Contributions from social sciences and humanities with regard to the challenges of the Anthropocene
The Earth System is very complex and there are key uncertainties to be studied and resolved in relation to its global change. In terms of research, the science community should thus not only try to understand but also contribute to address key issues and problems. RESCUE will identify the new, emerging and neglecting research areas, integrate across disciplines major environmental and developmental issues (i.e., natural, social and human sciences), and develop new approaches and paradigms. These science-related challenges require urgent and marked engagement of key disciplines and organisations, with adequate mobilisation of key science actors and stakeholders from the onset. RESCUE offers a unique opportunity for gathering a critical mass throughout Europe, for initiating innovative, systemic and integrative science to understand better the Earth System and to contribute to better informed decision making and global sustainable governance.
This Working Group has not been set up and has been replaced by a series of activities designed to help RESCUE achieve this specific task and to identify the most important, new, neglected and emerging research questions at the European level:
- a Delphi consultation built on the ICSU "Grand Challenges in Global Sustainability Research" document. The Delphi process has two rounds: the first round was completed in February and the second one in March.
- information gathering / surveys, for Europe and for the RESCUE remit, of the relevant research strategies and science priorities in the major science funding organisations (including the ESF Member Organisations and the EC), and of the existing or planned, international, interdisciplinary science initiatives.
A Task Force was considered to help finalise the identification of important test cases / questions for RESCUE and a list of priority research questions in the field of global change research to be further used in the other RESCUE WGs.
new Task Force
In early 2011, the RESCUE Task Force on "Science Questions has been re-activated and renamed : “Contributions from social sciences and humanities with regard to the challenges of the Anthropocene”. It worked in close cooperation with the ICSU/IGFA/Belmont Forum and the ISSC.
Membership
Chair
Prof. Pálsson, Gísli (IS)
Members
Dr. Avril, Bernard (FR)
Prof. Crumley, Carole (SE)
Dr. Hackmann, Heide (FR)
Prof. Holm, Poul (IE)
Dr. Ingram, John (UK)
Prof. Kirman, Alan (FR)
Dr. Marks, John (NL)
Prof. Pardo Buendía, Mercedes (ES)
Prof. Sörlin, Sverker (SE)
Prof. Szerszynski, Bronislaw (UK)
Dr. Weehuizen, Rifka (FR)
N.B.: Prof. Joseph Alcamo (now UNEP, KN) was, at the beginning, actively involved in this effort of the RESCUE initiative.
