Dr. Paul Reitan

Office: 852 Natural Sciences Complex Phone: 716.645.6800 ext.3988 Email: preitan@acsu.buffalo.edu Title: Emeritus Professor Degree: University of Chicago  1949 -1955   A.B. 1953 University in Oslo, Norway  1955-1956  Dr. Philos. 1959  Specialty: Environmental, Climate

 

Professional Experience:

University at Buffalo     Professor Emeritus     1998-present

        Professor       1969-1998

        Dean, Nat. Sci. & Math.     1976-1979

        Acting Dean       1975-1976

        Associate Dean       1970-1975

        Associate Professor     1966-1969

Stanford University      Assistant Professor     1960-1966

Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse Statsgeolog       1956-1960

(Geological Survey of Norway ) (State Geologist)

U.S. Geological Survey     Geologist (GS5 & GS7)     1953-1956

Univ. Illinois in Chicago   Instructor       1955

 

Professional Honor:

Foreign Member: Det Konglige Norske Videnskabers Selskab (The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters)   1995-present

 

Professional Societies:

Fellow: American Association for the Advancement of Science; Geological Society of America ; Mineralogical Society of America

Life Member: Norsk Geologisk Foreneing (Norwegian Geological Association)

Member: International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry; Union of Concerned Scientists, Sigma Xi, Western New York Sustainable Energy Association

Interests:

  Questions of greatest interest me have to do with the long-term success of human societies, i.e., sustainability.

  What are the most important threats to sustainability? Global climate change? Reduced biodiversity? Depletion of essential resources? Population growth? Growth in consumption? Natural disasters? Inequity driven social disruption? All of them? Others?

  What can enable human societies to respond successfully to threats to sustainability? New discoveries in the sciences? Technological innovations? Public policies? Cultural transformations? All of them? Others?

  How much time do we have before fundamental changes in societal behavior are essential? Will the long-standing dynamic equilibrium to which we are adapted be disrupted and be replaced by the abrupt emergence of a new and different equilibrium state? A state to which we are ill-adapted?

  Clearly these questions involve all of the natural sciences and all of the social sciences, but most importantly, our ethical responses to the present and to what we are able to foresee for future generations.

Recent Presentations:

  2006 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Philadelphia , PA. Pardee Keynote Symposium “Geosciences and the media: How can we better communicate the imperatives of sustainability?”

Reitan, P. H. and Zen, E-an: “Looking abrupt natural disasters in the eye: How should we deal with them in the context of sustainability?”

  2005 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Salt Lake City , UT.

Topical Session “Does geology serve society? Let's count the ways!”

Reitan, P. H.: “Does geology serve society? Yes, but can we make it do so better?”

  2004 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver, CO

Topical Session “The science of sustainability: How can we most effectively educate students, the public, and policymakers?”

Reitan, P. H.: “Beyond educating about the science of sustainability, what's needed?”

  2004 Northeast & Southeast Sectional Meeting of the geological Society of America, Washington DC , Topical Session “Geoscience education: Undergraduate”

Reitan, P. H.: “Ending an environmental science course with a light of hope.”

  2004 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Seattle WA . Symposium “From the ground up: The importance of soil in sustaining civilization.”

Pimentel, David, and Reitan, P. H.: “Modern agriculture: Its strengths and weaknesses.”

  2003 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America . Seattle , WA . Pardee Keynote Symposium “Preservation of random mega-scale events on Mars and Earth: Influence on geologic history.”

Kieffer, S. W., Barton, P. B., Palmer, A. R., Reitan, P. H., and Zen, E-an: “Mega-scale events: Natural disasters and human behavior.”

Topical Session “Soils and a sustainable future – a neglected challenge in geology: A tribute to the many contributions and challenges of Aldo Leopold.”

Reitan, P. H.: “Soils – who needs them?”

  2002 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver, CO Pardee Keynote Symposium “The role of Earth sciences in fostering global equity and stability.”

Zen, E-an, Barton, P. B., Reitan, P. H., Kieffer, S. W. and Palmer, A. R.: “Earth resources: The little engine that could brake sustainability.”

Reitan, E. H., and Reitan, P. H.: “The role of Earth sciences in equity, stability, and sustainability.”

  2000 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Reno , NV Institute of Environmental Education Forum “Toward a stewardship of the global commons.”

Reitan, P. H., and Reitan, E. H.: “We can choose. We will choose.”

  1999 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver CO Topical Session “Environmental justice: Geoecological, social, and philosophical perspectives.”

Reitan, P. H., “Environmental justice while imprisoned is not enough!”

  1998 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Toronto , Ontario , CA. Symposium “Developing sustainability curricula: A challenge for Earth science educators.”

Reitan, P. H.: “The opportunity and responsibility of Earth scientists to lead in educating for sustainability.”

  1998 University of Idaho , Interdisciplinary Conference on the Environment “Planetary Stewardship” Sponsored by the Borah Foundation and the Martin Institute.

Reitan, P. H., and Reitan, E. H.: Our unsustainable present: Why, and what can we do about it?”

Reitan, P. H., Interdisciplinary environmental education: How broad?”

  1997 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Salt Lake City UT Symposium: Institute of Environmental Education & National Association of Geology Teachers “Advocacy, ethics, and the geosciences: Problems of facts and values in environmental issues.”

Reitan, P. H.: “The role of educators as interpreters of facts supporting the quest for sustainability values.”

Topical Session “The geosciences in context: Values, sustainability, culture, and curricula.”

Reitan, P. H.: “Geoscience curricula and a sustainable future: Beyond problem definition toward solution.”

  1996 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver CO. Geoscience Education Division Symposium: “Interdisciplinary strategies for teaching about the Earth as a system.”

Reitan, P. H.: “Human interactions with Earth systems: Part of a holistic education about a sustainable human society on Earth.”

Recent Professional Activities:

Co-organizer of the following scientific sessions:

2007Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, San Francisco CA. Symposium: “The science and ethics of a culture of sustainability.”

2006 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Philadelphia , PA. Pardee Keynote Symposium: “Geosciences and the media: How can we better communicate the imperatives of sustainability?”

2005 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Salt Lake City , UT. Topical Session: “Does geology serve society? Let's count the ways!”

2004 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver , CO. Topical Session: “The science of sustainability: How can we most effectively educate students, the public, and policymakers?”

2004 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Seattle , WA . Symposium: From the ground up: The importance of soil in sustaining civilization.”

2003 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Seattle , WA . Topical Session: “Soils and a sustainable future – the neglected challenge in geology: A tribute to the many contributions and challenges of Aldo Leopold.”

2002-2003 Coordinator, Critical Issues Caucus, Gelogy & Public Policy Committee, Geological Society of America .

2002 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver , CO. Topical Session: “Effective communication and/or partnership engaging geoscientists, the public, and policymakers: Case studies.”

2000 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Reno , NV . Institute of Environmental Education Forum : Toward a stewardship of the global commons.”

1999 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Denver , CO. Topical Session: “Environmental justice: Geoecological, social, and philosophical perspectives.”

1998 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Toronto , Ontario , CA. Symposium: “Developing sustainability curricula: A challenge for Earth science educators.”

1998 University of Idaho Interdisciplinary Conference : Planetary Stewardship, sponsored by the Borah Foundation and the Martin Institute. Symposium: “Sustainable societies: Possible? How do we get there?”

1997 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America , Salt Lake City , UT. Theme Session: “The geosciences in context: Values, sustainability, culture, and curricula”

 

Recent Publications:

Reitan, P. H., 2005, Sustainability science – and what's needed beyond science. Sustainability: Science, Practice, and Policy. 1(1): 77-80. http://ejournal.nbii.org/archives/vol1iss1/communityessay.reitan.html Publ. Online April 7, 2005

 

http://bcn.boulder.co.us/basin/local/sustainintro.html The site posts a Guideline for Sustainability Literacy, with 12 short articles that were first published, without the teacher's guide, monthly during 2000 in GSA Today. The Guideline articles were authored by A. Palmer, E-an Zen, C. Turner, G. Fisher, and P. Reitan. On the same website is an article, Zen, E-an, Barton, P. B., Reitan, P. H., Kieffer, S. W., and Palmer, A. R., 2002, “Earth resources: The little engine that could brake sustainability.” Also available on a 2004 Geological Society of America CD-ROM “Understanding Sustainability: Essays and Activities pertaining to a Sustainable Future.

 

Reitan, P. H. and Reitan E. H., 2001, Earth support systems: Threatened? Why? What can we do? Proc. Indian Acad, Sci, (Earth Planet. Sci., 110: 269-285

 

Reitan, P. H. and Reitan, E. H., 2001, Threats to sustainability: What are they? Why have they arisen? What can we do? Proceedings, Ecospheres Conference, University of Nebraska .

 

Reitan, P. H. and Reitan, E. H., 1998, Our unsustainable present – why and what can we do about it? Electronic Green Journal, December 1998, Special Issue 9.

http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/egj09