The Norman Rostoker Memorial Symposium brought together approximately 150 attendees to share their recent work and to reflect on the contributions of Norman Rostoker to the field of plasma physics and the advancement of fusion as a source of renewable clean energy. The field has changed considerably in a few short decades, with theoretical advances and technological innovations evolving in lock step. Over those same decades, our understanding of human induced climate change has also evolved; measurable changes in Earth's physical, chemical, and biological processes have already been observed, and these will likely intensify in the coming decades. Never before has the need for clean energy been more pronounced, or the need for transformative solutions more pressing. As scientists work with legislators, journalists, and the public to take actions to address the threat of climate change, there is much to be learned from the legacies of innovators like Norman Rostoker, who have tackled complex problems with scientific insight and determination even when the odds were stacked against them. I write this from the perspective on an Earth system scientist who studies photosynthesis and the biogeochemistry of the oceans, and my statements about plasma physics and Norman Rostoker are based on information I gathered from the colloquium and from many enjoyable conversations with his friends and colleagues
