April News & Updates
Dear friends and colleagues,

The world has changed dramatically in recent weeks and months as COVID-19 alters the way people live and work. The virus pandemic illustrates the fundamental challenge of sustainability, which is that human wellbeing, society, and prosperity are not separable from environmental conditions.

Aligning with University policy , the School of Global Environmental Sustainability (SoGES) has moved all operations to online and virtual services only. SoGES (located in Johnson Hall) will be closed to all non-essential staff, faculty, students, and researchers, and will be closed to the general public for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester, or until otherwise announced.

However, staying connected in these unprecedented and uncertain times is one of the most important things we can do right now. In navigating this 'new normal', we hope you find this month's e-newsletter helpful.

For updates on how SoGES and our many campus, local, national, and international partners are doing, check out our new web page, Together Apart . For the most recent information about the University’s pandemic response, go to safety.colostate.edu/coronavirus . 

From all of us here at the SoGES, be well and stay safe.
News & Events
Celebrate 50 Years of Earth Day with Virtual Festivals and Events
Organizations around the country are converting their planned Earth Day festivals to virtual events by hosting interactive activities on a web platform.
Antibiotics May Compromise Manure's Carbon-Fixing Effects
"Antibiotic use in cows alters carbon cycling...a process that figures into strategies for climate change mitigation." That's one of the findings of a study lead by Carl Wepking, former Executive Director of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative. The study was published in Ecology Letters* in late 2019 and has been featured in the March 2020 issue of Scientific American*. Learn more with this SOURCE story.
Exotic Species in Antarctica Has Survived More than 30 Ice Ages
In 2018, a team of researchers (Byron Adams, Noah Fierer, Ian Hogg, Berry Lyons, and SoGES director Diana Wall) traveled to the Shackleton Glacier in the Transantarctic Mountains in search of an enigmatic and tenacious creature which had not been seen since 1964. Somehow populations of this creature managed to survive for millions of years in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Results from this expedition, featured in the April 2020 issue of Scientific American, are beginning to unravel that mystery. LEARN MORE*.
Scientists Conclude Marine Life Can Be Rebuilt by 2050 in Landmark Study
CSU is one of 16 universities involved in a study that has gathered evidence for the successful recovery of marine life across the world's oceans "if climate change is tackled and efficient interventions are deployed at large scale ." Co-authored by CSU economics professor and SoGES senior scholar Edward Barbier , the study was published in the April 2020 issue of Nature* .
COP26 Postponed Due to COVID-19
The 26th Conference of the the Parties (COP26) UN climate change conference set to take place in Glasgow in November 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19. Dates for a rescheduled conference in 2021 will be announced in due course by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. LEARN MORE.
*This article is behind a paywall but you can also access it through the CSU library system with your CSU EID.
Human Nature Blog by SoGES Sustainability Leadership Fellows
Emily Stuchiner, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Biology and the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology
Kevin Mulungu, Ph.D. Student in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics
Neeta Soni, Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management
Kelsey Bilsback, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Atmospheric Science
Opportunities
Give Your Input on COVID-19: Where Do We Go From Here?
Future Earth, the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment, and other partners are seeking survey responses about global risks and opportunities for recovery and transformations from COVID-19. The survey takes about 15-20 minutes and can be accessed HERE until April 10th.
In partnership with the Salazar Center, Provost to award $10,000 Conservation Impact Prize
The prize will recognize an outstanding faculty or research staff member at CSU whose work demonstrates substantial and measurable impact in the field of conservation. All full-time CSU faculty and research staff are eligible and may be nominated by a peer or self-nominate. Nomination deadline is April 30th. LEARN MORE.
ICOSSE20 Call for Submissions
Submit an abstract to the 9th International Congress on Sustainability Science & Engineering (ICOSSE20) for oral and poster presentations at the conference in Denver August 3-5, 2020. Abstracts due June 15th. LEARN MORE.
Interdisciplinary Minors
Fall 2020 course registration is NOW OPEN!

The Global Environmental Sustainability (GES) Minor offers undergraduate students in every department at CSU a curriculum that enhances their major with the core knowledge to address real world sustainability challenges and the tools to bring sustainability into their careers. To enroll, students must meet with GES Advisor Dale Lockwood (virtual appointments available). Email GESadvising@colostate.edu for more information.

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Sustainable Energy (SEM) is jointly offered by the Energy Institute and SoGES. This minor offers undergraduate students, regardless of their major, an opportunity to gain a deeper knowledge of the many dimensions of sustainable energy. To enroll, students must meet with SEM advisor John Sheehan (virtual appointments available). Email Energy_Advising@colostate.edu for more information.

The Sustainable Water Interdisciplinary Minor (SWIM) is jointly offered by the CSU Water Center and SoGES. This minor focuses on water issues from social, political, economic, and ecological perspectives. Students gain knowledge of the complexities of water management and its use. To enroll, students must meet with SWIM advisor Julie Kallenberger (virtual appointments available). Email Julie.Kallenberger@colostate.edu for more information.

The Role of Sustainability in Peace and Reconciliation Studies (SPRS) Interdisciplinary Minor is open to students who want to understand more about the philosophical roots of peace and reconciliation and its expression within various academic disciplines, research, and service. To enroll, students must meet with advisor Dale Lockwood (virtual appointments available). Email GESadvising@colostate.edu for more information.

Visit sustainability.colostate.edu/education-and-training to learn more and download the minor course check sheets.
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PLUGGED IN: CSU's Sustainability Newsletter is distributed on the first Tuesday of each month. CLICK HERE to join our mailing list. Questions about this newsletter? Email micha.bennett@colostate.edu .