Sustainability Science

Tell me and I will hear, show me and I will see, involve me and I will know and understand.

Humanity is at the precipice of environmental and ecological changes which are unprecedented in recorded history. Mounting evidence indicates the pace is going to increase and, barring an unprecedented global cooperative effort to mitigate the problem, the magnitude is going to be substantial. Many people choose not to accept these predictions, many believe they have more immediate problems, and many choose to ignore and/or discredit that which they do not understand. The causes are complex, the technology and methodology to study these causes are advanced.

Environmental science focuses not only on saving the planet, but on meeting human needs as well. Stewardship of the environment in order to meet the needs and wants or a growing human population requires a science that does not exclude the human component of the ecosystem. Sustainability science incorporates concepts from social and natural sciences, medicine, engineering, mathematics, and computer sciences. CBFS has begun the work of considering the human part of the environmental equation.