{"672397":{"#nid":"672397","#data":{"type":"news","title":"What Can Space Teach Us About Sustainability?\u00a0","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHumans have looked to the stars for guidance for thousands of years \u2014 and when it comes to questions of sustainability, the practice is no different.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe best way to deal with climate change is a heated topic of debate here on Earth \u2014 laws are created, nonprofits are formed, investments are made, and lobbyists have their say \u2014 but the concept also transcends terrestrial boundaries. As we navigate the complexities of shifting to a more sustainable world, it turns out there is a lot we can learn from and apply to our ventures in outer space.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the Ivan Allen College think big to explore questions of sustainability on Earth, in outer space, and on a cosmic scale. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EThe Importance of Megaregions\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBrian Woodall, a professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, uses satellite data to rethink how we understand and address sustainability in our cities. He directs the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/sustainable-megaregions\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESustainable Megaregion Research Project\u003C\/a\u003E with Mariel Borowitz, an associate professor in the Nunn School, and experts across Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe group uses data generated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to draw definitive boundaries around Earth\u0027s megaregions \u2014 large, densely-populated areas such as the Boston-Washington corridor, Greater Tokyo, and the Amsterdam-Brussels-Antwerp triangle. Then, the researchers combine light emissions and other datasets to analyze CO2 emissions, urban buildup, green space, population density, transportation infrastructure, and more.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In this way, satellite data is critical in our efforts to fashion a comparative, time-sensitive, and data-driven system for delineating megaregion boundaries,\u0022 Woodall said. \u0022Then, we can assess their effectiveness in addressing sustainable development challenges.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the project website, three-quarters of America\u0027s population and employment growth will occur in just eight to ten megaregions by 2050. To ensure sustainability in the face of climate threats, we must build resilience and protect critical infrastructure in these areas, the group says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EPolitical Parallels\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, whether it\u2019s in megaregions or across international borders, it\u0027s no secret that humans don\u0027t always get along. Lincoln Hines, an assistant professor in the Nunn School, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.lincolnhines.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudies the politics of outer space\u003C\/a\u003E with a focus on the Chinese space program. He says that comparing sustainability challenges on Earth to those in space \u2014 such as the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/orbitaldebris.jsc.nasa.gov\/faq\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E100 million+ pieces of space junk\u003C\/a\u003E littering Earth\u0027s orbit \u2014 underscores the political nature of these problems and their international nature.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The politics of space sustainability largely reflect the politics of sustainability on Earth, as humans continue to confront difficult collective action problems in both domains,\u0022 Hines explains. \u0022Neither global warming nor space debris care for the human constructs of sovereignty and national borders.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETony Harding, an economist and assistant professor in the School of Public Policy, echoes this sentiment.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have this public good, which is space and near Earth\u0027s orbit, where we put satellites. And because no one is in control and has property rights in that area, we end up with an overuse and a lot of space junk,\u0022 he says. \u0022This parallels the Tragedy of the Commons problem we see on Earth \u2014 we have issues with climate change because we\u0027re all contributing a small amount to the problem and not facing the full cost of it.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EHarding \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.anthonyharding.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Estudies the costs and benefits of solar geoengineering,\u003C\/a\u003E which uses atmospheric particles to reflect the sun\u0027s radiation to slow global warming. Whether it\u0027s adding sulfate to the skies or cleaning up Earth\u0027s orbit, an intergenerational perspective is helpful, he says.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Should we develop geoengineering technology so the next generation has the choice to use it? Should we leave them with millions of pieces of space debris just because we don\u0027t want to clean it ourselves?\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003ESecond Time\u0027s a Charm(?)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDespite the growing space debris problem, Borowitz emphasizes that we can proactively address the challenges of space sustainability and learn from our mistakes on Earth.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It\u0027s still early on in space, so we have the opportunity to think about sustainability from the beginning and address these issues before the debris is completely out of control,\u0022 she says. \u0022We are on an unsustainable path at the moment, but we can adjust before anything goes wrong.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe adds that as interest and activity on the moon ramp up, the same questions apply. Because the moon doesn\u0027t have wind or weather like we do on Earth, when something changes its surface it can stay like that for thousands of years.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022So it\u0027s really another place where you\u0027ve got to do it right the first time,\u0022 Borowitz says. \u0022This is the test, right? The test for humanity \u2014 can we do it differently?\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003ESustainability on a Cosmic Scale\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EChris Michaels, a Marion L. Brittain Postdoctoral Scholar in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, thinks about space from a symbolic perspective: What would happen if we scale up our consciousness to the level of the cosmos? Michaels teaches a course on modern terraforms and says contemplating the vast reaches of space can challenge us to think about sustainability in new ways.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The idea of space serves as a new frontier to be explored and colonized. If humans can migrate to other planets and make them home, then sustainability on Earth may look quaint and outdated,\u0022 he says. \u0022Humans tend to experience time on an atomized scale around their individual lives and have trouble thinking as concretely about the long term. But imagine if humans had a life span of 500 years, or they thought and acted less as individuals and more as members of a human race that extends thousands or even millions of years into the future. Thinking and acting on this larger scale would better align us with the geological timescales of the Earth, where sustaining our lives goes hand in hand with sustaining the Earth.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sprawling expanse of space is more than just an escape route from our troubled planet, and pondering it helps us shift our perspective from that of the starring role in our little galaxy to a bit character in a much larger play.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003ETraditional Inspiration, New Solutions\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFrom satellite-driven research to geopolitical challenges and cosmic contemplation, humans continue to look to the stars for inspiration and information on keeping our planet and its orbit healthy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to our mandate for more sustainable living, it\u0027s not just about protecting our home but how we fit into the wider universe. Becoming better caretakers of our planet connects us to our past and future, here on Earth and out among the stars.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers in the Ivan Allen College think big to explore questions of sustainability on Earth, in outer space, and on a cosmic scale. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers in the Ivan Allen College think big to explore questions of sustainability on Earth, in outer space, and on a cosmic scale. "}],"uid":"35766","created_gmt":"2024-01-23 20:49:54","changed_gmt":"2024-01-23 21:30:06","author":"dminardi3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-01-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"672845":{"id":"672845","type":"image","title":"space.jpg","body":null,"created":"1706043186","gmt_created":"2024-01-23 20:53:06","changed":"1706043186","gmt_changed":"2024-01-23 20:53:06","alt":"Astronaut floating in space with Earth behind them","file":{"fid":"256166","name":"pics (33).jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/23\/pics%20%2833%29.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/01\/23\/pics%20%2833%29.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":264422,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/01\/23\/pics%20%2833%29.jpg?itok=4FuF0nBA"}}},"media_ids":["672845"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"},{"id":"1285","name":"Sam Nunn School of International Affairs"},{"id":"1283","name":"School of Literature, Media, and Communication"},{"id":"1289","name":"School of Public Policy"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:dminardi3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EDi Minardi\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIvan Allen College of Liberal Arts\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dminardi3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}