People who strive to impact the lives of others naturally gravitate toward the field that has made the biggest difference in their life. Nobody is going to be inspired to pursue a career in art without having been moved by a piece of art just as nobody would go into teaching without having their lives strongly changed by a teacher. Many of my fondest memories are, in some way, related to nature. For this reason, I am focusing my career options in the field of sustainability. To do something sustainably is to achieve the goal of the action without reducing its ability to be done again. The way our country has developed is not sustainable. It is saddening to imagine future generations without access to the environment we have due to the damage we inflict on it resulting from fossil fuel usage. My goal of working towards renewable energy generation is a result of the problems I see that I hope to help solve.
The permitting process associated with a coal-fired power station is long and arduous. For this reason, coal-fired plants are most often installed in low-income areas that have a large working population with minimal community involvement in the local government. Meanwhile, all wealthier areas, with a higher retired, or otherwise available during business hours, population can combat any power plant that tries to enter their town at a community hearing. We cannot continue to reap the benefits of this power while sending all the pollution and heath issues associated with burning coal to less wealthy communities. It is because they do not have to bear the major effects of the coal plants, that the higher educated, wealthier populations do not participate more strongly in the transition toward renewable energy. These are exactly the people that could have the greatest effect on this movement
Northeastern University, as an establishment of higher education, has a responsibility to exhibit the behavior to which all should strive. There are many areas in Boston that could be improved to increase sustainability; Northeastern could set an example as a producer of clean energy. Considering it’s dense building layout, Northeastern has a structure that is conducive to the utilization of rooftop solar. Although there is not enough on-campus rooftop area to cover all of Northeastern’s energy requirements, the implementation of rooftop solar would send a statement to surrounding communities. By advertising the economic benefits of solar to the rest of Boston, Northeastern could lead the way for the entire city to reap the environmental, social, and economic benefits as well.
