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This Claremont Discourse* lecture, titled "When Plants Pollute: Navigating the Ambiguities of 'Best Available Science'", features Harvey Mudd College Assistant Professor of Climate and Chemistry Sarah Kavassalis.The Los Angeles Times recently said, "L.A. [was] too ugly now to host the Olympics." The solution they posed was to increase landscaping with native plants. Species like our California Sagebrush (Artemisia californica) could serve to not only beautify L.A. but also support our local and beleaguered coastal sage scrub ecosystem. Urban forestry is a proven, cost-effective approach to tackling various vital community and national concerns, from improving air quality to mitigating climate change. While plants have many air-cleaning and climate benefits, certain plant species can actually worsen air quality thanks to complex chemical reactions involving their volatile aromas - our vulnerable but ecologically critical Sagebrush is one such plant.
What principles should guide decisions when air quality and ecosystem health are sometimes at odds? What about aesthetic considerations? The mandate for environmental policymakers in the United States is to employ "the best available science," but what happens when ecologists and chemists offer conflicting perspectives?
In this talk, Dr. Kavassalis will share insights from her group's research on the complex chemistry involved in plant-atmosphere interactions as well as insights from the air quality policy-making process itself - what science has guided regulations for the past 50 years, and how has it been chosen? How have policymakers been defining "best"?
Claremont Discourse lectures are held in The Founders and are free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be provided starting at 4 p.m.
* Established in 1998, the Claremont Discourse lecture series is a forum for faculty at The Claremont Colleges to present their current research, publications, and creative projects from a wide variety of disciplines. Please note that any views or opinions expressed by presenters in the course of a Claremont Discourse lecture do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, or values of The Claremont Colleges Services or The Claremont Colleges as a consortium or as individual institutions. For more information or if you would like to suggest a topic for a future Claremont Discourse lecture, please reach out to [email protected].
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Claremont Colleges Library, 800 N Dartmouth Ave,Claremont,CA,United States
