Brondo Year in Review: Public Anthropology 211 Water. Cultural Diversity. and Environmental Change"at homes(Checker 2009c). Checker's work demonstrates th the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, flaws of the market-based REDD initiatives(UN Collabora- Japan, in October of 2009. At that conference, anthropol- tive Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation gists joined geographers, philosophers, civil engineers, hy- and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries)that trades drologists, and indigenous leaders from around the world to public-health and human rights protections of local com discuss traditional water-resource management, water cul- munities for corporate carbon-trading profits and provides tures and waterscapes, and the varied relationships among incentives to pollute rather than protect, doing very little in ultural diversity and the privatization of water, deterio- the end to slow global warming or reduce our dependence rating water quality, diminishing or lack of access, and the on fossil fuels mpending complications of climate variability. Outcomes Other practicing anthropologists conducting research from these meetings include substantive contributions to on land-based carbon-offset projects reported on their work a"Water, Cultural Diversity and Environmental Change" in a double session organized by Shirley Fiske and Stephanie textbook project, the launching of an international commu- Paladino at the SfAA meetings in 2009. Organized with nityofpractice(www.waterandculturaldiversity.org),andafocusonequityandparticipationpanelistssharednu- the formation of working groups to develop a"culture and anced views of ways in which carbon-offset projects are water"course for water managers in graduate programs being formulated that contrast with the more visible, large and propose scientific sessions as part of the September scale commercial projects that have raised serious equity 2010 Stockholm Water week. Anthropologists involved in concerns. They highlighted, for instance, the contrasting these initiatives are hoping to make real contributions to ns taken by indigenous peopl carbon credi the models and methods that guide water-resource man- for avoided deforestation, a national program that has been agement by exploring the culturally diverse ways in which reshaped by civil-society organizations, and on locally gener water resou are valued, used, and managed; introduc- ated projec cts atte mpting to use carbon revenues to sup ing"cultural flows"and "rightsholder"concepts as central to indigenous and locally directed development, such as th ater-resource management;and by demonstrating the im- one Paladino reported on in Chiapas, Mexico(see Scolel'te portance of biocultural health as a key indicator in planning d. assessment, and management systems The population displa cement tr The threat that climate change brings to increasing the change disasters and"solutions" to climate change was also marginalization of impoverished and indigenous peoples the subject of increasing anthropological engagement in compelled anthropologists to play an important advocac 2009. For example, Oliver-Smith, one of four Munich Re role in international climate-change negotiations in 2009. Foundation(MRF) chairs at the Un University Institute Some of this work was conducted through publications, for Environment and Human Security(UNU-EHS)in Bonn such as Susan Crate and Mark Nuttall's edited volume, (2005-09), gave a variety of presentations at Expert Work- Anthropology and Climate Change: From Encounters to Action ing Groups; participated in the Climate Change, Environ- (2009). The volume is the first comprehensive assessment ment and Migration Alliance(CCEMA) workshops spon anthropology's engagement with climate change, focus- sored by the International Organization on Migration ing on the impact of climate change on indigenous commu UNU-EHS. the Munich Re Foundation. and the Rockefeller nities around the world. It also includes a call to action, Foundation; and produced several briefing papers on envi- omplete with tips on innovative communication forums ronmental migration and sea-level rise for UNESCO and the or engaging the public on climate change and for shaping UNU-EHS Over a dozen members of the AAA were present for the In a less formal, although perhaps more public, media UN Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC) venue, Melissa Checker's Counterpunch article detailed the n Copenhagen, December 7-18, 2009. The relevant activ human costs of carbon offsets through examples like FACE, ities associated with the meetings took place simultaneously the Forests Absorbing Carbon Dioxide Emissions, a partner-in throughout Copenhagen. To organ ship between the Dutch Electricity Generating Board and the their efforts, Janet Chernela and Soren Hvalkof convene uganda Wildlife Authority(UwA)that led to the displace- a meeting at the Danish Institute for International Studies ment of 6,000 people from Mount Elgon. The displaced lost (DIIS)that allowed the group to form a strategy to cope with the challenges of conducting event anthropology (i.e, coor clared their former home a national park and then suffered dinating the activities of many researchers so as to improve violent attacks by rangers when they continued to attempt to intersectorial understanding and bring a holistic anthropo- use parkland. The Mount Elgon project enabled the building logical presence to a large-scale international meet of several coal-fired plants, which brought a whole additional event-engagement strategy and follow-up communications set of human costs through mountaintop removal, a contro- network are intended to accompany the UNFCCC proce versial method of coal extraction that dumps tons of toxic over the next several years. Crate was one of two anthro- waste into streams and valleys, leads to flooding of highly pologists to formally share her research on the human di- toxic debris, and drives nearby residents to move from their mensions of climate change, making presentations duringBrondo • Year in Review: Public Anthropology 211 “Water, Cultural Diversity, and Environmental Change” at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto, Japan, in October of 2009. At that conference, anthropol￾ogists joined geographers, philosophers, civil engineers, hy￾drologists, and indigenous leaders from around the world to discuss traditional water-resource management, water cul￾tures and waterscapes, and the varied relationships among cultural diversity and the privatization of water, deterio￾rating water quality, diminishing or lack of access, and the impending complications of climate variability. Outcomes from these meetings include substantive contributions to a “Water, Cultural Diversity and Environmental Change” textbook project, the launching of an international commu￾nity of practice (www.waterandculturaldiversity.org), and the formation of working groups to develop a “culture and water” course for water managers in graduate programs and propose scientific sessions as part of the September 2010 Stockholm Water week. Anthropologists involved in these initiatives are hoping to make real contributions to the models and methods that guide water-resource man￾agement by exploring the culturally diverse ways in which water resources are valued, used, and managed; introduc￾ing “cultural flows” and “rightsholder” concepts as central to water-resource management; and by demonstrating the im￾portance of biocultural health as a key indicator in planning, assessment, and management systems. The threat that climate change brings to increasing the marginalization of impoverished and indigenous peoples compelled anthropologists to play an important advocacy role in international climate-change negotiations in 2009. Some of this work was conducted through publications, such as Susan Crate and Mark Nuttall’s edited volume, Anthropology and Climate Change: From Encounters to Action (2009). The volume is the first comprehensive assessment of anthropology’s engagement with climate change, focus￾ing on the impact of climate change on indigenous commu￾nities around the world. It also includes a call to action, complete with tips on innovative communication forums for engaging the public on climate change and for shaping policy. In a less formal, although perhaps more public, media venue, Melissa Checker’s Counterpunch article detailed the human costs of carbon offsets through examples like FACE, the Forests Absorbing Carbon Dioxide Emissions, a partner￾ship between the Dutch Electricity Generating Board and the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) that led to the displace￾ment of 6,000 people from Mount Elgon. The displaced lost their rights to livelihood when the Ugandan government de￾clared their former home a national park and then suffered violent attacks by rangers when they continued to attempt to use parkland. The Mount Elgon project enabled the building of several coal-fired plants, which brought a whole additional set of human costs through mountaintop removal, a contro￾versial method of coal extraction that dumps tons of toxic waste into streams and valleys, leads to flooding of highly toxic debris, and drives nearby residents to move from their homes (Checker 2009c). Checker’s work demonstrates the flaws of the market-based REDD initiatives (UN Collabora￾tive Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) that trades public-health and human rights protections of local com￾munities for corporate carbon-trading profits and provides incentives to pollute rather than protect, doing very little in the end to slow global warming or reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Other practicing anthropologists conducting research on land-based carbon-offset projects reported on their work in a double session organized by Shirley Fiske and Stephanie Paladino at the SfAA meetings in 2009. Organized with a focus on equity and participation, panelists shared nu￾anced views of ways in which carbon-offset projects are being formulated that contrast with the more visible, large￾scale commercial projects that have raised serious equity concerns. They highlighted, for instance, the contrasting positions taken by indigenous peoples on carbon credits for avoided deforestation, a national program that has been reshaped by civil-society organizations, and on locally gener￾ated projects attempting to use carbon revenues to support indigenous and locally directed development, such as the one Paladino reported on in Chiapas, Mexico (see Scolel’te´ n.d.). The population displacement triggered by climate￾change disasters and “solutions” to climate change was also the subject of increasing anthropological engagement in 2009. For example, Oliver-Smith, one of four Munich Re Foundation (MRF) chairs at the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) in Bonn (2005–09), gave a variety of presentations at Expert Work￾ing Groups; participated in the Climate Change, Environ￾ment and Migration Alliance (CCEMA) workshops spon￾sored by the International Organization on Migration, the UNU-EHS, the Munich Re Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation; and produced several briefing papers on envi￾ronmental migration and sea-level rise for UNESCO and the UNU-EHS. Over a dozen members of the AAA were present for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, December 7–18, 2009. The relevant activ￾ities associated with the meetings took place simultaneously in numerous venues throughout Copenhagen. To organize their efforts, Janet Chernela and Soren Hvalkof convened a meeting at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) that allowed the group to form a strategy to cope with the challenges of conducting event anthropology (i.e., coor￾dinating the activities of many researchers so as to improve intersectorial understanding and bring a holistic anthropo￾logical presence to a large-scale international meeting). The event-engagement strategy and follow-up communications network are intended to accompany the UNFCCC process over the next several years. Crate was one of two anthro￾pologists to formally share her research on the human di￾mensions of climate change, making presentations during