The Earth is a planet of finite resources, and its growing population currently consumes them at a rate that cannot be sustained. Utilizing resources (like fusion, wind and solar power), pre- serving the integrity of our environment and providing access to potable water are the first few steps to securing an environmentally sound and energy-efficient future for all of mankind. Analyzing these challenges includes using data and models to choose among alternative strategic decisions, forecasting the effect of decisions on the future, and quantifying the uncertainty associated with this analysis.While O.R. methods certainly support many individual features (e.g., nonlinear, dynamic, stochastic or discrete), combinations of these features are often necessary in many of the research questions that arise under the "sustain- ability" banner. Combining these features will require significant extensions of the O.R. methodology available today.
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