Nicole M. Ardoin

Pressing sustainability issues are rooted in human and earth systems interactions that are difficult to address because of their complex, dynamic, and unpredictable nature. Addressing these social-ecological challenges requires systems-level change, which relies on both direct improvements to natural systems and indirect drivers of change, such as educational levers. We aim to provoke more transdisciplinary work between environmental scientists and educators by bringing together key constructs from social-ecological and learning systems theories. Writing from the perspective of educators and social scientists, our objectives are to encourage ecologists and other environmental scientists to (1) recognize that learning systems are essential elements of social-ecological ecosystems and (2) embrace their role as keystones within these learning systems, uniquely positioned to drive interest in the environment and support transformative learning. We suggest potential areas of intersection between social-ecological and learning systems, seeking leverage points for transformative change toward more sustainable communities.

Proven oil reserves underpin national wealth and fiscal stability in many oil-producing nations, but their value reflects future prices that may be economically incompatible with international climate goals. Prior studies have identified which reserves are unburnable under climate targets, but the divergence between prices of fossil fuels in climate-scenarios and futures markets has not been quantified, despite real implications on the value of countries’ and companies’ resources. Here, we compare oil prices embedded in Brent futures with those in a range of energy-emissions scenarios, using extraction costs to map the implied disparities in value of countries’ proven oil reserves. By 2034, Brent futures imply $46.2 trillion more reserve value than strong mitigation scenarios (i.e., Net-zero 2050). This difference is highly concentrated: six countries account for 76% of the total, led by Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, and Iran. These differences accrue overwhelmingly to state-owned national oil companies—led by the National Iranian Oil Company and Saudi Aramco—rather than publicly traded majors. Yet mitigation would not destroy reserve value uniformly: falling prices would drive high-cost producers out of the market, allowing low-cost Gulf states to capture over 60% of the value of reserves that remain economically recoverable. If climate mitigation succeeds, economic diversification in oil-dependent nations will be critical to avoid cascading sovereign debt crises.

This longitudinal study, conducted during the COVID‐19 pandemic, investigates how indoor and outdoor nature exposure relate to wellbeing and environmental behavior among remote workers. We recruited 460 US participants at baseline and tracked them over four surveys (2020–2023), examining impacts of indoor features (plants, natural materials, biophilic décor, and natural light/views) and outdoor time on stress, creativity, and workplace/residential environmental behavior. Linear mixed‐effects models showed natural materials reduced stress and enhanced creativity, whereas indoor plants and natural light/views promoted environmental behaviors in workplace and residence. Aggregated indoor natural elements were associated with workplace environmental behavior and creativity. Outdoor nature time mainly influenced residential environmental behavior. These effects were moderated by environmental attitudes: Those with higher self‐inclusion in nature benefited more from indoor nature, whereas those with stronger ecological worldviews exhibited greater behavioral responsiveness. Findings highlight complementary roles of indoor and outdoor nature, informing design strategies for healthier, more sustainable environments.

Nicole M. Ardoin, Ryan J. O’Connor, and Alison W. Bowers. In the social sciences, the concept of “place” plays a large role in how humans relate to their environment. History and culture, as well as nuances of human behavior, often revolve around a person’s sense of place and belonging. Rather than assuming people are separate from nature, as is common in western science, this approach views people as fully engaged in nature. By probing these connections between people and place, one can foster the engagement of individuals and their communities in characterizing problems and in framing pathways to solutions that can promote sustainability in marine socio-ecological systems. Deep scholarship and well-developed case studies, presented here, support this emerging thinking.