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Annual Report
David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable FutureAdvancing Research and Cultivating Collaborations
The David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) represents a bold commitment to develop and deploy knowledge, advancing solutions to some of society’s most complex and pressing problems. Sustainability transcends individual disciplines, while resting on a foundation of disciplinary understanding. The Center’s three major program areas—Energy, Environment, and Economic Development—are tightly linked and interdependent.
ACSF supports and stimulates sustainability research across Cornell. We contribute to programs and initiatives in Cornell’s colleges, schools, centers, institutes, and offices, includ-ing the Sustainability Forum; the Institute for the Social Sciences; the President’s Sustainable Campus Committee; the College of Engineer-ing’s Energy Institute; the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Devel-opment; the Center for Global Sustainable Enterprise; the Institute for Computational Sustainability; the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station; the Northeast Regional Climate Center; and many others.
ACSF is funded through a generous donation from David and Patricia Atkinson, with additional funding from Cornell University, Yossie Hol-lander, the Towards Sustainability Foundation, and Cornell alumni and friends.
M I S S I O NCornell University’s David R. Atkinson Center
for a Sustainable Future advances multi-disciplinary research and cultivates innovative collaborations within and beyond Cornell to
foster a sustainable future for all.
About the Center S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y“Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1983
About ACSF: www.acsf.cornell.edu/about
“Issues in sustainability connect to virtually all university disciplines. Bringing solutions to the world will require Cornell’s engagement with all sectors of society and the economy.” Frank DiSalvo (ACSF)Frank DiSalvo (ACSF)
2010 was a watershed year.
In the spring, a blue-ribbon panel of four eminent scientists and leaders in sustainability com-pleted the Center’s first external assessment. The report was a ringing endorsement of Cornell’s potential as a center for sustainability innovation and urged the university to expand this success-ful initiative. David and Patricia Atkinson swiftly responded, making an extraordinary gift of $80 million—the largest individual gift to the Ithaca campus in Cornell’s history! The gift provides a permanent, stable financial base for the Center, enabling us to continue the range of transforma-tive programs launched just three years ago.
Meanwhile, we cosponsored three summer institutes that brought leading thinkers, both young and established, to campus for a week of dialogue and joint exploration, and our Academic Venture Fund and topical lunches attracted a growing number of faculty, staff, and students to an array of sustainability topics. The momentum is unmistakable.
Renamed in October in honor of the Atkinsons, the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) uses its program resources to multiply the productivity and visibility of Cornell’s distinguished academic units, centers, and institutes. The sustainability community at Cornell is growing and flourishing as the Atkinson Center provides cross-campus coordination. ACSF’s 220 Faculty Fellows, spanning 55 departments across all Cornell colleges, have leveraged $8 million in pilot funding from Cornell and the Atkinsons into more than $73 million in external project funding paid to Cornell’s colleges and schools.
With the Center’s financial sustainability now ensured, we are increasing our efforts to launch visionary advances in sustainability scholarship, assist with new faculty hiring, and deliver high-impact innovations. We are inspired and humbled by the outpouring of enthusiastic interest and support the Atkinson Center has received from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends. Thanks to the vision and energy of a great many people, sustainability is thriving at Cornell.
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Message from the Directors
Message from David R. Atkinson
A Dramatic Announcement
Highlights of 2010
Academic Venture Fund
Cultivating Strategic Collaborations
Global Impact
Topical Lunches
Faculty Advisory Board
Cosponsored Events
Iscol Lecture
Education
A Sustainable Campus
Financial Report
ACSF People
Message from the Directors
Frank DiSalvoDirector
Drew HarvellAssociate DirectorEnvironment
Helene SchemberExecutive Director
Chris BarrettAssociate DirectorEconomic Development
David DieterichPartnerships DirectorExecutive in Residence
Jefferson TesterAssociate Director Energy
1We appreciate the vital contributions of Anurag Agrawal (EEB), associate director of ACSF’s environment program from February 2008 through June 2010.
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In 2010, the Center for a Sustainable Future became a permanent part of Cornell University—an event worth celebrating. The Center’s three broad areas of focus are environment, energy, and economic development. Sustainability problems are interrelated, so once society focuses on any of these three vital areas, it is quickly drawn into questions relating to the other two.
Because of their depth of knowledge across many disciplines, research univer-sities are inherently the best-equipped institutions to grapple with these issues. More specifically, Cornell is the best-positioned university in America—and arguably, the world—to develop solutions. Cornell has an unusual breadth of disciplines and is the highest-ranked American university with a college of agriculture. Agriculture has a significant impact on environmental and energy matters, and a productive, efficient agricultural sector is a key ingredient for economic development.
Looking ahead, sustainability will be of increasing concern. There are two primary reasons for its growing importance: population growth and economic development. Countries with large populations, like China and India, are experiencing strong economic growth and placing increasing pressure on the biosphere. In 2009, China’s consumption of energy is thought to have surpassed the former top consumer, the United States—even though the per capita consumption of energy in China is only about one-fifth of this country’s per capita consumption.
If adequate steps are not taken today to mitigate the problems associated with sustainability, society may eventually confront even greater difficulties, which makes the Center relevant and essential, both now and in the future. As a source of unbiased information, a catalyst for interdisciplinary sustainability re-search, and a partner with entrepreneurs, businesses, NGOs, and governments, the Center will magnify the impact of the knowledge and ingenuity at Cornell.
The Center is off to a great start since it was established in 2007. My wife Pat and I are excited to be able to endow it.
David R. Atkinson ’60
Message from David R. Atkinson“This is a very exciting time for Cornell. After three years of a successful pilot program, the Center has an established track record of success.”
David Skorton, Cornell President
“I think this Center will be great for Cornell, just as Cornell was—and is—great for me.”David R. Atkinson ‘60
On October 28, 2010, Cornell celebrated David and Patricia Atkinson’s extraor-dinary commitment by renaming the Center in their honor. To mark the occa-sion, Frank DiSalvo hosted a panel discussion, “Creating Sustainable Futures for All,” with world–class sustainability experts Sheryl WuDunn ’81 (Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist), Armando Olivera ’72 (Florida Power and Light), Fred Krupp (Environmental Defense Fund), and Rich Delaney (PepsiCo). President Skorton and David Atkinson then addressed a capacity crowd on the Center’s unique role at Cornell and around the world. In the evening, the Atkinsons joined Cornell friends and colleagues at a dinner celebration.
A Dramatic Announcement “Our ability to live sustainably on our shared planet will
in large part determine the fate of humanity for centuries to come.”David Skorton, Cornell President
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Atkinson Announcement: www.acsf.cornell.edu/Atkinson
Permanent In October 2010, David and Pat Atkinson’s generous gift created a lasting focal point for sustainability research at Cornell. The Atkinsons’ early support had a galvanizing impact on the newly founded Center, funding more than 40 teams of faculty across the campus and advancing research in such diverse areas as food systems, aging and the environment, wind energy, wildlife conservation, poverty, and the economic consequences of climate change. With its future secure, the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future moves into 2011 with confi-dence and a long-term strategic mission.
VibrantIn its third year, the Center continues to engage an exceptionally broad range of faculty—more than 350—in seminars, workshops, informal and formal task forces and working groups, grant application teams, faculty hiring committees, and col-
laborative initiatives. ACSF appointed 35 new Faculty Fellows in 2010—for a total of 220, representing 55 de-partments and all colleges and schools on the Ithaca campus.
VisibleThe Center cosponsored or promoted 370 sustainability events on campus in 2010. Our website traffic doubled in the fall, and in September, we launched an ACSF blog, with more than 40 posts through the remainder of the year. The Cornell Chronicle featured over 140 articles on sustainability research, and our Faculty Fellows’ opinions and research were increasingly cited in the national media, including the Washington Post, CNN, the Economist, the New York Times, USA Today, Scientific American, EarthSky, and the National Geographic blog.
Highlights of 2010
ACSF Sustainability News, Events, and Videos: www.acsf.cornell.eduAtkinson Center Blog: www.acsf.cornell.edu/blog
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“Cornell must play a leadership role in guiding humanity university can and must be used to address pressing
TransformativeACSF is transforming the Cornell campus—and the way that sustainability research is undertaken at universities—with its multidisciplinary, problem-focused approach. Working with multiple Cornell colleges, the Center is sponsoring faculty cluster hir-ing in the areas of energy systems, climate change, and environmental and energy economics and sustainable enterprise. ACSF has provided essential coordination and funding to help Cornell sustainability faculty, includ-ing 25 interdisciplinary AVF project teams, to secure more than $73 million in additional funding from government and other agencies.
Global A Cornell delegation of 23 faculty and students, cosup-ported by ACSF, attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico. Representing Cornell interests in sustainable agriculture, energy eco-nomics, and labor relations, the faculty presentations were attended by well over 500 researchers and advocates from around the world. The Center’s Academic Venture Fund has funded research in Africa, Indonesia, Kenya, Central America, and the Middle East. ACSF’s annual Iscol Lecture featured world-renowned climatologist James Hansen, who spoke to an overflow crowd in Call Auditorium in April.
RecognizedIn April 2010, a distinguished panel of independent experts was convened to evaluate the Center’s approach, progress, and direction. The panel concluded, “The Center’s ac-complishments and campus leadership during the two short years of its existence have been nothing short of remarkable.” The panel was chaired by William Schlessinger, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, and included Mildred Dresselhaus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; C. Peter Timmer, Center for Global Development; and Richard Truly, National Re-newable Energy Laboratory (retired director).
“Our committee offers deep and wide praise for the leadership of the Center.” External Assessment, April 2010
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to a more sustainable future. Our assets as an Ivy League and land grant world issues.” Kent Fuchs, Cornell Provost
The Academic Venture Fund (AVF) is the ACSF’s keystone funding initiative. The fund stimulates original cross-disciplinary research in sustainability science at Cornell and promotes activities with the potential to attract external partners in industry, government, NGOs, and foundations.
The proposals submitted to the AVF in 2010 represent a vibrant, innovative, inter-disciplinary movement at Cornell. ACSF evaluated proposals from investigators in all colleges and schools across the Cornell campus. Over 90 percent of the submis-sions included investigators from more than one college or school, and more than 40 percent of the submissions were from teams spanning three or four colleges or schools.
Since 2008, ACSF review panels and lead-ership have worked together to select 25 projects—8 in 2010, 5 in 2009, and 12 in 2008—for funding. ACSF directors meet quarterly with AVF principal investigators for progress updates and to encourage team members to explore external part-nerships.
Bacteriophages for the Dairy Industry Bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—are the perfect antimicrobial agents: specific to a few bacterial spe-cies or even strains, they are nontoxic to mammals. Rodrigo Carvalho Bicalho (VTPMD), Peter Frazier (ORIE), and Thorsten Joachims (CS) will develop a phage cocktail, complete a clinical trial on 900 dairy cows, and model phage therapy’s cost-effectiveness for commer-cial dairy farms. This research promises to harness the antibacterial power of bacteriophages, replacing antibiotics for the treatment of common bovine diseases—and may eventually lead to phage therapies for human diseases.
Academic Venture Fund
Monitoring Protocols for the Marcellus ShaleNatural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale is already under way, yet monitoring pro-cedures are not in place to protect natu-ral resources and public health. Susan Christopherson (CRP), Kieran Donaghy (CRP), Albert George (MAE), and Susan Riha (EAS) are developing procedures and protocols as the groundwork for pro-grams to monitor air and water quality in the Marcellus shale region. The project promises to raise public awareness of the full range of costs associated with
natural gas extraction and to lead to more informed policy decisions.
Thousandfold Improvement in Solar PhotobioreactorsThe natural photosynthetic process—using solar energy to capture carbon dioxide and produce biofuel and oxygen—provides the ultimate model of sustainable energy generation. An emerging strategy for harnessing pho-tosynthesis is the direct conversion of carbon dioxide to biofuel using photo-synthetic bacteria. Led by David Erickson (MAE), David Sinton (MAE), and Largus Angenent (BEE), this project will develop a proof-of-concept photobioreactor that will make solar biofuel generation fea-sible year-round, even in colder climates. The process promises energy security for the United States and environmental sustainability on a global scale.
N E W A V F R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T S
Academic Venture Fund: www.acsf.cornell.edu/AVF
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“Healthy ecosystems foster healthy societies. Cornell is uniquely challenges in agriculture, biogeochemistry, biodiversity, and
N E W A V F R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T S
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W O R K S H O P SACSF supported several workshops in
2010. These successful events were held
on the Cornell campuses and explored
crucial challenges in sustainability, from
harvesting wind energy, to confront-
ing and documenting world hunger, to
helping smallholder farmers access new
markets.
Climate Protection, Energy Policy, and Economic Development Sean Sweeney (GLI)
Hunger Chronicles RoundtableChris Barrett (AEM) and Ralph Christy (CIIFAD)
Moving Out of Poverty: Mitigating Spatial MismatchMatthew Freedman (ILRLE) and Antonio Bento
(AEM)
Problems, Promises, and Paradoxes of AidMuna Ndulo (IAD) and Chris Barrett (AEM)
Smallholder Value Chain WorkshopMiguel I. Gómez (AEM) and Chris Barrett (AEM)
Systems Approach to Energy and Sustainability: Marcellus ShaleAl George (MAE), Susan Christopherson (CRP), and
Jefferson Tester (CHEME)
University Collaboration on Wind EnergyAlan Zehnder (MAE), Christopher Clark (LABO), and
Philip Liu (CEE)
Young Social Scientists’ Sustainability Research ForumChris Barrett (AEM) and Ken Roberts (ISS)
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positioned to address interdisciplinary climate change.” Anurag Agrawal (EEB)
Biochar Fibers for Personal Protective EquipmentProtective clothing is essential for workers exposed to toxic chemicals. Chemical protective liners made with biochar—a stable charcoal product—may provide a greener route to the next generation of protective clothing. Cornell researchers Anthony Hay (BIOMI) and Juan Hinestroza (FSAD) will test several biochars, measur-ing their suitability for use in nonwoven biochar fibers and identifying promising fiber combinations for potential produc-tion. Biochar-based fabrics may also later serve as geotextiles for containing toxic spills and as sampling devices for assess-ing contamination on solid surfaces.
Water Governance in the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin The Middle East and Mediterranean are among the regions most severely affected by the global water crisis. This project, led by Gail Holst-Warhaft (NES) and Tammo Steenhuis (BEE), will assess the adequacy of water legislation in the Mediterranean basin and develop effective monitoring systems and local enforcers’ capacity to promote compli-ance. Cornell researchers hosted a water governance workshop with partnering organizations in Crete. Knowledge gained from the Mediterranean will be of immediate use in other water-short areas of the world, including the United States.
Carbon Sequestration Risk AnalysisGeologic carbon sequestration (GCS)—injecting carbon dioxide deep under-ground—promises to help fight climate change. Although GCS can be safe, public concern continues about injected carbon dioxide causing air or ground-water contamination. Led by Christine Shoemaker (CEE), Philip Liu (CEE), and Teresa Jordan (EAS), this project will develop a model for analyzing, quanti-fying, and monitoring the risk of GCS. This methodology will inform decisions about initiating and safely maintaining carbon sequestration projects, thereby reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and promoting a sustainable environment.
Algal Bioreactors for Biofuel ProductionAquatic microalgae are an attractive prospect for biofuel production, yet no large-scale facilities for commercial algal biofuel production exist. Beth Ahner (BEE), Ruth Richardson (CEE), and Mau-reen Hanson (MBG) are improving the economics by coproducing a high-value enzyme, while developing diagnostic methods for algal culture monitoring—a new tool that stands to increase output of both the enzyme and oil for biodiesel. The team is part of a research consortium funded by a $9 million award from the Department of Energy.
Sustainability of Food Systems
Miguel Gómez (AEM), Huaizhu Gao
(CEE), Dennis Miller (FDSC), Ardyth Gil-
lespie (NS), and Jonathan Russell-Anelli
(CSS) are developing metrics and mod-
els for assessing food systems sustain-
ability, which they will test by compar-
ing the sustainability of one local and
one conventional supply chain for a fruit
and a vegetable. The project will shed
light on key policy questions about the
nation’s food supply
and “eating
local.”
Integrated Digital Design Environment for Sustainable ArchitectureDon Greenberg (JGSM, ARCH, CS), Kevin Pratt (ARCH), Dana Cupkova (ARCH), and Brandon Hencey (MAE) are developing interactive visual and ana-lytic tools to help architects in the early stages of the design process, when decisions that affect the long-term sustainability of buildings are made. Striking new visualization methods for energy simulations are just one output from this innova-tive team, which recently received a three-year, $1.83 million grant from the Depart-ment of Energy.
Forecasting Disease and Economic Consequences of Climate ChangeDrew Harvell (EEB), Laura Harrington (ENTOM), Kelly Zamudio (EEB), and Diego Ruiz-Moreno (EEB) are leading a Disease and Climate Network at Cornell. The team is developing tools to forecast mosquito-borne infections and climate-driven disease outbreaks in corals and amphibians, with the ultimate goal of estimating the eco-
nomic impacts of outbreaks driven by cli-mate change.
“I cannot underscore enough the impact that the Atkinson Center my research-outreach agenda for the next five years is the result
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Assessing Carbon Sequestration in Complex Agricultural LandscapesJames Lassoie (NTRES), David Wolfe (HORT), Alexander Travis (VET), David Lee (AEM), Philip McMichael (DSOC), and Louise Buck (NTRES) are develop-ing a practical approach to carbon accounting in complex agricultural landscapes, using the minimum data required for rigorous but cost-effective monitoring of changes in soil health and livelihood security. This new methodology will support emerging ef-forts to promote and regulate climate-friendly agriculture around the world. The team has received a $4.7 million USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative grant to continue its research.
Environmental, Energetic, and Economic Potential of BiocharBiochar, a stable charcoal product, greatly enhances crop yields, while reducing the need for traditional chemical fertilizers—and their environ-mental impact on croplands. Johannes Lehmann (CSS), Norm Scott (BEE), and Brent Gloy (AEM) are using integrated economic, energy, and life-cycle data analysis to quantify biochar’s potential as a major technology to fight climate change. The AVF seed grant has been extended by a $5 million grant from philanthropist Yossie Hollander.
Understanding Aflatoxin Accumulation in MaizeMycotoxins—toxic compounds produced by fungi—contaminate an estimated quarter of the world’s food supply. Michael Milgroom (PLPA) and Rebecca Nelson (PLBR, PLPA) are examining one of the most potent mycotoxins, aflatoxin, in maize in East Africa to identify the most effective and feasible interven-tions to reduce aflatoxin exposure for high-risk popu-lations.
Vibro-Wind TechnologyFrancis Moon (MAE), Ephrahim Garcia (MAE), Hod Lipson (MAE), Charles Williamson (MAE), Wolfgang Sachse (TAM, MAE), and Kevin Pratt (ARCH) are investigating harvesting energy from the wind as it flows around buildings. Vibro-wind power extracts energy from small vibrating elements
mounted on the structure, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy
that can be used in the building’s operation. The project earned a mention in the 2010 “Year in Ideas,” a New
York Times Magazine year-end feature.
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is having on my professional career. About 80 percent of of my interaction with the Center.” Miguel Gómez (AEM)
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Green Energy Development and Rural Community SustainabilityRichard Stedman (NTRES), Rod Howe (CARDI), Susan Riha (EAS), and Susan Christopherson (CRP) are developing models and methods for evaluating the sustainability of rural communities in the face of a large-scale reorienta-tion of the nation’s energy supply. The resulting framework will aid the implementation of “green energy” technology by predict-ing likely impacts of development. The team has collected prelimi-nary data that assesses prospective impacts in the Allegheny Plateau region.
Micropowdered Biomass CombustionRobert Thorne (PHYS), Elizabeth Fisher (MAE), Frederick Gouldin (MAE), K. Max Zhang (MAE), and Antonio Bento (AEM) are investigating a system for micropowdered biomass combustion that uses powdered hardwoods, the most abundant biomass feedstock in upstate New York. This clean combus-tion technology offers a local, sustain-able energy solution with the potential
to replace liquid fuels like heating oil and propane.
A Solar Cell Using Inorganic “Grass”Sandip Tiwari (ECE), Jiwoong Park (CHEM), and Christopher Ober (MSE) are pioneering a new low-cost technique for creating silicon solar cells—a major step toward making clean, sustainable energy widely avail-able. The process replaces expensive single-crystal silicon wafers with grass-like silicon nanowires grown on metal. The researchers are developing production technol-ogy and prototypes of the solar cells, with a focus on improving efficiencies.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric VehiclesPlug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have launched an electrified transpor-tation sector. K. Max Zhang (MAE), Tim Mount (AEM), and Bob Thomas (ECE) are evaluating the effects of electrifying transportation on energy use and emissions. Their research
team is assessing the po-tential of PHEVs to
accommodate renewable energy
and link the trans-portation, utility, and
building sectors.
“ACSF is service-oriented and focused on creating a responsive, productive environment for faculty collaborations that tackle the toughest of research problems in sustainability.” Helene Schember (ACSF)
C O N T I N U I N G A V F R E S E A R C H P R O J E C T S
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“Turbine-Free Wind Power”Francis Moon (MAE) in New York Times Magazinewww.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Moon-NYT
“Coral Reefs Sending a Warning Signal” Drew Harvell (EEB) in CNN.comwww.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Harvell-CNN
“Climate Change May Be Tipping Balance against Imperiled Puerto Rico Frog”Kelly Zamudio (EEB) in NatGeo News Watch blog www.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Zamudio-NatGeo
“Could Chicken Manure Help Curb Climate Change?”Johannes Lehmann (CSS) in USATodaywww.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Lehman-USAToday
“Without the Atkinson Center, Cornell could not realize its true potential to shape a more ecologically sound environment.”Kent Kleinman, Dean of the College of Art, Architecture, and Planning
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Sustainable Architecture Goes Digital
A project launched with the support of ACSF’s Academic Venture Fund will continue and expand, thanks to a three-year, $1.83 mil-lion grant from the Department of Energy, awarded in September.
The interdisciplinary team led by Don Greenberg (JGSM, ARCH, CS), Kevin Pratt (ARCH), Dana Cupkova (ARCH), and Brandon Hencey (MAE) is creating computer simulation software that will streamline the process of meeting sustainability requirements in new buildings, helping architects to apply sustainable design prin-ciples early and effectively. The group’s 3-D simulation tool allows architects to incorporate factors like temperature, natural light, and total energy use into the design process, rather than relying on engineers to mandate retroactive fixes during construction.
The software will reduce consultation expenses and the labor of revising a design—from building orientation to ventilation sys-tems—after the initial architectural plan is complete. With com-puter graphics technology advancing rapidly, architecture firms will have the computing capability to run such complex models in their own offices within several years.
The key to sustainable design is fitting a building to its environ-ment. The Cornell group’s forward-looking simulation tool will allow designers to understand and use all aspects of the building environment to reduce a structure’s energy demands for a smaller carbon footprint and long-term sustainability.
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“The Center’s support was the key element necessary to allow us to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach in an area that is so vital to the country’s mission to conserve energy.” Don Greenberg (JGSM, ARCH, CS)
AVF Research in the News
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“When ‘Buy American’ Harms America and the World’s Hungry”Chris Barrett (AEM) in Washington Postwww.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Barrett-WashPost
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Cultivating Strategic Collaborations
ACSF seeks strategic collaborations that help Cornell sustainability research to promote human well-being worldwide. Complex problems require sophisticated solutions. To implement solutions at scale and achieve the greatest impact, research at Cornell must be undertaken in concert with external partners who provide complementary skills, capacity, and resources. In the past, Center funding was renewed on an annual basis, hindering the formation of long-term external collaborations. The gift from David and Patricia Atkinson pro-vides a stable base for building these strategic relationships, which are essential for Cornell to achieve world impact in sustainability.
The Center continues to advance the local and national conversation on sustainability through events that engage government agencies and officials, foundations, businesses, NGOs, and others. ACSF is now forming an External Advisory Board and an executive committee for the long-standing University Council sustainability committee. These groups, along with ACSF’s Faculty Advisory Board, will provide additional perspectives and connections to build research collaborations and a productive environment for innovation in sustainability science at Cornell and beyond.
Trustee Council Poster Competition Sustainability: Energy, Environment, and Economic Development, a Cornell University Council com-mittee, meets annually. In October, council members were invited to assess Cornell’s progress toward sustainability by acting as judges of a poster competition featuring 23 exhibits of work supported by ACSF. The intent of the competition was to communicate the research effectively to a diverse audience. Sheryl WuDunn, Knight Kiplinger, David Picket, and the ACSF as-sociate directors chose three cash prize–winning posters from the five selected by council members. The top award went to “A Systems Research Approach to Regional Energy Transitions: The Case of Marcellus Shale Gas Development,” led by Al George (MAE) and Teresa Jordan (EAS).
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HT Funding for Locally Produced Biofuels
Entrepreneur Yossie Hollander announced a $5 million gift in October to fund research address-ing the energy needs of developing countries. His forward-looking gift to the Atkinson Center will provide five years of funding for a mul-tidisciplinary team of scientists coordinated by Johannes Lehmann (CSS) to investigate a process called pyrolysis, which uses organic waste—grass, corn husks, and even chicken manure—to produce liquid biofuels for transportation, cooking, and other needs.
These Cornell researchers, including Lars Angenent (BEE), Elizabeth Fisher (MAE), Frederick Gouldin (MAE), David Lee (AEM), and Al Center (CHEME), will construct and operate a village-scale pyrolysis facility in Kenya, demonstrating the feasibility of producing renewable liquid fuels using diverse local feedstocks. Supporting in two ways the needs of farmers in developing countries, this technology creates a valuable by-product, biochar, a charcoal-like substance that local farmers can use to enrich their soil. If the project is a success, Cornell will work with appropriate partners to deploy pyrolysis machines across the developing world.
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“Collaborations like this Hollander-funded project, catalyzed by the Atkinson Center, put Cornell multidisciplinary research on a fast track to solve pressing global problems in sustainability.”David Dieterich (ACSF)
“These funds will be used to support a project of stra-tegic importance to sustainability research at Cornell and of even greater importance to villages in poor countries, where small-scale pyrolysis can provide a path for survival in an oil-constrained world.” Frank DiSalvo (ACSF)
Trustee Council Poster Competition: www.acsf.cornell.edu/2010Posters
as-the
Global Impact
ACSF Faculty Fellows brought Cornell research and innovation to the world in 2010. These leading experts provided policy guidance in crucial areas of sustainability that will impact us all.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeTwo ACSF Faculty Fellows, Natalie Mahowald (EAS) and Jefferson Tester (CHEME), serve on the Intergovernmen-tal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization. Mahowald is a lead author of the upcoming IPCC Assessment Report, while Tester is a lead author of the panel’s Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation.www.acsf.cornell.edu/IPCC
Washington Policy Briefings SeriesIn 2010, ACSF joined the Washington Policy Briefings series, begun by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which brings sound science and realistic as-sessment to bear on pressing legislative issues. These briefings, designed for legislators and legislative and agency staff, feature faculty experts who provide background information and objective analysis. ACSF cosponsored two brief-ings in Washington, D.C.: “Carbon Sequestration Practices: Using Geological Formations and Developing Biochar,” by Johannes Lehmann (CSS) and Teresa Jordan (EAS), and “Impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies,” by Max Pfeffer (DSOC) and Pilar Parra (NS). In December, Chris Barrett (AEM) and several students also provided congressional staff briefings on global food security.www.cals.cornell.edu/policy
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 16) ACSF cosponsored a delegation of 23 researchers—includ-ing faculty, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduates—to the United Nations Framework Conven-tion on Climate Change 16th Conference of Parties (COP 16) in Cancun, Mexico. Three faculty research efforts were central to Cornell’s participation: Johannes Lehmann (CSS), sustain-able agriculture and terrestrial carbon management through biochar; Antonio Bento (AEM), agricultural carbon offsets and costs of cap-and-trade programs; and Sean Sweeney (GLI), trade unions and the climate justice movement.www.acsf.cornell.edu/CU-COP
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Sustainable Foods for a Healthy Planet
A multidisciplinary collaboration that began at one of ACSF’s topical lunches and grew with early funding from the Academic Venture Fund has put down deep roots at Cornell, receiving United States Department of Agriculture grants of more than $3.5 million in 2010.
The sustainability of food systems (SFS) research group, led by Miguel Gómez (AEM), is at work on several major projects related to sustainable local foods and agriculture, integrating research with extension services. More than a dozen Cornell faculty researchers have partnered with representatives of Cor-nell Cooperative Extension in Tompkins and Onondaga coun-ties and the Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming in Ithaca. The group’s current research and outreach efforts focus on assessing local and conventional food supply chains, social and community dimensions of local food systems, regional agricultural systems and practices, and nutrition.
In one of the USDA-sponsored projects, a multistate team of scientists and practitioners is evaluating production, distribution, and consumption components of regional food systems in the Northeast. Cornell’s SFS group will lead the assessment of regional food supply chains—taking into account economic, environmental, and social dimensions—using nonregional chains as a benchmark for comparison.
For more information about sustainable foods, visit Cornell’s SFS research group at www.acsf.cornell.edu/SFS.
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“The Center serves as a nucleating entity at Cornell and beyond for generating solutions to pressing global issues, such as our need for sustainable food and fuel systems to support the world’s burgeoning population.”Kathryn J. Boor, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
The goal of this popular program is to create new con-nections among Cornell researchers who are working on related topics in sustainability. Through informal, working lunches on a specific theme, ACSF brings to-gether scholars who share their expertise and have the opportunity to form new collaborations and launch new research initiatives with significant potential for future funding. During the academic year, we typically set aside one or two dates per month, providing a modest lunch and a moderated forum for discussion. Each lunch’s organizer gives a brief presentation on a sustainability issue. Discussion revolves around several topics, such as Cornell’s related expertise, national and global needs, ways to generate an impact, and possible partners for research, funding, and outreach. ACSF hosted 13 topical lunches in 2010, with more than 250 attendees from all 10 Cornell colleges and schools.
Is Sustainable Climate Adaptation Possible in Indonesia?Drew Harvell (EEB) and Alice Pell (ANSCI)
Access to Land and Global DevelopmentWendy Wolford (DSOC)
Domestic Fair Trade: Opportunities for New York State Agriculture?Mary Jo Dudley (DSOC)
Energy, Agriculture, and Environment in Rural New YorkBob Howarth (EEB)
Conservation Benchmarking: Climate Change and the Future of Restoration Ecology*Bernd Blossey (NTRES)
Climate Science Centers Proposal DevelopmentArt DeGaetano (EAS), Max Pfeffer (DSOC), Bill Fisher (NTRES)
*Cosponsored with the Cornell Roundtable on Environmental Studies (CREST)
AguaClara: Preparing for Multidimensional Scale-upMonroe Weber-Shirk (CEE)
Copenhagen Follow-upAntonio Bento (AEM)
Outreach and SustainabilityWarren Allmon (EAS), David Wolfe (HORT), and Lee Humphreys (COMM)
Developing Electronic Resources and Computa-tional Techniques for Humanitarian InterventionsCarla Gomes (AEM) and Chris Barrett (AEM)
Green Jobs, Climate Policy, and Economic DevelopmentSean Sweeney (ILR)
“Building” a Sustainable CommunityNorm Scott (BEE)
Sustainable Ocean SystemsCharles Greene (EAS) and Drew Harvell (EEB)
Topical Lunches
Topical Lunches: www.acsf.cornell.edu/events/lunch.php
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Cornell Departmental Abbreviations: www.acsf.cornell.edu/acronyms
“These lunches spark exciting new collaborations around an important problem—like sustainable food systems or the Marcellus shale—and create new, productive connections among faculty previously unknown to one another.” Chris Barrett (ACSF)
ACSF looks to its Faculty Advisory Board (FAB) for guidance on interdisciplinary sustainability efforts, includ-ing internal initiatives like the Academic Venture Fund and responses to world events and relevant topics of public debate. The FAB is currently helping to increase the Center’s engagement with the humanities at Cornell through event sponsorship and course development.
The FAB is composed of 21 voting members and several ex officio (nonvoting) members. Voting members are chosen from the ranks of Cornell tenured and tenure-track faculty. The Center’s three associate directors serve as voting members and, with the ACSF’s director, assist in selecting five additional voting members to represent each of the Center’s three program areas. Ex officio members include the ACSF’s director, execu-tive director, and representatives appointed by the provost and deans of Cornell colleges and schools.
The FAB’s committees, working groups, and task forces study important issues, solicit input from other faculty, guide the Center’s priorities, and implement recommendations on activities.
FAB Members Leadership Zellman Warhaft (MAE, Chair), Todd Cowen (CEE, Vice Chair), Natalie Mahowald (EAS, Past Chair)
Energy Beth Ahner (BEE), Terry Jordan (EAS), Amit Lal (ECE), Johannes Lehmann (CSS), Linda Nozick (CEE), Jefferson Tester (CHEME)
Environment Kieran Donaghy (CRP), Tim Fahey (NTRES), Drew Harvell (EEB), Mike Hoffmann (ENT, AGEX), Katherine McComas (COMM), Alex Travis (VTBIO)
Economic Development Chris Barrett (AEM), Nancy Chau (AEM), Gary Fields (ILR), Dan Lichter (PAM), Ken Roberts (GOVT), Wesley Sine (JGSM)
Ex Officio Rick Allmendinger (ENG), Susanne Bruyere (ILR), Bob Buhrman (VP-R), Nelson Hairston (A&S), Barbara Knuth (GRAD), Mark Milstein (JGSM), Daryl Nydam (VET), Max Pfeffer (CALS), Frank DiSalvo, Helene Schember, David Dieterich
Faculty Advisory Board
ACSF thanks the following members who completed their FAB service in 2010: Anurag Agrawal (EEB), Gary Evans (DEA),
Anthony Hay (BIOMI), David Lewis (CRP), Kevin Pratt (ARCH), David Sahn (NS), Nicolas van de Walle (GOVT)
Faculty Cluster Hiring
The Atkinson Center plays an important cross-college role in facilitating strategic faculty cluster hiring in the areas of en-ergy, the environment, and economic development. Bridging and start-up funding are key to faculty hiring in these chal-lenging financial times. ACSF assistance gives departments and colleges the opportunity to commit faculty lines to areas of strategic importance to the broader Cornell community, enabling coordination across units to increase the visibility of searches and the quantity and quality of applicants.
The FAB’s recruitment subcommittee defined initial focus areas for strategic clusters of faculty positions, based on formal faculty proposals. Gang Chen (EAS) was the first ACSF-supported faculty hire in 2009. New openings were advertised in 2010: a social sciences position related to climate change and up to four positions in environmental and energy economics and sustainable enterprise. Other faculty appointments are anticipated in the future in climate change and energy systems.
The hiring areas bridge multiple departments, schools, and colleges, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to address emerging and high-priority research needs. “The cluster hires build on core areas of strength in sustainability, bring fresh perspectives and new connections to developing focus areas, and expand Cornell’s overall research capacity,” noted ACSF director Frank DiSalvo.
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“Part of the Center’s success is that the faculty come from different walks—they experience differently the mosaic that is sustainability.”Kieran Donaghy (CRP)
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Faculty Advisory Board: www.acsf.cornell.edu/FAB
ACSF cosponsors and promotes many sustainability-related events throughout the year, including seminars, workshops, summer programs, invited speakers, and topical lunches. In 2010, the Center supported three high-profile projects reflecting the major program themes of energy, environment, and economic development.
Energy Transitions and the New York Landscape This weekly seminar, organized by Andrea Hammer (LA), was based on an ACSF-supported white paper, “A Systems Research Approach to Regional Energy Transitions: The Case of Marcellus Shale Gas Develop-ment.” www.acsf.cornell.edu/etransitions
Sustainable Earth, Energy, and Environmental Systems Special Speaker Series This biweekly series of lectures, organized by Charles Greene (EAS), featured speakers from the Cornell research community exploring the interwoven challenge of energy, climate, and the environment in the human and natural worlds.www.acsf.cornell.edu/SEEES
Hunger ChroniclesChris Barrett (AEM) and Ralph Christy (CIIFAD), working with Jonathan Miller (Homelands Productions), hosted a roundtable discussion at Cor-nell that laid the groundwork for this ambitious glob-al media project designed to promote an informed, action-oriented discussion of ways to guarantee all people access to adequate food. www.acsf.cornell.edu/HungerChronicles
Sustainability Events: www.acsf.cornell.edu/events
Cosponsored Events
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Summer Programs
The Center sponsored three exciting programs that brought researchers to Ithaca in summer 2010.
With funding from ACSF, the Sustainable Energy Fellowship program held its summer 2010 session at Cornell from June 2–9. Led by Jefferson Tester (CHEME), 57 students from 17 different institutions explored how energy is supplied and used today, sustainable energy options, and what the future may hold. The program culminated in team projects and recommendations.
During the same week, Cornell hosted the eighth annual Workshop and Conference on the Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases, with partial funding from ACSF. Organized by Drew Harvell (EEB), Laura Harrington (ENTOM), and Colin Parrish (BAKERI), the conference focused on epidemics and pandemics, hosts as habitats, and climate and diseases. NSF-funded workshop sessions for 60 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows followed the conference.
Organized by Kieran Donaghy (CRP) and Natalie Mahowald (EAS) with ACSF support, a workshop entitled “Managing Transitions to Sustainable Com-munities and Regions” gathered young scholars and professionals at Cornell from June 14–18. Twenty-two participants from 10 countries learned about all aspects of managing transitions to sustainable communities and regions: from systems engineering, to simulation modeling and forecasting, to project management, to political mobilization.
“We are developing cross-cutting themes to address the effects of climate change on infectious disease in coral reefs, amphibian species, and humans.” Drew Harvell (ACSF)
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Renowned climatologist James E. Hansen delivered the 12th annual Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture to an overflow crowd on April 19, 2010. An active researcher in planetary atmospheres and climate science for nearly 40 years, Hansen is best known for his congressional testimony on climate change that elevated awareness of global warming. Hansen heads the NASA God-dard Institute for Space Studies in New York and serves as adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Earth Institute.
In his lecture, Hansen focused on issues presented in his 2009 book Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth about the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity. Hansen portrays a devastating scenario of what will happen in the very near future, if current policies are con-tinued. “Our fossil fuel addiction, if unabated, threatens our children and grandchildren, and most species on the planet,” he warns. Yet Hansen remains optimistic that we can do what is needed to save our planet if action is taken immediately.
The Jill and Ken Iscol Distinguished Environmental Lecture, presented by the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, is Cornell’s premier annual event on the environment. Since its inception in 1999, the Iscol Lecture has brought eminent schol-ars, scientists, news makers, and opinion leaders to Cornell to address environmental issues of paramount importance to our planet. A faculty award committee, representing a cross-section of academic disciplines, selects the Iscol Lecturer.
Bill McKibben, noted environmentalist and author of the 2010 book Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, will give the 2011 Iscol Lecture.
Iscol Lecture
“The predominant moral issue of the 21st century almost surely will be climate change.” James E. Hansen, NASA
Iscol Lecture: www.acsf.cornell.edu/Iscol
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Cornell’s goal is to enroll, educate, and graduate the most deserving and promis-ing students at every level, regardless of background or economic circumstance. Although ACSF’s main focus is sustainability research, the Center supports the col-leges, schools, and departments in advancing Cornell’s educational mission.
We are committed to involving students as researchers in our programs and initia-tives. The Center sponsors faculty-developed research projects and activities across campus that employ undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers. We encourage students interested in sustainability research to contact faculty in their departments and colleges for opportunities to participate. ACSF Fac-ulty Fellows are associated with 65 graduate programs across campus. The Center cosponsors a variety of special programs that engage and benefit Cornell students, including the Sustainable Earth, Energy, and Environmental Systems Special Speaker Series (EAS), the Energy Transitions Seminar (LA), and the AguaClara project (CEE).
Cornell has received National Science Foundation funding for three prestigious Inte-grative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) programs in areas re-lated to sustainability. These IGERT fellowships provide dozens of Cornell graduate students with two years of intensive interdisciplinary training and financial support. ACSF associate directors Jefferson Tester (Energy) and Chris Barrett (Economic De-velopment) are principal investigators for the IGERT programs in Sustainable Energy Recovery from the Earth and Food Systems and Poverty Reduction. The third IGERT is overseen by the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR).
The Center maintains a comprehensive online listing of Cornell courses with significant sustainability components. More than 20 departments across Cornell offer undergradu-ate majors and minors directly related to sustainability, in diverse disciplines ranging from agricultural sciences, to environmental and resource economics, to civil engineering, to developmental sociology.
A number of student groups sponsor sustainability activities on campus. Many are coordi-nated by the student-run Sustainability Hub. More information can be found on the central sustainability overview page and on the Sustain-able Campus website.
Education
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Cornell Sustainability Education: www.acsf.cornell.edu/education Cornell Sustainability Hub: www.acsf.cornell.edu/sust-hub
“Very few universities offer the comprehensive breadth and depth that we do with respect to this particular problem. Cornell is in a position to leave its mark, and we must see that through.” Lance Collins, Dean of the Engineering School
“It’s much better for students to do real-world work and inter-act with the people who have to deploy their findings. It’s like medical training in the emergency room–where the resident has to solve problems as they come through the door, not just talk about them.”
Jefferson Tester (ACSF)
A Sustainable Campus
Sustainability is a guiding principle in the stewardship of Cornell’s facilities and resources. A year after the release of Cornell’s comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CAP), the campus has become significantly greener. The university is on a path to meet or surpass sustainability goals with a host of new initiatives, including the Cornell Combined Heat and Power Plant (CCHPP), increasingly energy-efficient buildings across campus, and approval of $5.6 million in additional cost-effective conserva-tion projects. In January, the Sierra Club helped celebrate the grand opening of the CCHPP and Cornell’s commitment to end the use of coal for heating in 2011.
ACSF actively supports the Cornell Sustainability Office in advancing campus sustain-ability goals. We jointly promoted April 2010 as the second annual Cornell Sustain-ability Month, with more than 60 public events related to sustainability activities at Cornell. The theme was “Climate Action and U,” building on President Skorton’s com-mitment to carbon neutrality on the Ithaca campus by 2050. The President’s Sustain-able Campus Committee presented the first Cornell Partners in Sustainability Award to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.
Cornell was recognized as an “overall college sustainability leader” in the Sustain-able Endowments Institute’s annual sustainability ranking. Cornell was noted for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 7 percent since 2008 and aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050; for requiring all new Cornell buildings to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver-certified and at least 30 percent more energy efficient than established standards; and for sustainable transporta-tion, as 45 percent of employees and 91 percent of students commute to campus by environmentally preferable methods.
The exemplary efforts of Cornell campus facilities to engage, inspire, and educate our campus contribute to a sustainable future for all.
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Cornell’s Climate Action Plan: www.sustainablecampus.cornell.edu/climate
“We are cutting our carbon emissions by 28 percent.” Kyu-Jung Whang, Vice President of Facilities Services
“We’re going to be holding up Cornell as a showcase.” Bruce Nilles, Sierra Club
Sustainability Efforts across Cornell: www.cornell.edu/sustainability
71%
Gifts
Endowment Income
Cornell Support
26%
3%
77%
Research Programs
Strategic Faculty Cluster Hiring
Communications
Research Programs Support
Center Operations
10%
7%
2% 4%
The Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future ensures that donor gifts and Cornell support are used to stimulate and strengthen sustainability research at Cornell. Nearly 80 percent of ACSF funds flow directly to academic units to seed new research, support strategic faculty programs, develop cross-disciplinary proposals, provide cost-sharing, connect and inform sustainability researchers, encourage strategic collaborations with external partners, and increase Cornell’s visibility and reputation in sustainability.
Funding is awarded competitively to multidisciplinary teams based on written proposals, typically after assessment by peer review. The Center’s capable staff strives always to keep support costs at a minimum, so that resources are used to maximize the impact of sustainability research and collaborations.
ACSF-Seeded Teams Reap Added Funding ACSF focuses on Cornell’s areas of com-petitive advantage, with an eye toward attracting external resources and amplify-ing real-world impact. Faculty members polled recently identified a total of $73.6 million in external funding that was ob-tained with ACSF support. They called the Atkinson Center “essential” or “impor-tant” for securing 84 percent of these awards. All external funds are managed directly by the faculty researchers.
Revenues Sources of $4.61 Million in Operating Support, FY10
Expenses Uses of $4.26 Million in Operating Expenses, FY10
Financial Report
“The Center runs with minimal internal administrative costs. The vast proportion of its annual budget flows out to support inno-vative partnerships and programs for those who approach the Center with good ideas.” External Assessment, April 2010
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Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010)
Helpful Important Essential
$80
$70
$60
$50
$40
$30
$20
$10
$ 0
Mill
ions
of
Dol
lars
ACSF Revenue2007–10(Total)
External Funds2007–10
16%
29%
55%
ACSF People
ENERGYJefferson Tester
Croll Professor of Sustainable Energy Systems
ENVIRONMENTDrew Harvell
Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Helene Schember, [email protected](607) 255-0978
David Dieterich, PhD, MBA Executive in Residence
[email protected](607) 254-1380
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTChris Barrett
S. B. & J. G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management
Mark A. B. [email protected]
(607) 255-2178
Paula [email protected]
(607) 255-7535
Polly [email protected]
(607) 254-4785
ACSF People: www.acsf.cornell.edu/peopleACSF wishes to thank Lauren Chambliss, Alton Clark, Ed Dodge, Sheri Englund, John Flaherty, Donna Jenney, Dianne Miller, Melissa Pollock, Melissa
Seigel, Deb Shigley, Ken Smith, Lori Sonken, James VanEe, Jamie Washburn, and Lesley Yorke for their timely and effective support throughout 2010.
Report Design: irondesign.com Photography: Cornell UPhoto, Mark A. B. Lawrence, Jon Reis, Sheryl Sinkow
Frank DiSalvoJ. A. Newman Professor of Physical Science
[email protected](607) 255-8891
Director Associate Directors
Executive Director
Web and Communications Manager
Assistant to theDirectors
Assistant to CrollProfessor
Partnerships Director
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David R. AtkinsonCenter for aSustainable Future200 Rice HallCornell UniversityIthaca, New York 14853-5601(607) 255-7535(607) 255-6714 (fax)[email protected]
See www.acsf.cornell.edu/acronyms for departmental abbreviations
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