THE JOURNAL OF THE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES SPRING 2006 environment YALE Conservationists Thinking Big to Save the Last Great Places INSIDE: Gift for Land Conservation page 11 Spurring Action on Climate Change page 15 Developing World Gaining Access to Online Research page 19 letters To the Editor: Editor’s Note: Below are excerpts from national spokesman for taking meaningful, I read your article about forests as a a letter sent to Yale University President national action on climate change. remedy for global warming [“As a Remedy Richard Levin on February 7 and We believe that the president of Yale can to Global Warming, Do Forests Matter?,” President Levin’s response. get some attention, particularly if you turn Fall 2005] and was perplexed, because your own commitment to rallying the nowhere in the article was the fact that the Dear President Levin, commitments of the presidents of other carbon taken up by a tree part remains out We were struck by a juxtaposition of major U.S. universities to join you in calling of circulation as long as that tree part is two articles in the January 29 for meaningful action on climate change not degraded to its con- Washington Post, one a headline that reflects our most current scientific stituent molecules or article entitled “Debate on knowledge. elements. This should Climate Shifts to Issue of V. A LARIC SAMPLE be a major tenet of the Irreparable Change,” and the PRESIDENT tree-based sequestration other on how the State of the PINCHOT INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, D.C. argument, and it should Union address has become M.F. ’80, M.B.A. ’88, PH.D. ’89 be used to negotiate the little more than theatre and JOHN ECHEVERRIA modification of building an extension of political PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW codes internationally. It campaigning. For us, this GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY is my experience that the also brought to mind two WASHINGTON, D.C. performance of the environ- excellent articles in the B.A. ’76, M.F.S. ’81, J.D. ’81 mental community has been [Fall 2005] issue of environment: lacking in this regard. Yale: Gus Speth’s piece, “The Heart of the Dear Dr. Sample and Professor Echeverria: Regarding the thought that carbon Matter,” and Richard Conniff’s article, “As Thank you for your eloquent letter. I sequestration payments should not be a Remedy to Global Warming, Do Forests appreciate your request and I will take it made for activities that are now being done Matter?” to heart. by existing forests, it is my experience that Just when we think we’ve become worn Meanwhile, with Gus’ passionate voice financially astute individuals do not hold down to the point of numbness, we find always in our ears and increasingly in our on to nonperforming assets any longer ourselves shocked anew at the utter lack minds and hearts, we are busy trying to than necessary to change their status. It is of leadership on the part of our elected move ourselves up on the “short list” of likely that much of the forest that has been leaders and the active suppression of sci- responsible institutions so that we can be sequestering carbon for many years under entific information that could catalyze a national model. As our task forces, such past owners will face re-evaluation soon more effective action. Data from NASA’s as the Yale Climate Initiative, the Yale after the existing owners transfer their assets Goddard Institute for Space Studies have Energy Task Force and the Student Task to others. Human life spans are not in sync confirmed that 2005 was Earth’s warmest Force for Environmental Partnership, with forest generation times, and estate year on record, surpassing 1998. research and identify more environmental transfers are going to cause this re-evaluation As we cast about looking for the leader- challenges, we are hurrying to make a at an increasing rate. So either society can ship on this most pressing of issues, Yale is difference on all fronts. We have to keep begin to compensate private owners for on the short list. We admire what Gus Speth pushing up our numbers on energy saving some of the unvalued functions that forests has done since becoming dean of the School (our residential colleges made a 9.1 percent perform, or those owners may choose to of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and improvement in one year!). We have to change the use to one that provides better admire the way you have helped get Yale look at even more investment in renewable returns. Until we change the way we value University overall to step up to its respon- sources of power. We have to keep making many parts of human existence, we will sibility to lead by example in its own strides. Otherwise, we will not be the kind face this expanding dilemma. One place to physical plant redevelopment. Gus has of example that will allow us to challenge start is by heavily taxing income that is gone beyond the bounds of F&ES to instill others from a platform of strength. greater than is needed for a normal family a new understanding and resolve on the I took pride in reading your letter. I to survive. part of other leaders at Yale. If each of us promise you that where and when I can, I ALAN PAGE, PH.D. were not already a loyal supporter of Yale, will heed your call. RESEARCH FORESTER this would certainly make us one. RICHARD C. LEVIN BELCHERTOWN, MASS. That said, we have one further request: PRESIDENT that you as Yale president become a leading YALE UNIVERSITY 4 17 24 28 CONTENTS environment:YALE 2 15 28 The Journal of the School of Dean’s Message Galvanizing National Mark Plotkin Helps to Forestry & Environmental Studies Numbers tell the story of F&ES’ Action on Climate Change Preserve the Culture of Spring 2006 • Vol. 5, No. 1 impressive growth. A newly published report offers a Rainforest’s Shamans Editor a synthesis of insights and Mark Plotkin was just 24 when he David DeFusco 4 recommendations on how to met the Trio Shamans. Now he is Director of Communications Conservationists Thinking bridge the science-action gap. Jako, or brother. Copy Editor Big to Save the Last Anne Sommer Great Places 17 31 Alumni/ae Liaison to Editor Bookshelf Kathleen Schomaker Proposals have been advanced to Critic of United Nations Director of Alumni/ae Affairs protect areas of land larger than Environment Programme 19 Design the world’s greatest national parks. Offers Plan for Its Reform Yale Program to Give Nancy J. Dobos UNEP is uniquely positioned to DobosDesign 11 Developing World Access take stewardship of the global Editorial Advisory Board Gift for Land Conservation to Scientific Research environment, but it needs to Daniel Abbasi, Alan Brewster, Nine hundred public institutions in Jane Coppock, Gordon Geballe, A conservation strategies program reform itself first. Eugenie Gentry, Stephen Kellert, will support student training in 110 developing countries will receive Emly McDiarmid, Peter Otis financial, legal, marketing and free or deeply discounted access to 33 sociological methods that intersect the online scientific literature of Dean Class Notes James Gustave Speth with land conservation. leading international publishers. 46 environment:Yale is published 14 20 twice a year (Spring and Fall) by New Index Grades At the School Obituaries the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Editorial Countries on Current offices are located at 205 Prospect Environmental Performance 24 Street, New Haven, CT 06511. 203-436-4842 The Environmental Performance Learning to Read email: [email protected] Index ranks 133 countries based the Fields http://environment.yale.edu on their performance within six Jonathan Padwe studies the success policy categories. of Cambodia’s Jarai farmers. printed on recycled paper with soy-based inks Spring 2006 environment:YALE 1 message Dean James Gustave Speth By the Numbers Average Scholarship Gift FY 2006 $18,662 It is hard to reduce to numbers six years of effort FY 2000 $ 7,282 and teamwork building our school, but I am going to dean’s try! The numbers – reflecting changes here between By raising new funds for scholarships while keeping 2000 and 2006 – tell many interesting stories. student body size constant, we have been able to give Annual Expenditures for Master’s Student Scholarships bigger scholarships. Tuition this year is $25,800; the inclusive fee (including living allowance) is $41,465 for FY 2006 $ 2,218,000 first-year students and $39,600 for returning students. FY 2000 $ 786,400 Bottom line: F&ES is expensive for the average person. This tripling of our scholarship aid has made a won- Number of Master’s Applicants derful difference, but we still are far from being able to FY 2006 469 do what Yale does for its undergraduates – ensure that FY 2000 351 all those admitted have the means to attend Yale. As a result, many of our most impressive applicants, in the The number of applicants to our four master’s-degree end, never pass through our doors because they cannot programs has grown significantly. Still, interest in pro- afford it. Raising additional funds for scholarships is fessional training in environmental management has not now our highest development priority. caught up (yet) with that for law, business or medicine. Annual Grants and Contracts Revenue Percentage of International Students FY 2006 $4,699,500 in Incoming Master’s Class FY 2000 $1,735,700 FY 2006 32% FY 2000 26% Our faculty have greatly expanded the research grants we receive (mostly from federal science agencies One of the great things about the school is its inter- like the National Science Foundation) and, correspond- national diversity.