Sustainability

Human activities are driving unprecedented changes in Earth systems of climate, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and cryosphere, while depleting natural resources and creating social, economic and political impacts that demand long-term, multi-faceted solutions.  Such solutions will not come from the research efforts of a single discipline or paradigm.  Rather, successful efforts to develop environmentally sustainable systems for future societies will draw upon virtually all areas of the academy. Some of this work will be done by individual, single investigators as they ascertain the basic physical, chemical, biological or behavior mechanisms that underlie specific phenomena. Concomitantly, facile, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams of humanists, social scientists, physical and biological scientists and engineers will be required to address the complex problems which human society faces if it is to exist in a sustainable way on this planet.

UC Merced will expand on its existing base of excellence in environmental sustainability by addressing specific areas of growth:

1. the human condition and the environment
2. sustainability and social dynamics
3. sustainability science and engineering
4. cognition, communication and sustainability
5. renewable energy, energy efficiency, and smart building systems
6. climate, atmosphere and the hydrosphere
7. environment and health
8. environmental sensors, sensing platforms and infomatics

Many of these themes are covered in the proposals titled “Sustainability: Energy, Climate and Communication” and “California Institute of Drone Engineering”.  There are also major components of sustainability in the “Components of Mechanical Technologies for Sustainability” and the Spatial Analysis and Research Center Proposals”.  However it is anticipated that virtually all areas of the academy can contribute to this broad thematic area if is of interest to current and future members of the faculty.