more time we are outside, the more connected we are to the natural world, and I think everything flows from that relationship. And we might actually recognize that we are part of nature rather than stewarding it.
Spreitzer: Well, you took mine, but I do think going outside is super important. The second one is to just have those conversations with people that you agree you disagree with. Have conversations with people across the
aisle. I think having those conversations, telling your story and sharing why you care about the environment, what really motivates you is what’s really going to spark this momentum.
Palmer: These are all great. I would say — and it’s easy to do here if you’re a student and maybe fairly easy if you are faculty here — continue to build your community. A sense of community is critical to solving any of these problems. Maybe you have multiple spheres of community: your colleagues, your neighborhood community or an affinity group that you belong to. Some of building a community does mean putting that phone down. I don’t have anything against the phones, but committing to some digital minimalism so you don’t have that barrier between you and that other person. They’re good to activate people, but I think spending more time with people in real life is critical to our future. I know that there’s literature about this, but I think that it’s even more pressing than we realize to not only shore up our spirits but also exchange ideas. That’s where innovations and dialogues can come. That’s where you can create a good relationship between a journalist and a scientist. You actually come up with a new idea that didn’t happen before that exchange of knowledge happened. So I would just encourage you to start having conversations with each other. Talk to people randomly on the street if it’s not weird, you never know where it’s going to go, just showing that piece of care. It’s also about caring for us, for our planet, for our communities. It will come to bear in probably the best possible way if done right.
