On November 30, 2020 the University of Southern California (USC) Solar Ambassador Team held the Climate Courage Professor Panel. We partner with our school’s chapter of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists to reach students who are interested in sustainable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers with information about diverse opportunities in the solar industry.

The panel included: Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv and author of Climate Courage: How Tackling Climate Change Can Build Community, Transform the Economy, and Bridge the Political Divide in America, Dr. Robert Vos from USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute, Dr. Kelly Sanders from Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Jennifer Bernstein from USC Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute, and John McDermott a Geographic Information Science and Technology masters student.  

The discussion themes of the panel included environmental justice, the energy-water nexus, and solar research in the Mojave Desert. As 85% of Americans want 100% renewable energy, Andreas opened with this message of unity that drives the themes of hope in his book and work with RE-volv, which contrasts with the traditional “gloom and doom” messaging that surrounds climate change discussions (or lack thereof). Next, Dr. Vos explained how communities of color are over-exposed to pollutants, such as from traffic, which exacerbates the need for a green revolution. Dr. Sanders further added to the need for clean energy sources by explaining the relationships between water and energy, including how decarbonizing leads to “dewatering.” Dr. Bernstein discussed how we introduce new social norms for acceptance to avoid having solar projects replicate the patterns of traditional fossil-fuel energy sources that cause vulnerable communities to be opposed to such projects, especially with consideration of how solar panels occupy the space. 

View the recording of the panel over on our YouTube channel. 

About the Author

Alana MacMahon is a senior majoring in environmental engineering and minoring in entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California. She became a member of the first RE-volv team at USC because helping local non-profits save on energy costs while reducing emissions empowers students to start being a part of the clean energy revolution while still in college with quantifiable impacts. After graduating, she hopes to continue working on innovative projects that protect our environment and our communities.