The National Science Foundation has issued program solicitation NSF 20-611, Sustainable Regional Systems Research Networks (SRS RNs). Full proposals are due by January 11, 2021. NSF will hold an informational webinar on October 27, 2020.

A recording of the Environmental Humanities Initiative’s 2020 distinguished lecture with Elizabeth Hoover is now available, along with a video of the lecture discussion, at the Institute for Humanities Research YouTube channel.

A new, 24-minute film called Nations United has been created by the United Nations on its 75th Anniversary and to mark five years since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals. In the midst of a pandemic radically transforming our world, Nations United tells the story of the world as it is, as it was, and as it could be. It focuses on the solutions and action we need to tackle poverty, inequality, injustice and climate change.

Countless people around the world, recognizing the urgency of this moment, are taking climate action in a way that draws from their personal experiences and passions. A new PBS video series in collaboration with ASU's Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory and George Washington University's Planet Forward is telling the stories of some of these courageous, innovative and captivating people.

In April, Arizona State University’s Narrative Storytelling Initiative invited people worldwide to write a short story on what they think the future holds, based on our current world. No science fiction, no fantasy, but an imagined future reality. The results are in, and they’re illuminating. Enjoy the top five in a new magazine: Envisioning the Future, Volume 1.

In our latest piece on Medium, co-authors Peter Schlosser and Steven Beschloss examine the wildfire outbreak across the western US and if this is finally the climate-oriented moment that will

ASU Center for Biodiversity Outcomes Founding Director Leah Gerber and Associate Center Director of Biodiversity Valuation and Assessments Beth Polidoro published a Science article titled “Predicted growth in plastic waste exceeds efforts to mitigate plastic pollution.”

As harmful atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, understanding the planetary carbon balance has become the single most important scientific question. A new report by two leading ecological scientists at Arizona State University quantified the global soil carbon sequestered by roots plus the amount leached into the soil. They revealed that climate and land-use are major influencers of belowground carbon sequestration.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University are co-hosting an informal panel debate for International Day of Democracy. Can parliaments learn from the past six months to become stronger and more effective institutions that impose checks and balances on executive powers to better serve the people? Registrants can attend live and will also receive a recording after the event.

What has the pandemic taught us about the inequities cemented into our city streets and transit systems, and where do we go from here? On Sept. 22, join ASU and Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad for a discussion of the future of urban mobility.

Sept. 15: Join the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory for a panel discussion with members of the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative team working on advancement and implementation of the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index. Learn about the MPI and gain insights into the personal perspective of key figures working around the world to address the missing dimensions of poverty in global development policy and practice.

When FABRIC, Tempe's fashion incubator, learned of the urgent PPE shortage, they stepped up and to date have sewn over 200,000 reusable isolation gowns that meet FDA regulations. Join us Sept. 15 (1-2 p.m.) for a virtual talk with 2 business & fashion innovators from FABRIC.