I recently caught up with Kavita Sharma (MEM ’12) to chat with her about her work with the UN. So many of you all are interested in working abroad after school, and Kavita is now in Geneva—and also doing international policy work, which so many of you are interested in—so I thought her advice and perspective would be helpful.
Our dean, Sir Peter Crane and FES alum, Frances Beinecke speak about Yale College’s efforts to become more sustainable under President Richard C. Levi’s leadership. Thought you all might enjoy!
http://news.yale.edu/videos/sustainability-yale-greening-blue
A few weeks back, Yale F&ES hosted a team from Google to discuss opportunities for partnerships in advancing geo-technology. The event allowed attendees to work with Google Maps Engine and Google Earth Engine, and to get a first-hand view of the current state and future of Google’s leadership in spatial data analysis. An outstanding Master of Environmental Science student, Beth Tellman, shares her experience with this event, and how it relates to her own research.
The next Forestry & Environmental Studies program that I want to introduce is the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC). YPCCC is a center for both communication and a research. In a nutshell, this project addresses the gap between science and society and aims to effectively communicate climate change science to societies in the United States and abroad. F&ES students work as Research Assistants and collaborate with professors and key partners to conduct original research on public climate change awareness and perception. The Research Assistants then design and test new strategies for raising social awareness and communication for climate change, as well as methods for engaging society in finding solutions for climate change adaptation. In addition, YPCCC aims to work with educators and communicators to provide effective teaching tools…
One FES alum following her dream to make a difference
At Yale, we are surrounded by professors and classmates who push and inspire us to be creative about how we overcome challenges in the world. Over the past few years, Yale and CBEY have focused this creativity towards using the power of business to create a better world.
But it isn’t everyday that we hear about recent graduates who have taken this message to heart and put into practice.
Recently, I spoke with Camille Rebelo, a 2007 graduate of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Like most of us, she was eager to use her new degree to make a difference. She took a job working in forestry and before long, in forest carbon markets…
Report from the Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue Organized by the UNFF Major Groups
“Major Groups play a crucial role in the UNFF process” UNFF10 chair Mario Ruales Carranza from Ecuador said. Witnessing the negotiations and current UNFF structure, one may ask: How far does the influence of civil society groups in the Forum’s process reach? Are the views and recommendations of the nine Major Groups of Women, Children and Youth, Indigenous People, Non-governmental Organizations, Local Authorities, Workers and Trade Unions, Business and Industry, Scientific and Technological Communities, and Farmers and Small Forest Landowners incorporated in the final UNFF document? To what extent do they meaningfully influence decision-making?
The Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue (MSD) gave all Major Groups the opportunity to speak in front of the plenary. During a three-minute speech, the focal…
It’s hard to forget the day I arrived in Thailand. On every corner smells emanated from street vendors cooking a variety of dishes from enticing Thai noodles to spicy cockroaches. The whir of tuk-tuks and motorcycles came from unexpected directions, as drivers sped down sidewalks to avoid traffic jams. Bangkok pushed my senses to new levels, and while it was hard to ignore its attractions, our group of five graduate students from F&ES was on a mission. Our destination: the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES).
The first day of CITES CoP16 was a celebration, not only for the opening of the meeting, but also to observe the 40th anniversary of CITES. CITES was drafted…
Report of the Side Event ‘”Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry” by The Forests Dialogue
Partnerships for collaborative solutions between investors and rights-holders can mobilize unused natural resources, improve forest protection, and promote sustainable development. The Forests Dialogue (TFD) presented the initiative Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry (ILCF) at the UN Forum on Forests 10th Session in Istanbul. TFD showed ILCF is different from common investments in natural resources in that it promotes a paradigm shift from ‘capital seeks natural resources and needs labor’ to ‘rights-holders manage natural resources and seek capital and partners.’
Why is ILCF relevant?
A growing trend toward local control and rights for rural communities and indigenous groups unleashes increasing support from investment funds and philanthropic foundations for community-driven initiatives. Besides enhancing the…
Report back from the Yale/IUFRO Side Event
“No one single entity – public or private, domestic or international – can address the challenges facing forests,” said Professor Ben Cashore at the UNFF10 side event Private Sector & Forest Finance on April 11 which was co-organized by Yale University and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations. Synergistic and collaborative efforts are needed to embrace the complexity of forest management and to scale up technical and financial support.
An effective future framework for the governance of our world’s forests is not possible without substantial involvement from the private sector. Similar statements can increasingly be heard at conferences concerning climate change, sustainable development, and forests. Funding schemes like the Green Climate Fund or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation…
Findings from a Promising Initiative for Investors, Rights-holders, Governments, and Donors
Forests for People – this slogan has circled through the United Nations particularly since the International Year of Forests 2011. Human wellbeing and healthy forests are directly linked through the various ecosystem services that we humans rely on. Forests are home to 300 million people around the world and 1.6 billion people’s livelihoods depend on forests. Yet, these people are often poorly involved in decisions that affect their very basis for survival.
The Forests Dialogue (TFD) provides a platform to discuss the most pressing issues concerning forests and people in a multi-stakeholder setting. As such, TFD has launched an initiative to find out how to best enable local people to control their valuable resources. Investing in Locally…
