About the Event

Soil is a living, regenerative system, upon which our very existence rests. From erosion caused by rising sea levels, loss of soil moisture and desertification and the release of CO2 caused by thawing permafrost, the impact of climate change upon the ground beneath our feet is dramatic. This panel will explore the history and science of land-use practices over time, and how scientists, farmers and ranchers, among others, are advancing healthier human-land relationships. Through regenerative agriculture and composting, we can make agriculture part of the climate-change solution and dramatically reduce our food-waste crisis.

Panelists: Atreyee Bhattacharya, research faculty, Civil Environmental & Architectural Engineering, CU Boulder; Mark Guttridge, owner, Ollin Farms; Alice Madden, executive director of CU Boulder’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment; and Keith Paustian, distinguished professor, Department of Soil & Crop Sciences and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, CSU.

Moderated by Susan Moran, print/online journalist and a host and producer of KGNU’s “How on Earth” science show.

Co-presented by City of Longmont Sustainability

About the Panelists

Atreyee Bhattacharya, PhD. is a research faculty in Civil Environmental & Architectural Engineering, and Center for Asian Studies, at the University of Colorado Boulder, and a visiting researcher, SIO and adjunct faculty at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), New Delhi. Dr. Bhattacharya is a paleoclimatologist studying the nature and causes of decadal and multi-decadal climate variability as well as the role of climate shifts in social upheavals (e.g. migration, displacement conflict, epidemics etc.) over the long term in semi-arid regions. Dr. Bhattacharya is also a science writer, and she participates in educational and non-governmental outreach efforts focused on climate communication, climate sciences curriculum, climate literacy and climate adaptation.

Mark Guttridge and his wife, Kena, own Ollin Farms in Longmont, Colo. The farm has expanded to leased property on Boulder County Open Space. They grow many varieties of vegetables and sell directly to individuals and families, mainly through their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). They have launched several programs, including Project 95, to educate and inspire young farmers and to promote regenerative agriculture. Guttridge earned a master’s degree in Water Resource Engineering from the University of Colorado. He has said he plans to “farm for the rest of my life or until I can’t move.” (He’s still moving, a lot.)

Alice Madden is the executive director of CU Boulder’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources, Energy, and the Environment. She practiced law for a decade before running for the Colorado House of Representatives in 2000. From 2001 to 2009, she served in the Colorado House of Representatives, representing the 10th district around Boulder. From 2005 to 2009, Madden served as Majority Leader. She also served as climate advisor and deputy chief of staff to then-Colorado governor Bill Ritter, and later as principal deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental and external affairs at the U.S. Department of Energy.

Susan Moran (moderator) is a freelance print/online journalist and editor and a host and producer of “How on Earth,” the KGNU science show. Her work covering the environment, energy development, food & agriculture, etc., has been published in The New York Times, The Economist, bioGraphic, Nature, etc. Moran was an adjunct journalism instructor at CU Boulder for seven+ years. She served on the board of the Society of Environmental Journalists (2014-2020). Moran was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT (2009-2010) and a Ted Scripps Fellow in Environmental Journalism at CU Boulder (2001-2002). She previously worked on staff at Reuters (Tokyo, New York, Silicon Valley), Business 2.0 magazine, and other news organizations. She earned a MA in Journalism from Columbia University, and a MA in Asian Studies from UC Berkeley.

Keith Paustian, PhD. is University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Soil & Crop Sciences, and Senior Research Scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory at Colorado State University. His work includes modeling, field measurement and development of assessment tools for soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from soils—including here on the Front Range. Dr. Paustian was one of many recipients, including Al Gore, of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as an author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, particularly related to land use, greenhouse gases and climate-change mitigation.

About the Big Picture: Climate Change Series

We take a big-picture view of how humans, largely by burning fossil fuels, have drastically altered the global climate system and living conditions on Earth. We will also explore how humans, from grassroots activists to national and global leaders, are seeking solutions. Our four panels–focusing on earth, air, fire, and water–bring together locally based scientists and other experts. The series is designed to move the public conversation forward, and to inform, engage and empower us all to think globally and act locally.

What we’re learning about these vast and shifting realms is both disturbing and encouraging. Nineteen of the 20 warmest years on record have occurred since 2001. The largest and most powerful storms ever recorded have occurred in the past five years. Mega-wildfires have raged in Australia, California, and right here in our own backyard. Air pollution is ravaging the health of many people, including a disproportionate number of people of color. Yet many cities and states are also making huge progress in transitioning to cleaner, and more equitable, economies and communities. Come join the conversations and be part of the solution.

All panels moderated by Susan Moran, print/online journalist and a host and producer of KGNU’s “How on Earth” science show.

View the rest of the series:

• Air: As We Live & Breathe, Monday, April 19
• Fire: Friend and Foe, Tuesday, April 20
• Water: The Essence of Life: Wednesday, April 21

Watch EARTH: Grounds for Innovation from Thursday, April 22, 2021