By Gavin Bodkin, MBA Candidate, College of Management, UMass Boston
The 2017 National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) annual conference was held in Washington DC from January 24-26 and focused on the topic of “Integrating Environment and Health”. The NCSE is a nonprofit organization that works to substantiate the basis for environmental decision-making by creating dialogue and awareness around pertinent scientific data. The group maintains an objective stance towards environmental issues, with the goal of fostering a platform for data and research for decision-makers to act on. Over the week, the event drew in scientists, NGOs, federal agencies, academics, and private companies from around the world to share and propel environmental science.
Dr. Vesela Veleva, Lecturer at UMass Boston, and Gavin Bodkin, MBA Candidate and COO of Circular Blu attended the event to gain insights and further advance their research on environmental issues. The conference was vibrant with discussion on issues ranging from pharmaceuticals in the environment (PIE) to the future of solar panels to agricultural sustainability and the impacts of climate change. NASA displayed its Hyperwall, which exhibited emission trends over time, fluvial and aeolian vectors, and energy data. Academics displayed posters on waste reduction and successful farming strategies for urban environments. Dr. Sam Meyers of the Planetary Health Alliance and Dr. Frederica Perera, Director of the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health at Columbia University, opened the conference by summarizing the progress made in the past decade on environmental and health-related issues. The conference progressed into a discussion on how to prevent climate change impacts on ecosystems, the economy, and health. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich even addressed the audience, suggesting a way forward for science in the new political arena.
Dr. Veleva was invited to speak about green chemistry and its potential to bring both business and environmental benefits. Her research evaluated the applications of green chemistry within the pharmaceutical industry. In her discussion, she covered the drivers, barriers, and opportunities for companies to adopt greener practices. She also organized and chaired a panel session on the solar industry, which touched upon the externalities of the solar panel industry, guidelines and insights into solar investing, and safety concerns regarding manufacturing and disposal of the panels at the end of their useful life. As solar is seen as a “clean” source of renewable energy, it, like other energy alternatives, comes with sustainability concerns, including waste issues, safety and environmental impacts of mining, and the chemicals used in manufacturing. The discussion also raised challenges in sourcing talent within the industry as well as barriers to municipal investments in PV panels. Participants in the session included William Henderson, a recent MBA graduate whose independent study on the topic led to the session proposal, Karen Drozdiak of First Solar, and Steven Heim of Boston Common Assets Management.
A common theme that developed and persisted throughout the conference was the importance of science and storytelling. The tension that exists between the scientific community and the public/governmental spheres is largely due to the way that science is communicated to non-experts. A panel including Paul Anastas, who is an expert on green chemistry at Yale University, Georges Benjamin, Executive Director at the American Public Health Association, and Jacqueline McGlade, Director of the Science Division at UNEP, shared insights into the imperative of storytelling. Connecting listeners to science through storytelling was spoken about as essential to breaching the gap between experts and non-experts. The inspirational talk between panelists also suggested the importance of defending science in the modern era, as it is the cornerstone of our way of life in western society. While scientists and researchers are uncovering new knowledge through science, it’s important that we weave this information into our daily lives, not only as stewards of the environment but also as humans living in society and amongst each other.