The Link Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather

From his groundbreaking research on the impact of disturbance on forest dynamics to the development of the Landscape Management System that allows users to simulate forest growth to his seminal work on forest stand dynamics, Chadwick D. Oliver, Pinchot Professor Emeritus at the Yale School of the Environment, has transformed the field of forestry.

Contributions made over his more than 50-year-career have earned him the Barrington Moore Memorial Award in Biological Science from the Society of American Forestry (SAF), which recognizes outstanding achievement in biological research that led to the advance of forestry. Oliver will receive the award Sept. 19 at SAF’s national convention in Loveland, Colorado

“Receiving the Barrington Award confirms the effectiveness of an open, cooperative approach to science that many of my colleagues and I have used with each other and with our students. That is, we make individual discoveries, but we best serve if we build on the scientific works of our predecessors, work cooperatively with our colleagues, leave increased knowledge, and open pathways for others to build on what we have learned, he said.

Oliver, who taught at YSE for more than 20 years before retiring in 2022, authored more than 150 books, chapters, and research papers that have garnered over 12,000 citations. His conceptual model — and subsequent paper — that contended that disturbances in forests were not exceptions, but the norm and that all forests arise from and are affected by natural and human disturbances countered the prevailing view in ecology at the time and revolutionized the field of silviculture.  His 1990 book published with Bruce Larson ’78 MFS, “Forest Stand Dynamics,” which focused on how the species and arrangement of trees favored different size, shapes, and qualities, set a new framework on forest development.

In addition to his research, Oliver worked with hundreds of mid-career professionals in dozens of countries on land management practices and testified at Congressional hearings on reducing fire risks and managing spotted owls.

“I do not believe you could get a more deserving person for this award given Chad’s contribution to stand dynamics, his engagement with the early framework for computer generated programs for landscape management, and his broader engagement with promoting better forest policy, and management decisions particularly in the U.S. West,” said Mark Ashton, Morris K. Jesup Professor of Silviculture and Forest Ecology and director of Yale Forests who nominated Oliver.

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Dana Tomlin, professor of GIS, has received the UCGIS Lifetime Achievement in GIScience Education Award.

“When I first came to Yale as a doctoral student, much of my reason for doing so was to pursue a hobby-like interest in the use of computers to play (I mean work) with maps,” Tomlin said. “Having now made a career out of that hobby, I am more enthused than ever at the prospect of sharing this work, I mean play, with others who also enjoy thinking spatially.”

Tomlin, the originator of Map Algebra, a set of pixelwise and neighborhood computation techniques across multiple rasters, is known for his commitment to GIS education. For almost five decades, Tomlin has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses emphasizing practical demonstration alongside strategic reasoning and creating innovative teaching materials, such as detailed ArcGIS tutorial handouts and clear documentation to supplement lectures. In his nomination letter, one former student wrote, “Dana teaches his students how to think spatially, how to break down complex problems into a series of steps, engaging their creativity at the same time.” 

The University Consortium for Geographic Information Science established the Innovation in GIScience Education Award in 2020,. The award recognizes contributions to GISscience education.

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Shimon Anisfeld, senior lecturer and research scientist in water resources and environmental chemistry at YSE, has launched a new public website on water management issues.

Launched in tandem with his new textbook, “Water Management: Prioritizing Justice and Sustainability,” Anisfeld's website offers teaching and learning resources on a broad array of water issues — from inequitable access to hygiene to flooding, drought, and climate change .

“Water touches every aspect of our society. The goal of the textbook-website combination is to provide an up-to-date, integrated resource for those who want to better understand the various aspects of the water crisis,” Anisfeld said.

The new website and textbook address water supply and scarcity, water governance and allocation, tribal water rights, transboundary conflict and cooperation, and off stream and instream uses including hydropower, fishing, recreation, flood management, waste disposal, and dams. The material also examines the impact of changing technology on water resources, emerging nature-based solutions, and justice issues. As water management is often a local issue, Anisfeld also includes case studies to illustrate problems and resolutions. The website will be continually updated with the most current data..

“Water ‘hotspots’ are manifestations of serious underlying stresses on our interconnected social–physical water systems. These stresses require sustained attention from water managers, scientists, policymakers, and the public, even after the headlines have faded. That attention, in turn, requires a shared understanding of how water systems function, the stresses they are experiencing, and the tools available to increase their resilience," Anisfeld noted in the preface of his book.

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Dan Esty, Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy, and Justin Farrell professor of sociology spoke about climate crisis resilience at the Vatican’s global climate change summit, held May 15 to 17.

 “I was pleased to present my work on revamping the international trade system to better align with the world community’s commitment to climate change action and a more sustainable future in general (see the Villars Framework for a Sustainable Future),” Esty who spoke about his work developing a sustainability agenda for the World Trade Organization said. “And it was a special joy to have the moral authority of the Pope reinforce the push for a just transition to a sustainable global economy.”

Hosted by the Pontifical Academies of Science and Social Sciences, the three-day summit and workshop, “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience,” brought together hundreds of political leaders, scientists, and policy experts — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, New York Gov.  McCarthy, and Former White House Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy. Farrell who was inducted last year into the Pontifical Academies of Science and Social Sciences and was on the advisory committee that put the event together spoke on historical land dispossession and current and future climate risks of Indigenous peoples which was the focus of his 2021 Science paper.

“This extraordinary convergence fostered global dialogue and collaboration, blending insights from natural and social sciences within the moral context of the Vatican,” Farrell said. “With a truly global perspective, the academy amplifies voices from around the world, especially from the Global South, adding a diverse and inclusive dimension to scientific discussions held here.” 

 Pope Francis addressed participants early in the summit, saying the “stakes could not be higher” and encouraging people “to continue to work together in effecting a transition from the current climate crisis to climate resilience in equality and social justice.” 

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Yuan Yao, associate professor of industrial ecology and sustainable systems, will be part of multi-institutional research initiative aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the lifecycle of computers.

The project, funded by a $12 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation, focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of computing by 45% within the next decade. It will pursue three main goals: create standardized protocols to measure and report carbon costs over the lifetime of a device; develop ways to reduce the carbon footprint of computing; and explore ways to reduce the carbon emissions of fast-growing applications such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality systems. The five-year initiative is one of three projects chosen by the NSF as part of its Expeditions in Computing program.

Yao will lead efforts on carbon modeling, accounting, and validation of semiconductors and computer systems, covering both embodied and operational emissions.

“Artificial Intelligence is advancing rapidly and holds the promise of fostering a more sustainable future. However, it also poses significant environmental challenges, such as the generation of greenhouse gases and waste from the manufacturing and disposal of chips and devices, as well as the impact associated with energy consumed during operations. This project will help support the sustainable development and application of AI,” Yao said.

The team is being co-led by Harvard Professor David Brooks and University of Pennsylvania Professor Benjamin Lee, and includes researchers from California Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University and The Ohio State University.

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