The FEWSION project aims to provide highly accessible educational resources for the public, for students and instructors, and for policymakers, by making your Food, Energy, and Water system more visible.
Overview
Resources
FEWSION Visualization System
FEWSION™ is building the first complete empirical description of the U.S. food, energy, and water system so that every citizen and policymaker in the U.S. can see where their food, energy, and water come from. The visualization system is an interactive map that features an on-boarding process to walk you through how to use the system. FEWSION™ researchers have developed a series of simple and exciting visual scenarios for you to explore and better understand the connections within the U.S. FEW system.
Visit the FEWSION Visualization System
INFEWS-ER
Allied with the FEWSION project, the INFEWS-ER will provide a virtual environment for completing the Food, Energy, and Water (FEW) graduate student experience, thereby facilitating the generation of human capital who can address grand challenges at the nexus of food, energy, and water. The INFEWS-ER will provide educational resources (ER) targeting innovations at the nexus of FEW by combining the fundamental sciences of food, energy, and water with the skills and knowledge of interdisciplinary problem solving and the latest computational modeling and analysis tools and data.
Coming Soon: A Graduate Textbook “The Food-Energy-Water Nexus”, expected for Fall 2019.
This introductory college textbook surveys the complete Food Energy Water Nexus. Written for the disciplinary graduate student (or upperclassman) seeking breadth and exposure to interdisciplinary applications in this space. The text frames the conversation, introduces key tools, discusses human dimensions of the problem, provides case studies, and surveys emerging reserach opportunities. Each chapter introduces key terminology, leading institutions, highly used datasets, and essential readings.
Coming Soon: A Participatory Curriculum “The FEWSION for Community Resilience Process”, expected for Fall 2019.
The FEWSION for Community Resilience Network (F4R™) offers this participatory process and curriculum that is ideal for college courses on Food Energy and Water systems and also for community organizations with a mission to improve their communities’ resilience through evidence-based conversations. Training on leading the process is offered for aspiring instructors and local coordinators during an annual workshop held in Flagstaff at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Science Teaching and Learning. The F4R™ project office provides support for local coordinators who are offering the curriculum and process to their local community.
Videos and Podcasts
Code Blue – Water Security Conflicts and Solutions: FEWSION, Water, Food, Energy
Podcast – Crucial FEWSION Episode 1: Introduction to FEWSION
In the first episode of this new podcast series, project director, Ben Ruddell (Associate Professor in the School of Infomatics, Computing and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University) describes the aims and scope of the FEWSION project. Also featured are shoppers and traders at the Sunday Farmers Market in Flagstaff, Arizona. Recorded, narrated and produced by Diane Hope. Music Credit: ‘Waste Not Want – Big Drippy Mix’ by Diane Hope.
Podcast – Crucial FEWSION Episode 2: What is Local?
Episode Two of this podcast series is all about the methodology of how FEWSION’s national data sets are derived. FEWSION project director Ben Ruddell (Associate Professor in the School of Infomatics, Computing and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University) describes the ‘how’ of where the FEWSION data comes from. And some of the ‘why’ – outlining the main reasons the FEWSION team treat U.S. county level data the way they do. FEWSION project Data Scientist, Richard Rushforth (Assistant Research Professor in the School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University) , then outlines the content of the various data ‘visualization layers’ that comprise FEWSION’s new web user interface. And he takes listeners on a ‘data tour’ of City of Flagstaff, with some of the vital annual statistics for food and water use in Coconino County – and by inference its main population center. Recorded, narrated and produced by Diane Hope. Music Credit: ‘Drip Hop’ track composed by Diane Hope.
Podcast – Crucial FEWSION Episode 3 – The Butterfly Effect: Understanding Resilience, Vulnerability and Sustainability in Food-Energy-Water Systems
Who do you think has the most sustainable water supply – residents of the mountain town of Flagstaff, Arizona – or its vast, desert neighbor of metropolitan Phoenix? In Episode Three FEWSION data scientist Richard Rushforth (Assistant Research Professor in the School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University) has the answer. The overall water security of these two contrasting cities is not what you might think. FEWSION project director Ben Ruddell (Associate Professor in the School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems at Northern Arizona University) explains why it’s important to consider resilience and vulnerability to fully understand how to make our Food-Energy-Water systems more sustainable. And how FEWSION data can be used to do that. Using the concept of the ‘Butterfly Effect’ Ruddell describes real life examples of drought (US 2011-2012), Hurricane Harvey and the current China-US trade war to demonstrate how a change of conditions in one part of the food-energy-water system can cascade through those systems. And why FEWSION data can help us to predict and better prepare for such scenarios in the future. Podcast recorded, narrated and produced by Diane Hope. Music Credit: ‘Drip Hop Emergency’ and ‘Emergent’ composed by Diane Hope.