Suarez Participates in Ecological Forecasting Initiative Session on Humor and Problem-Solving

Pablo Suarez, a Visiting Research Fellow at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, recently joined the Ecological Forecasting Initiative (EFI) for a participatory webinar titled “Serious Fun: Reimagining Virtual Events on Ecological Forecasting.” During the session, Suarez explored how the inclusion of spontaneity, humor, and games can make virtual events more engaging, and ultimately help improve communication and solve global problems.

Suarez’s work on humor and problem-solving builds on a 2012 Pardee Center Report titled Games for a New Climate: Experiencing the Complexity of Future Risks, which was the result of a 12-member Task Force convened by the Pardee Center in collaboration with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre.

EFI is a grassroots consortium aimed at building and supporting an interdisciplinary community of practice around near-term ecological forecasts, an emerging research area focused on accelerating environmental research and making it more relevant to society. The initiative was launched in 2018 by Prof. Michael Dietze as part of his work as a Pardee Center Faculty Research Fellow. In 2019, the Pardee Center co-sponsored the first EFI Conference at AAAS headquarters in Washington, DC.