Lecture by ecologist Steven Carpenter

Lecture by world-renowned ecologist and limnologist Steven Carpenter: "Transformation of Global Ecosystem Services"

Ecosystem services -- the benefits that humans receive from nature -- have changed more in the past 50 years than ever before in the history of our species. About two-thirds of ecosystem services are degrading globally. Among these deteriorating services are the processes that maintain air quality and climate, freshwater supplies, and soil fertility. Most projections indicate that drivers of degradation will intensify until at least mid-century. Scenarios for navigating this crisis fall into three general classes: 1) economic development with reinvestment in natural capital, 2) accelerated technological innovation, and 3) emphasis on local adaptation. Pros and cons of these approaches will be reviewed and prospects for processes that draw on the best of all three scenarios will be discussed.