DRI Foundation Forum on Environmental Security - From Snowpack to Thirst

1. Creating a World Renown Center for
Environmental Security in Tahoe
Maureen McCarthy, PhD
Executive Director, Tahoe Science Consortium
Presentation to DRI Foundation Board 8 June 2012

2. Roadmap from TSC to TIES
• TSC brief history and why it’s important
• TSC in Transition
• Why it’s important not to lose the intellectual capital that has worked in
Tahoe for decades
• How we can leverage our knowledge and expertise to address
Environmental Security: The Issue of Our Times
• Introducing The Tahoe Institute for Environmental Security
• Why Nevada is the place
• Path Forward
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3. Tahoe Science Consortium:
History and Importance
• TSC formed in 2005 through a MOU with
DRI, UNR, UCD-TERC, USGS, USFS-PSW to
coordinate applied research in the Basin
• Developed the Integrated Science Plan
for the Lake Tahoe
• Responsible for managing the largest
research program in the Basin ($3.4M/yr)
• Funded through the LTRA and SNPLMA
• Promoted science-based decision-making
by Federal, state, local agencies
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4. TSC In Transition
• Last round of SNPLMA research
grants ($3.4M) awarded in May
2012 (3 years grants)
• TSC operations funded until 1
March 2015 (maybe)
• New LTRA DOA in Congress and
no chance of another SNPLMA
• Federal research funding in
decline and no “place-based
research” in the pipeline
• Losing researchers b/c future
research funding looks bleak
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5. Need to Leverage Our Intellectual Expertise
Before it’s Too Late
• Research at Tahoe has produced a wealth of
information about:
– Biophysical processes in ultra oligotrophic lakes
– Impacts of AIS (plant/animal)
– Fire ecology and fuel management
– Watershed ecology and hydrology
– Atmospheric processes in mountain airsheds
– Urban development and environmental change Smog from smoke and suspended fine
– Climate change impacts on mountain aquatic particles over the lake in summer.
ecosystems
– Environmental management effectiveness
• This treasure trove of information can be used to
encourage sustainable management of mountain
ecosystems, nationally and globally
Photo courtesy of Phil Caterino.
Algal bloom in Emerald Bay.
• Once the science community moves on it will be
very difficult/impossible to rebuild it Thick plume of smoke rising from
2007 Angora Fire
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6. It’s Time to Transition our Intellectual
Capital and Share our Knowledge
• Put Tahoe research in a broader context by
exploiting our knowledge to mitigate and adapt to
global environmental security challenges,
– Water scarcity and energy shortages
– Environmental health
– Climate change
– Population growth/urbanization
– Biodiversity decline
• Capitalize on the rich intellectual environment of
NSHE and (UCD, USGS, others) to address the “Issue
of our time”
• Build a new business model that integrates
environmental science with law, policy, human
security, and economics
• Create an environment that engages both the
private and public sectors…follow the money
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7. Why Environmental Security is
“The Issue of Our Time”
• SECDEF and DNI view climate and environmental
change as “a major threat to national and global
security now and for the foreseeable future”
• ES is the ability of a nation, state, region, or
society to withstand environmental asset
scarcity, environmental risks or adverse
changes, or environment-related tensions or
conflicts.
• Knowledge and action are needed to
anticipate, respond to, and recover from threats Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks at an
to human security and the biosphere due to annual reception for the Environmental Defense
anthropogenic and natural causes. Fund, Washington, DC, May 2, 2012.
• Nevada is acutely aware of the challenges of
water scarcity due to climate change and
urbanization and has pioneered adaptation
technologies.
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8. Why Mountain Ecosystems Matter
• MEs are sensitive environments that serve as anchors to
broader regional systems supplying important resources
to half of world’s population, including,
– Clean drinking water
– Agricultural irrigation
– Timber
– Recreation
– Energy generation
• MEs provide vital ecosystem services including,
– rich biodiversity
– distinctive habitats
– forest sinks for global CO2
– flood control
• MEs are threatened by development, resource
extraction, urbanization, climate change and other
natural and anthropogenic impacts
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9. Conceptual Idea: Tahoe Institute for
Environmental Security (TIES)
• An intellectually rich environment that
attracts scientists, policy-makers, and
industry leaders from around the world to
exchange ideas and debate approaches for
protecting environmental capital and
enhancing human security
• An innovative environment for professionals
to learn new concepts in water
management, energy & food security
resource economics, ecosystem science, and
climate adaptation, environmental
conflict, and related topics
• A secure environment that fosters
constructive debate and the free and open
exchange of ideas among individuals from
disparate backgrounds and communities
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10. What will TIES offer?
• Multimedia outreach: Visualization
tools, research studies & analysis, virtual
environment, meetings/workshops, education
• A suite of technical hands-on workshops on
timely topics including,
– Water security, alternative
energy, ecosystem functions, alpine
resource economics, water security, urban
agriculture, environmental
management, and climate change
• A venue for individuals with contrary viewpoints
to have unconstrained discussions on critical
issues affecting the planet
• Opportunities for scientists, policy-
makers, regulators and the business community
to explore creative solutions for environmental
sustainabilityand resilience
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11. Why Tahoe?
Play to Our “Unfair Advantage”
• Build it and they will come!
• Environmental Security is a real issue
in the West - NV and CA depend on
predictable, reliable, consistent Sierra
Nevada snowpack
• Access and opportunities to build
public-private partnerships with West
Coast entities
• National security community is
alive, well, and active in Nevada
• Tahoe can/should be the model for
environmental sustainability
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12. Nevada Knows Water Matters
“Nevada State Climate Office Issues Drought Declaration”
(www.zimbio.com 1 June 2012)
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13. And We are Not Alone…
“Comprehensive Assessment of Water
Management in Agriculture”
Stockholm World Water Week, 2006
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14. TIES will Combine Ideas from other
Organizations
• Policy Institutes are popular venues for scientists, policy-
makers, government officials and the business community to come
together to discuss cutting-edge ideas in informal and scenic settings.
Examples include Aspen, Santa Fe, and Telluride Institutes
• Wilton Park Conferences, hosted by the UK government, brings
scientists, national security experts, government officials, economists and
others together for candid dialogue in accordance with Chatham House
Rules
• Gordon Research Conferences are multiday scientific meetings held in
scenic venues (e.g., New England boarding schools during summer break)
designed create networks and encourage innovative thinking
• TIES will combine elements from each of these models to create programs
that foster understanding, cooperation and debate about issues at the
nexus of environmental change and human security.
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15. What will Make TIES Unique?
• Venue for private sector, policy-
makers, and scientists to exchange ideas
and develop proactive approaches to
survive and thrive in a changing climate
• Partnerships with the nation’s leading
environmental economists
(e.g., Resources for the Future)
• A network of partner institutions will
bring a wide range of experts together
from academia, industry and government
• Focus on developing ROI Models for
protecting environmental capital, e.g.,
– Value of Snow
– Value of Blue
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16. Why NSHE is the L1616inchpinfor TIES
• DRI has world renown expertise in
hydrology, climate change
modeling, atmospheric
processes, visualization…
• Complements UNR and UNLV’s expertise
in limnology, ecology, environmental
economics & policy, human
security, engineering…
• Leverage DRI’s partnerships with public
and private entities in Water-Energy-
Aridity Research & Technology Concept to
connect arid land issues to mountain
ecosystems
• DRI is the glue linking mountain
ecosystems of Tahoe in Northern Nevada
to arid urban environments in the South
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17. Path Forward: From Ideas to Action
• Gather feedback
• Build partnerships/create the network
• Develop the business model
• Raise seed money for pilot studies
• Market concept/Raise capital
• Organize & kick-off workshops/meetings
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18. Thank you for your time and feedback
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