Maths in Environment studies

Mathematics plays a key role in environmental studies, modeling, etc. Basic mathematics - calculus, percents, ratios, graphs and charts, sequences, sampling, averages, a population growth model, variability and probability - all relate to current, critical issues such as pollution, the availability of resources, environmental clean-up, recycling, CFC's, and population growth. In January of this year the annual winter meeting of the national mathematics societies held theme sessions on Mathematics and the Environment. Several presentations were made. Papers are available on request as described below. Fred Roberts - Department of Mathematics, Rutgers University Moving Traffic So As To Use Less Fuel and Reduce Pollution Two of the ways in which mathematics is used in traffic management are in the phasing of traffic lights and in the design of patterns of one-way streets. Mathematical methods first developed in the early stages of sequencing the DNA molecule have turned out to be useful in deciding when to give different streams of traffic a green light. Related mathematical methods are useful in deciding how to make streets one-way so as to move traffic more efficiently. Robert McKelvey - Department of Mathematics, Univ. of Montana Global Climate Change: How We Set Policy How we deal with uncertainty in making environmental decisions, focusing on some of the interlocking environmental problems of today: 1) global warming; 2) biodiversity and genetic diversity (loss of species); and 3)impending losses of resources (land, energy, clean air, water). Mary Wheeler - Department of Mathematics, Rice University, and Kyle Roberson, Pacific Northwest Laboratories Bio-remediation Modeling: Using Indigenous Organisms to Eliminate Soil Contaminants An explanation of laboratory, field, and simulation work to validate remediation strategies at U.S. Department of Energy sites, such as Hanford, WA. A project goal is to formulate and implement accurate and efficient algorithms for modeling biodegradation processes. Numerical simulation results that utilize realistic data and parallel computational complexity issues are discussed. Simon Levin - Section of Ecology and Systematics, Cornel The Problem of Scale in Ecology: Why this is Important in Resolving Global Problems Global environmental problems have local and regional causes and consequences, such as, linkages between photosynthetic dynamics at the leaf level, regional shifts in forest composition, and global changes in climate and the distribution of greenhouse gases. The fundamental problem is relating processes that are operating on very different scales of space and time. Mathematical methods provide the only way such problems can be approached, and techniques of scaling,