ECo Annual Report—FY 22-23

Annual Report 2022-2023

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

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n the face of escalating environmental crises—from catastrophic fires and hurricanes to the heartbreaking extinction of species—it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and pessimistic about our futures. Yet, I find myself filled with hope. As Dean of The Earth Commons at Georgetown University, my role isn’t just to observe these challenges.

To the contrary, my role is to help create a wave of change and optimism to tackle them. To me those two things go hand in hand.

At the Earth Commons, we’re pioneering programs that embody this proactive spirit. We’ve introduced innovative degrees in environmental management & sustainability as well as international affairs, alongside a unique undergraduate program that combines environmental science, policy and the humanities with the practice of sustainability. These programs are not just academic pathways but incubators for future environmental leaders and changemakers.

Our faculty work on cutting-edge interdisciplinary environmental research – from studying the Earth’s atmosphere to life on the ocean surface to how green transitions succeed or fail – we are building a community of scholarship and education at Georgetown and beyond.

Each lecture, every class and research project we undertake in The Earth Commons is infused with an ethos of possibility and positive change.

I see our faculty and students energized and ready to tackle the challenges before us. I see the optimism and the grit of our students and faculty. I see the tireless efforts of our staff in service of this mission. I believe deeply in the transformative power of education, research and community action at Georgetown.

In short, our work gives me hope—and that is a gift.

Hoya Saxa!

pete marra Dean, the Earth Commons, Georgetown University’s Institute for Environment & Sustainability Laudato Si’ Professor | Biology and the Environment Professor | McCourt School of Public Policy

I believe deeply in the transformative power of education, research and community action at Georgetown.

Introduction

Who we are Georgetown’s Earth Commons Institute is a hub for environmental and sustainability education, research and action to accelerate change on the most pressing issues of our earth.

What we do Research.

We catalyze environmental scholarship across disciplines to innovate solutions for critical environmental issues.

Education.

We develop cutting-edge, interdisciplinary learning experiences that empower people to be good stewards of our common home.

Action.

We create interdisciplinary opportunities for faculty, students, and partners to pursue solutions in service of the world.

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Education faculty hires joint degrees

ec o around the world

Education

Faculty Hires TIM BARTLEY Environmental sociologist professor

Joint Degrees BS in Environment & Sustainability (BS-ES) We will prepare the next generation of leaders in Environment and Sustainability through this undergraduate degree focused on hands-on learning, interdisciplinary perspectives, immersive experiences, personal development, and a diverse and hopeful community invested in wider transformation. j o i n t pa rt n er :

KERRIE CARFAGNO Sustainable business associate teaching professor director, ms-esm

TAYLOR JONES Environmental scientist, engineer, GIS remote sensing assistant professor

ORISSA MOULTON Coastal ecologist associate teaching professor

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Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences

w h en :

Beginning Fall 2024

The Master of Science in Environment and International Affairs (MS-EIA) The new degree provides interdisciplinary training at the intersection of environmental science and international affairs to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and policy expertise. j o i n t pa rt n er :

Georgetown School of Foreign Service’s Science’s Science, Technology, and International Affairs program

w h en :

Beginning Fall 2024

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Master of Environment & Sustainability Management (MS-ESM) The MS-ESM program welcomed a larger second cohort of this degree that blends scientific knowledge with business principles to achieve critical sustainability goals around the world. j o i n t pa rt n er :

McDonough School of Business, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

w h en :

Launched Fall 2024

opposite:

Victorino, a Maijuna elder, shows Mae Gleeson (g’23) how to weave irapay, a palm used for thatching homes in the Amazon. photo courtesy of patrick biché.

Education

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ECo Around the World Global issues require global solutions.

The Earth Commons seeks to build hubs around the world for innovative education, applied research, and practical solutions.

below:

Using small motor boats to traverse the crisscross of streams and rivers in the Amazon. photo courtesy of brian griffiths

Education

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above:

Students visit a traditional Mayan home in Dzonot Carretero, Mexico. photo courtesy of peter p. marra

In 2023, the Earth Commons hired the foundational teams to develop new partnerships and programs at global sites.

Greece Greece is well-suited as a potential Earth Commons hub given its rich biodiversity, strong academic and research networks, cultural and historical global significance, and unique regional influence at the crossroads of three continents. Our ECo Greece team is partnering with academic and research institutes and planning educational experiences—including for Georgetown undergraduates—to drive forward action on the climate crisis and other environmental issues.

Qatar The Earth Commons and Georgetown University Qatar have developed a teaching and research collaboration in the critical areas of climate, environment, and innovation. Soon, GU-Q students will have the opportunity to study in Greece with Georgetown faculty.

Expeditions Abroad in the amazon ECo Faculty Dr. Brian Griffiths led a team of over 20 researchers, including three Georgetown students, on a multi-week expedition deep into the Amazonian jungle to trek out into the wilderness each day alongside the Maijuna tribe to set up cameras to record wildlife activity. in the yucatán Students explored the ecology of tropical forests and mangroves and their connections to the culture of the current and pre-European Mayan communities. Researchers and local community shared their perspectives on realworld environmental and sustainability issues, helping students develop a deeper understanding of the challenge of balancing human needs with environmental health.

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Research ec o faculty & network ec o impact awards ec o postdocs

Research

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ECo Faculty & Network We identify, connect and support those in the Georgetown community furthering research and leadership around environment and sustainability.

120+ ECo Faculty Network members

headlines

It’s Time for a Flu Vaccine—for Birds Avian influenza has killed millions of birds. Shots to prevent it already exist.

Why isn’t the entire poultry industry using them?

W I R E D, M A RC H 8 . F E A T U R I N G E C o D E A N P E T E M A R R A

Home Sweet…Garbage?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is Teeming with Life.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is teeming with life. A dynamic group of organisms, from star-like jellies to industrious snails, is thriving within the immense mass of floating debris.

N AT I O N A L G E O G RA PH I C, J U LY 24. F E AT U RI N G E C o FAC U LT Y REB E CC A H EL M.

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

We finally have malaria vaccines.

The next hurdle: Distributing them Malaria kills half a million people a year in Africa. We can prevent that — if we act fast enough.

V OX , J U N E 1 1 . F E A T U R I N G E C o P O S T D O C O S WA L D O V I L L E N A .

Cosmic Luck: NASA’s Apollo 11 Moon Quarantine Broke Down A review of archives suggests that efforts to protect Earth from contamination by any organism brought back from the lunar surface were mostly for show.

N EW Y O R K T I M E S , J U N E 9 . F E A T U R I N G E C o FA C U LT Y N E T W O R K M E M B E R D A G O M A R D E G RO OT

Climate Change Is Helping Pests and Diseases Destroy Our Food.

Crop shortages from grains to cocoa are exacerbated by pests.

Higher temperatures expand spread of insects and diseases.

I N B LO O M B E RG F E AT U RI N G E C o FA C U LT Y N ET WO RK M E M B E R L E A H BU C H M A N

Oppenheimer revealed the human and political sides of science.

J. Robert Oppenheimer and the science he oversaw reshaped the world — but the political and cultural forces of the day also shaped the science he pursued.

I N AX I O S F E A T U R I N G E C o FA C U LT Y N E T W O R K M E M B E R T O S H I H I RO H I G U C H I

Research

ECo Impact Awards The ECo Impact Awards provide seed funding for Georgetown faculty across schools and campuses to support environmental and sustainability projects. These awards aim to foster new collaborations, interdisciplinary research, and actionable initiatives, making Georgetown a greener and more vibrant institution.

recipients Building green futures in arid lands: Energy transitions and paradoxes of sustainability in Morocco and Namibia.

S I LV I A D A N I E L A K , M E R E D I T H M c K I T T R I C K

Developing a population model to quantify Bottlenose Dolphin abundance in the mid-Chesapeake Bay. JANET MANN, VERENA CONKIN, D A N I E L L I N D E N , E R I C PA T T E R S O N

Exploring nanoporous Cu-based bimetallic foams as novel electrocatalysts for mitigating environmental stressors.

K A I L I U, Y U Y E J. T O N G , D E J U N C H E N

The impact of temperature on vector-borne disease transmission in staple crops.

O S WA L D O V I L L E N A , A L I A R A B , P E T E R A R M B RU ST ER

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update:

How Impact Award recipients have put their grants into action •

The pollinator garden is flourishing led

by Professors Adriane Fugh‑Berman, Martha Weiss, and Bill Hahn

•

Professors Dagomar Degroot, John McNeill, and Amy Hessl are co-editing The Oxford Handbook of Resilience in Climate History

•

Professors Joanna Lewis, Emanuela Del Gado and postdoctoral fellow Ankita Gangotra published an analysis of how policy changes can incentivize technology solutions for decarbonizing cement production and bring the US cement sector’s production up-to-par with other major cement-producing nations

•

Professors Sheila R. Foster, Meryl Chertoff, and postdoctoral fellow Elena DeNictolis and their collaborators presented three white papers exploring the history, state and local law aspects, and international comparative aspects of energy democracy at Georgetown Law

•

Professors Sarah Stoll, Chris Albanese, Ed Van Keuren are in the preliminary stages of an innovative study to understand how environmental exposure to nanoplastics could adversely affect animal health by studying their effects in zebrafish

ECo Postdocs

TOM IWANICKI is a sensory ecologist studying the neustonic zone, the crucial and often overlooked layer of the ocean’s surface

ELIZABETH KARAN is developing an apparatus for monitoring disease in marine mammal populations

STEPHEN BOURGUET is working to improve our understanding of the emissions and lifetimes of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gasses in ECo Professor Megan Lickley’s lab

Action

Action hoya harvest garden

voices on the environment

we hear you: a climate archive action headlines common home

office of sustainability

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Hoya Harvest Garden ECo's campus urban farm

Designed to create a sense of

shared responsibility around food systems

produced over

1,600 lbs (equivalent to 6,500 servings)

of fruits and veggies to feed our community!

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classes have participated in hands-on learning

Action

Home to community events, including:

hoya harvest festival

The Earth Commons and collaborators hosted the community for food and drinks, music, art, crafts, and all things fall on Regents Hall, Fourth Floor Patio, 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, 2022

the breaking ground festival

We gathered to celebrate the start of spring and to “break ground” on the Hoya Harvest Garden. Students, faculty, and staff gathered for free food, music, local vendors and seed planting.

planting parties & yoga in the garden The community regularly comes together to prepare the Hoya Harvest Garden for the upcoming seasons while enjoying brunch and yoga in our very special green space on campus.

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Voices on the Environment A series of events at the intersection of science, the humanities and the arts that link environmental journalism, literary writing, activist performance, and critical approaches to climate change, the environment, and language

Ferry Tales Storytellers shared tales at The REACH and Georgetown Canal woven from community interviews, science, local history and legend with passengers and passers-by. Featured as part of the RiverRunFestival at the Kennedy Center, and in partnership with Caitlin Cassidy, Earth Commons Artist-in-Residence, and The Lab for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University.

Action

Dr. Robert Bullard: The Father of Environmental Justice Speaks.

The Earth Commons and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences proudly welcomed Dr. Robert Bullard, the “Father of Environmental Justice” for a public lecture followed by a panel discussion with Professor Sheila R. Foster and a Q&A at the ICC.

Art Meets Science — Artist Talk with Rebecca Rutstein.

The Earth Commons and Georgetown University Art Galleries presented a talk with multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Rutstein, who works at the intersection of art, science and technology. For over twenty years she has created paintings, sculpture, interactive installation and public art inspired by the natural world. Her work with oceanographers, ecologists, microbiologists, molecular scientists and geologists give her a unique perspective and a broad view of the interconnectedness of systems in the natural world and the fractal geometry of nature.

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above:

Author Amitav Ghosh speaks at the 2022 Voices on the Environment collaborative series in Gaston Hall

The Grab: Film Screening and Panel Discussion ​​ In partnership with the DC Environmental Film Festival and Film and Media Studies, the Earth Commons and Voices on the Environment collaborators hosted a screening of THE GRAB, directed by Blackfish filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

The film uncovers the money, influence and alarming rationale behind covert efforts to control the most vital resource on the planet and follows the investigative journalist Nate Halverson.

Surya: A Convening of Earthly Storytellers.

The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics and the Earth Commons brought together a select group of artists, thought leaders, and changemakers to a special three day convening. This event at the intersection of art and environment enabled us to share in one another’s work, grapple with critical questions, and build a community for mutual inspiration to imaginatively restore power to the Earth.

Action

We Hear You: A Climate Archive We Hear You: A Climate Archive is a global performance project co-founded

by Caitlin Cassidy, Earth Commons Artist-in-Residence, that explores youth perspectives on the climate emergency. Between March 2022 and June 2023, the project commissioned 77 young people from around the world to tell stories about what it’s like to be alive in this pivotal moment.

In addition to digital events and archival efforts, the world-premiere production of select stories is scheduled for April 2024 at Dramaten (Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theatre). The project also features curricular engagement with students in Washington, DC, Stockholm, and beyond.

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Action

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opposite:

We Hear You – Greta Thunberg's Speeches photo by jacob bengtsson

a c t i o n headlines

50 climate leaders driving fresh solutions to our planet’s biggest problems Through theater, she's reigniting a sense of wonder: Caitlin Nasema Cassidy, ECo artist-in-residence, believes play‑acting can inspire environmental awareness through wonder.

T H E G R I S T, 2 0 2 3 .

UN High Seas Treaty Promotes Ocean Protection.

UN member countries reached an agreement that aims to promote accountability for the protection of marine wildlife and biodiversity in international waters. "We only really have two major global commons — the atmosphere and the oceans," said Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm. While the oceans may draw less attention, "protecting this half of earth's surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet."

N P R , M A RC H 5 , 2 0 2 3 .

COP27: Georgetown Community Acts on Climate Change at UN Conference.

Georgetown students, alumni and staff participated in international climate negotiations and hosted artistic and policy events at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

T H E H OYA , G E O RG E T O W N U N I V E R S I T Y, N O V E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 2 2 .

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

Common Home Article Highlights

The synergy between the arts and the sciences: representing the wonders of the natural world through visual art A Conversation with visual artist Rebecca Rutstein, who spoke at the Georgetown University for the “Voices on the Environment” series.

E LY Z A B RU C E ( C A S ‘ 2 5 )

An Australian Firefighter on the Frontlines of Climate Change A conversation with an Eastern Australian firefighter about his unique perspective witnessing the devastating effects of wildfires on human life and wildlife.

AN T HONY GREENE, AUSTRALIAN FIREFIGHTER

Action

Breaking Down the Social Cost of Carbon: Where our measurements fall short

Drought-Stricken, Arizona Farmers Face Bleak Growing Season

The Inflation Reduction Act is the biggest legislative step the U.S. has ever taken to tackle climate change—and it requires an accurate measurement of the social cost of carbon.

Green Commons Award recipient Anya Wahal shares her insights on the dynamics of the water crisis unfolding in the American Southwest.

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R A P H A E L C A L E L , P H . D. A S S O C I A T E P RO F E S S O R I N T H E M C C O U RT S C H O O L O F P U B L I C P O L I C Y

Seven Reasons to Learn About Energy Dr. Maria Petrova lays down seven reasons to learn about our energy system and how we can act to improve it.

M A R I A P E T RO VA , P H . D. D I R E C T O R O F P RO G R A M D EV E LO P M E N T, T H E E A RT H C O M M O N S

To conserve biodiversity, we must stop chasing ghosts and start making plans Biodiversity conservation requires passing legislation like the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, revamping existing international treaties, and investing in research.

P E T E R P. M A R R A , D E A N O F T H E E A RT H C O M M O N S A N D D A V I D B . H U N T E R P RO F E S S O R O F L A W A T A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y ’ S WA S H I N G T O N C O L L E G E O F L A W

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The ECo Annual Report 2022-2023

common home

2023 Arts Showcase: People, Water, Land The Common Home showcase called upon photographers to express their views on the environment and sustainability through original, compelling photography that carries a striking message and sparks discussion. For the second year of our showcase, the theme was, “People, Water, Land."

Action

People Category

top honors opposite:

below:

“A Dawn Diversion”

“Respite”

BRIAN GRIFFITHS

SADIE MARSMAN

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Water Category

Action

top honors below:

“Humpback Whales” J O H N M A T U S Z EW S K I

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right:

“The Ecosystem Home”

K A T H E R I N VA RG A S H E N A O

Action

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Land Category

top honors below:

“Woman Picking up Yak Excrement” Z H E N G H A O WA N G

Action

right:

“Boats of Ha Long Bay”

J E A N - PA U L N G U Y E N

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Action

Office of Sustainability Georgetown plays a leading role in addressing critical sustainability challenges through its academic mission, physical footprint and financial operations. The university takes an integrated and holistic approach to sustainability, placing value on a "quadruple" bottom line: people, planet, prosperity, and purpose, guided by our Catholic and Jesuit values and our commitment to the common good.

Recent highlights include: •

Developing Georgetown’s sustainability plan to create a shared vision for sustainability at Georgetown

•

Issued Sustainable Building Guidelines that have informed projects across the university.

•

Partnered with internal departments on projects including green dining improvements with the return of front of house compost and reusable containers at Leo’s with Auxiliary Business Services and Aramark.

•

Launched more sustainable coffee service and water service options for offices on campus with the Procurement team.

•

Launched the Hoya Transit Pilot providing thousands of students with credit towards sustainable public transportation.

•

Revived the annual Move Out Drive together with the Office of Neighborhood Life, diverting almost 70,0000 pounds of materials valued at nearly $250,000.

•

Developed sustainability tips available on the Office’s website.

•

Launched the Green Office Program to provide guidance on creating sustainable spaces on campus.

•

Co-convened and contributed to the planning of the 2023 White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Change Solutions.

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