Scientists need to be able to communicate their findings and work not only in their formal publications in journals and at conferences, but also to decision makers and non-scientists in the form of public outreach and educational campaigns. Policy and advocacy are important aspects that translate impactful research on climate, sustainability, food security, and health to the broader public and legislative bodies capable of creating larger, societal change through laws and regulations. By focusing on education, policy and advocacy activities, scientists can become citizen-scientists and contribute to the legal framework of a country to better serve the environment, health, and humanity.
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Project Plastic develops technology to combat marine microplastics
Project Plastic is the brainchild of two Princeton Architecture students, Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu, who sought an innovative solution to the problem of aquatic plastic pollution. Since their launch in 2021, they have accumulated various awards and commendations such as: People’s Choice Award at the Princeton Entrepreneurs’ Network Startup Pitch Competition, 1st place at…
Cooperation and Carbon Taxes: confronting the challenges of climate policy with the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator and Princeton’s Energy and Climate Scholars
Written by Abigale Wyatt The science of climate change is clear, so shouldn’t passing new climate policy be simple? The folks at Climate Interactive have a way for you to decide for yourself: the En-ROADS (Energy Rapid Overview and Decision-Support) climate solutions simulator. According to their website, En-ROADS is a “global climate simulator that allows…
Assessing the Utility of Food Certifications in Advancing Environmental Justice
Written by Shashank Anand, Hezekiah Grayer II, Anna Jacobson, and Harrison Watson Sustainability is the notion that we should consume with caution, as the Earth is a delicately balanced ecosystem with limited natural resources. Social justice generally aims to eliminate disparities and inequities between discrete demographics. These include inequalities between persons of different socioeconomic status,…
It’s Past Time for Princeton to Divest from Fossil Fuels
Written by Ryan Warsing of Divest Princeton If you’re reading this, you probably don’t need to be persuaded that the planet is on fire, and we need to do something to put it out fast. We see evidence all around us: California is again in the throes of a record wildfire season, glaciers the size of Manhattan are sliding into…
Integrating Renewable Energy Part 2: Electricity Market & Policy Challenges
Written by Kasparas Spokas The rising popularity and falling capital costs of renewable energy make its integration into the electricity system appear inevitable. However, major challenges remain. In part one of our ‘integrating renewable energy’ series, we introduced key concepts of the physical electricity system and some of the physical challenges of integrating variable renewable…
Integrating Renewable Energy Part 1: Physical Challenges
Written by Kasparas Spokas Meeting climate change mitigation targets will require rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation, which is responsible for a quarter of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The prospect of electrifying other sectors, such as transportation, further underscores the necessity to reduce electricity emissions to meet climate goals. To address this,…