Food, energy and water are fundamental human needs. They’re also deeply interconnected.
To offer holistic, systems-level insights and solutions to global food, energy and water problems, Colorado State University will host a two-day workshop, Food-Energy-Water: Nexus Issues in Energy Production, Dec. 7-8 at the Marriott Residence Inn, Arlington, Va. Registration is free but required.
“Think about food, energy and water: they are all critical resources for society,” said Ken Reardon, CSU professor of chemical and biological engineering and workshop organizer. “You can’t trade one for the other, and they interact. You can’t fix one problem without thinking about how that solution is impacting the others.”
Multiple viewpoints
Global food, energy and water issues are all affected by increasing populations and by climate change, Reardon continued. The workshops will include expert viewpoints from across the nation and will provide an overview of the multidimensional challenges in energy production; current tools derived from physical science, technology and social science; and identification of further research and development needs.
Discussions will begin with food-energy-water issues in two key energy sectors: oil and gas production and biofuels production. This will lead into evaluation of general research needs related to sustainable energy production.
CSU expertise
CSU speakers will include Reardon, who will provide an overview of biofuels production; Keith Paustian, professor of soil ecology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, who will address climate change issues associated with biofuels; and Ken Carlson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, who will speak on the current state and future vision of interactions among agriculture, oil and gas production, and water systems.
The workshop is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and by Colorado State University.
