While policy debate about global warming often focuses on air temperature and climate change, the rising amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is transforming life in our planet’s oceans. Oceans absorb a substantial amount of the CO2 put into the atmosphere, which leads to lower pH levels in seawater. This acidification of the ocean has consequences for marine plant and animal life. My brother-in-law, Brian Gaylord, an Associate Professor of Evolution and Ecology at the University of California-Davis, is currently working on a research project to study the effects of ocean acidification on shelled invertebrates. NSF recently posted a slideshow detailing this work and discussing the consequences of increased ocean acidification. Brian and his research team find evidence that lower pH levels significantly affect the development and growth of shelled marine organisms such as oysters. But don’t just take my word for it – both MSNBC and Good Morning America thought it an important study to cover today.
Building on good press coverage of my book over the past year, several academic journals have reviewed Out of Reach in the past several weeks – I’ve collected some of those reviews and posted them on my website. In addition to reviewers finding Out of Reachto be a “path-breaking” and “innovative” book that is a “must-read”, they offer solid critiques of the work.
And, now you have another reason to purchase an Amazon Kindle, or Apple iPhone or iPad – Out of Reach: Place, Poverty, and the New American Welfare State is now available for the Kindle.
Early in March, I presented findings from my book Out of Reach at the Opportunity Dividend Summit in Detroit sponsored by CEOs for Cities. You can find the slideshow here or by clicking below:
A few weeks ago I hosted a conference at the University of Chicago entitled, “Understanding a Dynamic Decade: Population Trends, Public Policy, and the 2010 Census in Chicago.” The goal of the conference was to generate awareness of the 2010 Census and to help community groups identify strategies for encouraging residents in hard-to-count areas to submit their mail-in forms on time. In addition, a set of afternoon sessions focused on contemporary policy research that makes use of Census data and a session showing community-based organizations how they might use Census data in their own work.
Click here to access video and audio of the conference proceedings. In addition, the Population Research Center at the University of Chicago has created its own 2010 Census website with useful links and information.
Even though Census Day was yesterday, April 1st, the next few weeks are critical if cities and communities are to achieve an accurate count. During the last week of April Census Bureau staff will begin following up on nonresponse to the Census mail-in forms. To maximize efficiency and effectiveness of that follow-up work, it is important that community-based organizations encourage local residents to return as many mail-in forms as possible by April 22nd. The more forms mailed in on time, the more time Census Bureau staff will have to work in harder-to-count areas and ensure a right count in 2010.