Measuring our carbon footprint

Public release date: 16-Apr-2012
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Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside

In free public lecture at UC Riverside botanist Louis Santiago will discuss the impact we have on our climate

RIVERSIDE, Calif. All of us contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. But there are ways to reduce our carbon emissions. How we travel, what we eat, what we consume and what we discard are just some of the factors that contribute to our carbon footprint. How, though, do we measure our impact on our climate?

The public has an opportunity to find out on April 26, when Louis S. Santiago, an assistant professor of physiological ecology at the University of California, Riverside, will give a free lecture on campus in which he will explain how a person's carbon footprint can be computed.

His hour-long lecture is titled "Earth 101: What's Your Carbon Footprint?" It will begin at 6 p.m. in Rooms D-E, University Extension Center (UNEX).

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Seating is open. Parking at UNEX will be free for lecture attendees.

"As with most questions, 'What is your carbon footprint?' has a short answer and a long answer," Santiago said. "I will explore both of these, and give examples of how our actions are linked to global processes. The bottom line is we can all do something to reduce our carbon footprint."

Santiago received his Ph.D. in botany at the University of Florida in 2003. Three years later, he joined UC Riverside, where he is a faculty member in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences and co-director of the Facility for Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

His research is focused on the connection between plants and their environment. One primary research interest of his is how plant functional traits are the result of resource availability, and how these traits feed back into ecosystem processes.

"My lab measures photosynthetic carbon uptake by leaves, so you could say I work on the carbon footprint of leaves," he said.

Last year, Santiago was awarded the USDA E. Kika de la Garza Fellowship to work in Washington, D.C. on challenges faced in the development of a well prepared Hispanic workforce. Other distinctions include appointment as a research associate with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and awards from the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Land Management.

This year's lecture series, titled "Earth 101: What You Need to Know About Life on Our Planet," aims to boost the public's awareness and understanding of science and of how scientists work.

Santiago's lecture will be introduced by John Robertson, a physical science teacher in the Riverside Unified School District.

The talks are being hosted by UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Science Circle, a group of university and community members committed to advancing science in Inland Southern California.

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More information about the lecture series can be obtained by visiting www.cnas.ucr.edu, calling (951) 827-6555 or emailing Carol Lerner.

Teachers interested in receiving professional development credit for attending the lecture series must make arrangements in advance with University Extension [awebb@ucx.ucr.edu; (951) 827-1653].

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 16-Apr-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Iqbal Pittalwala
iqbal@ucr.edu
951-827-6050
University of California - Riverside

In free public lecture at UC Riverside botanist Louis Santiago will discuss the impact we have on our climate

RIVERSIDE, Calif. All of us contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. But there are ways to reduce our carbon emissions. How we travel, what we eat, what we consume and what we discard are just some of the factors that contribute to our carbon footprint. How, though, do we measure our impact on our climate?

The public has an opportunity to find out on April 26, when Louis S. Santiago, an assistant professor of physiological ecology at the University of California, Riverside, will give a free lecture on campus in which he will explain how a person's carbon footprint can be computed.

His hour-long lecture is titled "Earth 101: What's Your Carbon Footprint?" It will begin at 6 p.m. in Rooms D-E, University Extension Center (UNEX).

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Seating is open. Parking at UNEX will be free for lecture attendees.

"As with most questions, 'What is your carbon footprint?' has a short answer and a long answer," Santiago said. "I will explore both of these, and give examples of how our actions are linked to global processes. The bottom line is we can all do something to reduce our carbon footprint."

Santiago received his Ph.D. in botany at the University of Florida in 2003. Three years later, he joined UC Riverside, where he is a faculty member in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences and co-director of the Facility for Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry.

His research is focused on the connection between plants and their environment. One primary research interest of his is how plant functional traits are the result of resource availability, and how these traits feed back into ecosystem processes.

"My lab measures photosynthetic carbon uptake by leaves, so you could say I work on the carbon footprint of leaves," he said.

Last year, Santiago was awarded the USDA E. Kika de la Garza Fellowship to work in Washington, D.C. on challenges faced in the development of a well prepared Hispanic workforce. Other distinctions include appointment as a research associate with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and awards from the National Science Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Land Management.

This year's lecture series, titled "Earth 101: What You Need to Know About Life on Our Planet," aims to boost the public's awareness and understanding of science and of how scientists work.

Santiago's lecture will be introduced by John Robertson, a physical science teacher in the Riverside Unified School District.

The talks are being hosted by UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Science Circle, a group of university and community members committed to advancing science in Inland Southern California.

###

More information about the lecture series can be obtained by visiting www.cnas.ucr.edu, calling (951) 827-6555 or emailing Carol Lerner.

Teachers interested in receiving professional development credit for attending the lecture series must make arrangements in advance with University Extension [awebb@ucx.ucr.edu; (951) 827-1653].

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 20,500 students. The campus will open a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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