21st Century Environmental Challenges in a Global Context

Each year, the College of Letters and Science sponsors two distinguished endowed programs, the Critical Issues in America program and the Arthur N. Rupe Great Debates Series. This year the topic for the Critical Issues in America program is "Forty Years after the Big Spill - Looking Back, Looking Ahead: 21st Century Environmental Challenges in a Global Context." Led by Dehlsen Professor of Environmental Studies William Freudenberg and supported by Water Policy Program Director Robert Wilkinson, the program references an historical benchmark - for the campus as well as the nation - and addresses a breadth of environmental challenges for the 21st century with a strong, interdisciplinary group of core faculty and key collaborators.

All talks are free and open to the public.

TOMORROW, Thursday, October 1: Wm. Freudenburg: "The Tragedy of the Un-Commons?" 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. in Lotte Lehmann Hall

Wednesday, October 21: Bill Gibson, CSU Long Beach: "Re-Enchanting the World," 2:00 - 2:50 p.m., in Bren 4016

Wednesday, October 28: Kai Lee, Packard Foundation: "Humans in the Landscape," 2:00 - 2:50 p.m., in Bren 4016

Wednesday, November 4: Doug Bevington, "Environment Now: The Rebirth of Environmentalism," 2:00 - 2:50 p.m., in Bren 4016

Tuesday, November 10: Riki Ott: "Learning the Lessons of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill," 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. in Lotte Lehmann Hall.

As the academic year unfolds, please continue to look for events related to this exciting and timely Critical Issues in America program.

Seminar: CREB and the Search for Memory Enhancers

"CREB and the Search for Memory Enhancers"

Tim Tully, Dart Neuroscience
Mosher Alumni House
Alumni Hall, 2nd floor
Thursday September 24th, 4:00 PM

Tim Tully utilizes the study of fruit flies to elucidate genes related to memory formation. His experiments on "photographic memory" in fruit flies were the first demonstration of genetically enhanced memory. His work opens the possibility of developments in effective treatments for both behavioral and pharmacological memory loss in humans. Dr. Tully’s research was featured in the 2004 PBS special entitled /A Gene You Won’t Forget/.

Fight Over Biotech Beets

Back in 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted an environmental assessment of sugar beets that had been genetically engineered to resist the herbicide Roundup. They concluded that the new beets would have “no significant impact” on the environment, and therefore a full environmental impact statement would not be required. With that ruling, the beets were approved for widespread planting.

The new beets have been popular with farmers, and plantings have soared. But watchdog groups like the Center for Food Safety are not convinced that the Department of Agriculture should have approved the new beets so quickly. They have challenged the Department of Agriculture in court, and recently they won the first round; a Federal District Court judge in San Francisco has ruled that the Agriculture Department should have done an environmental impact statement before approving the beets for widespread planting. The judge in the case will decide on the correct course of action next month. But the plaintiffs have already said they would ask for a total ban on the biotech beets, according to an article in the New York Times this week.

Most consumers don’t seem to care; sugar is sugar.

Visit Sedgewick Reserve and do good deeds...

WANTED: students who would like to come up and help our Outdoor Classroom students (4th graders) identify mostly insects, some lizards (no snakes to date) and an occasional mouse or vole in the pitfall traps? The dates are October 28, 29; Dec. 9, 17; and April 14, 15. It would only be for about two hours each day (9:30 - 11:30ish). Please reply to Sue Eisaguirre at 686-1941, ext 4. or eisaguirre@lifesci.ucsb.edu.

Innovation @ MIT

Watch this at Boston.com

PUBLISHED: Wed, 17 Dec 2008
DESCRIPTION: This session features presentations and discussion around the alumni leadership conference's theme: Inspiring Innovation. Taking part in the session are Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande HM, Chairman, Sycamore Networks, A123 Systems, and Tejas Network; Subra Suresh ScD '81, P'10, Dean of the School of Engineering and Ford Professor of Engineering; and Randy Rettberg '70, principal research engineer, Department of Biological Engineering and Director of iGEM - the international Genetically Engineered Machine competition.

BBC Video - The Cell

The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 1/6)


The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 2/6)


The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 3/6)


The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 4/6)


The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 5/6)


The Cell - The Spark of Life (Part 6/6) (shows synthetic ribosome construction with Synthetic DNA machine and micro-pipetting action)

Drew Endy - Earth Sky 8 minute Interview

I absolutely love the conceptual distinction Drew makes here between creation and construction. Excellent work Drew. This is the best answer I have heard so far to the perpetual "playing god" question.