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Questions and Scales

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The Food-Energy-Water Nexus

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Abstract

We will begin by exploring the relationship between science and the type of human-centric challenges confronted in the nexus of FEW systems. We will then explore the wide range of scales in space and time, which arise in FEW nexus studies. These scales are rooted in factors related to decision-making; natural, political, and cultural geography; ecological functioning; engineering and infrastructure; scientific practice and capabilities; economics; and other considerations such as social structure, politics, culture, demographics, and human aspirations. We review the questions and scales at which we need to measure, collect data, model, and carry out significant computational work on FEW systems. We will explore how communities of science are required for effective research, and communities of practice are required for the effective application of Nexus science to problem-solving in the real world.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

    Michael Carbajales-Dale

  2. Engineering and Data Sciences, Cargill Inc., Wayzata, MN, USA

    Emre Eftelioglu

  3. Energy Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Carey W. King

  4. Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center and Global Water Team, University of Maryland and The Nature Conservancy, College Park, MD, USA

    Fernando R. Miralles-Wilhelm

  5. School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Benjamin L. Ruddell

  6. Energy Policy and Climate, Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Peter Saundry

  7. Computer Science & Engineering, College of Science & Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Shashi Shekhar

Authors
  1. Michael Carbajales-Dale
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  2. Emre Eftelioglu
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  3. Carey W. King
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  4. Fernando R. Miralles-Wilhelm
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  5. Benjamin L. Ruddell
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  6. Peter Saundry
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  7. Shashi Shekhar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peter Saundry .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Policy and Climate, Advanced Academic Programs, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA

    Peter Saundry

  2. Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Benjamin L. Ruddell

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Carbajales-Dale, M. et al. (2020). Questions and Scales. In: Saundry, P., Ruddell, B. (eds) The Food-Energy-Water Nexus. AESS Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-29914-9_12

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