Institute on the Environment

Type| Academic institution
Established| 2007
Director| Jessica Hellmann
Location|

St. Paul

United States

Campus| Urban
Website| www.environment.umn.edu
Part of a series about

Sustainable energy
Overview

* Sustainable energy
* Carbon-neutral fuel
* Fossil fuel phase-out

Energy conservation

* Cogeneration
* Efficient energy use
* Energy storage
* Green building
* Heat pump
* Low-carbon power
* Microgeneration
* Passive solar building design

Renewable energy

* Biofuel
* Geothermal
* Hydroelectricity
* Solar
* Tidal
* Wave
* Wind

Sustainable transport

* Electric vehicle
* Green vehicle
* Plug-in hybrid

*   *

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The Institute on the Environment, or IonE, is a multidisciplinary institute at the University of Minnesota that supports interdisciplinary research, develops leaders and builds cross-sector partnerships aimed at shaping solutions to challenges at the intersection of society and the environment. Its director is Jessica Hellmann.[1]

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 History
* 3 Areas of emphasis
* 4 Three-part approach
* 4.1 Discovering solutions
* 4.2 Preparing leaders
* 4.3 Engaging partners
* 5 Programs and strategic initiatives
* 6 See also
* 7 References

## Mission

The mission of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment is to "lead the way toward a future in which people and the environment prosper together".[2]

## History

IonE was founded at the University of Minnesota in 2007.[3] It has since grown to number six directors and over 70 academic staff.[4]

## Areas of emphasis

IonE initiatives focus on six topical areas:

* Agriculture and land use[5][6][7]
* Renewable energy
* Valuing nature
* Climate adaptation and resilience[8][9]
* Sustainable Enterprise
* Water

## Three-part approach

IonE programs, investments and other activities fall into three broad, interacting activities: discovery of solutions, preparing leaders and engaging partners.

### Discovering solutions

IonE pursues research-based solutions to the biggest challenges of the 21st century including climate adaptation, energy, food and land use, freshwater, urban resilience and whole systems. IonE fellows, research scientists and students collate and analyze data and knowledge from diverse sources and fields to identify strategies for improving environmental outcomes. IonE also works with established and emerging leaders in science, technology, business, education, policy and other areas to co-envision and co-create enduring positive change around the world. IonE shares its findings in academic and non-academic outlets.[2]

### Preparing leaders

IonE's leadership and education programs offer a range of specialized training in areas such as communication, media relations, entrepreneurship and systems thinking. IonE coordinates the university's undergraduate sustainability studies minor; offers leadership programming for graduate students; provides education and mentoring for budding entrepreneurs; and delivers communications and strategy training for faculty and staff.[10]

### Engaging partners

IonE links researchers with leaders in the business, investment, media, government, academia and nonprofit sectors to help disseminate Minnesota innovation around the world. It also shares stories and sparks conversations that motivate and empower people to create a more sustainable future.[11]

## Programs and strategic initiatives

The Acara Program for Entrepreneurship gives university students a chance to envision and launch successful social businesses. Since 2009, more than 300 students from 20 universities have participated in Acara's programs.[12] Acara has partnerships with colleges and universities in the United States as well as India.[13]

The Boreas Leadership Program offers University of Minnesota graduate and professional students and postdoctoral fellows co-curricular leadership development opportunities that build on the strengths of graduate education to create effective change agents.[14]

Ensia is an independent non-profit magazine and event series published by IonE that showcases environmental issues in action. Ensia's mission is to share stories, articles, commentaries and multimedia pieces and spark conversations that motivate and empower people to create a more sustainable future. It covers a wide range of environment and sustainability issues, looking at the crossroads of sectors, disciplines, ideologies and geographies for new ideas to emerge.[15]

The Global Landscape Initiative works to understand land use changes, to improve the ability to balance human needs with environmental stewardship and to promote secure landscapes across the globe.[16][17][18] The 2011 TedxTC lecture, The Other Inconvenient Truth, addresses the challenges being aided by the Global Landscape Initiative.[19]

The Global Water Initiative examines critical links between land use change and water resources, bringing together hydrology, plant-water relations, economics and policy to explore the effects of land cover on water availability and use.[20]

Institute fellows are increasing understanding of urban heat islands, large lakes, the changing boreal forest, resilient communities, human and animal health, global food security, the impacts of climate change on biodiversity and much more. In 2015, there were 63 fellows from 14 colleges, the Science Museum of Minnesota and three University of Minnesota campuses.[21]

The Natural Capital Project includes researchers from University of Minnesota, Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund and several other entities. It develops new approaches to integrating economics and ecology and advances knowledge and practice related to the economics of natural systems and the role of nature's services in cost-benefit calculations.[22]

The NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise works with the private sector to understand the systemic sustainability challenges of production and consumption systems, develop the decision tools necessary to navigate these complex systems, and accelerate innovation from marginal efforts to meaningful change.[23] The program launched in 2009.[24]

Through IonE's renewable energy programs researchers have developed new clean energy technologies, launched energy start-ups, worked with collaborators to advance the energy transition and improved understanding of the sustainability of biofuels and other forms of renewable energy.

The University of Minnesota's Sustainability Studies program, administered by IonE, is one of the largest programs of its kind in the country. It helps empower the next generation of sustainability leaders and scholars.[25]

## See also

* Energy law

## References

1. ↑ "Jessica Hellmann - Institute on the Environment". Institute on the Environment. http://environment.umn.edu/contact-us/directory/jessica-hellmann/.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Institute on the Environment. environment.umn.edu, accessed 17 June 2022
3. ↑ The Right Time and Place. Prod. Institute on the Environment. Youtube. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 July 2012
4. ↑ Staff environment.umn.edu, accessed 20 June 2022
5. ↑ Emily S Cassidy, Paul C West, James S Gerber and Jonathan A Foley, Redefining agricultural yields: from tonnes to people nourished per hectare 1 August 2013 iopscience.iop.org, accessed 17 June 2022
6. ↑ How much does that fertilizer REALLY cost? 5 October 2016, www.eurekalert.org, accessed 17 June 2022
7. ↑ Nathan Gray Study pinpoints key 'leverage points' to feed more people with existing land 18 July 2014 www.foodnavigator.com, accessed 17 June 2022
8. ↑ Climate change is affecting crop yields and reducing global food supplies 9 July 2019 theconversation.com, accessed 17 June 2022
9. ↑ A safe operating space for humanity 23 September 2009 www.nature.com, accessed 18 June 2022
10. ↑ "Education & Leadership" (in en-US). http://environment.umn.edu/education-leadership/.
11. ↑ "Partnerships & Engagement" (in en-US). http://environment.umn.edu/partnerships-engagement/.
12. ↑ Acara Institute on the Environment. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012.
13. ↑ Wheeler, David. "How to Pull Students Into ‘Global Challenges’ Research." The Chronicle of Higher Education 2012: n. pag. Print.
14. ↑ Minnesota, University of. "Boreas Leadership Program" (in en-US). http://boreas.environment.umn.edu/.
15. ↑ "Ensia". http://ensia.com/.
16. ↑ "Global Landscapes Initiative." Institute on the Environment. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012.
17. ↑ various Editors: Building the Spatial University Spatial Thinking, Learning, and Service Throughout the System p94. 24 February 2022 via www.google.co.uk, accessed 18 June 2022 ISBN 9783030928476
18. ↑ Jonathan Foley: Feeding the World 2014 www.nationalgeographic.com, accessed 18 June 2022
19. ↑ TEDxTC - Jonathan Foley - The Other Inconvenient Truth. TED Conferences, LLC. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Aug. 2012. Retrieved 2012-8-7
20. ↑ Gund Institute: Kate Brauman- Gund Affiliate, Lead Scientist, University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment "Kate Brauman is the Lead Scientist for the Global Water Initiative at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. Kate also leads IonE’s impact goal on achieving safe water for all Minnesotans." University of Vermont, www.uvm.edu, accessed 22 June 2022
21. ↑ "Fellowships & Grants" (in en-US). http://environment.umn.edu/fellowships-grants/.
22. ↑ "Natural Capital Project." Institute on the Environment. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012.
23. ↑ "NorthStar Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise." Institute on the Environment. Regents of the University of Minnesota, accessed 9 June 2022
24. ↑ Hulsey, Sasha. "Free Market Sustainability: Environmentally Sustainable?" MN2020: n. pag. Print.
25. ↑ "Sustainability Education." Institute on the Environment. Regents of the University of Minnesota, 2012. Web. 12 July 2012.

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