these huge projects are thanks to the catholic climate covenant, an organization headquartered in washington, d.c., which helps the catholic community understand and act on the issue of climate change.

executive director dan misleh founded the covenant in 2006 after he worked on environmental policy for the u.s. conference of catholic bishops. one of the ways the organization has helped catholic communities act on the issue of climate change is by encouraging community members to install solar panels on their properties to help them save money and lower their reliance on fossil fuels.

for misleh, climate change education is an essential part of the process. he said that when he discusses environmental issues with catholic organizations, he always tries to bring it back to his faith.

“if god has given us a gift, and if we just take that gift and throw it in the trash, that’s not being very respectful to the gift giver,” misleh said.

in recent years, many catholics felt motivated by pope francis’s encyclical letter laudato si’ published in 2015 which established climate change as a moral issue catholics should address. in 2021, pope francis put his plans from the letter into action by telling catholic organizations to launch a seven year plan to create environmentally sustainable efforts within their communities.

but misleh said that when he had the idea to install solar panels on catholic properties, he needed more help. through the covenant, misleh created catholic energies which focuses on the installation of these solar panels with the help of mission energy — a company that works to reduce energy costs through solar panels. misleh said mission energy provides the “expertise” the covenant needs to install solar panels.

dan last, who is the co-chief executive officer of mission energy, said misleh approached him eight years ago with the idea to form a group within their company. he said mission energy was interested in creating catholic energies because they help catholic organizations reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they release and save money.

“there was a lot of excitement and enthusiasm around doing work like this,” last said.

laura clark, who is the vice president of operations for mission energy, also said solar panels help the environment because they reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.

according to misleh, installing solar panels on catholic buildings has helped them save between a few thousand to over a hundred thousand dollars in their electrical bill since they were installed.

paying for power

these catholic organizations pay to install their solar panels through the help of a power purchase agreement. last said that with this agreement, a third party is responsible for paying for the installation of these solar panels, with the catholic organizations later paying back the third party over a set amount of years.

“[third party developers] like working with our groups because churches, catholic healthcare systems, religious communities are not going anywhere and in some cases have been around for hundreds of years,” last said.

but since the passage of president biden’s inflation reduction act in 2022, last said the amount of money catholic organizations have to pay back to third parties under the power purchase agreement is lower since the federal government is now subsidizing up to 50% of the cost for sustainable projects.

through the work of catholic energies, catholic organizations are finding it easier and cheaper to carry out sustainable practices. since the establishment of catholic energies within mission energy, last said the group has completed over three dozen projects across the united states. 

solar at scale in d.c.’s backyard

one of the biggest solar projects energies undertook was installing solar panels for the catholic charities of the archdiocese of washington.

catholic charities focuses on social ministry, guided by the message of jesus christ. they specifically help the poor, immigrants and people with mental and developmental disabilities through various support programs like food distribution.

last said catholic charities approached them when they were switching to led-powered lights within their facilities. he said catholic charities was interested in installing solar panels on a 14 acre property they owned on the far northeast side of washington, d.c., behind the gift of peace house and convent. last said they wanted the solar panels to be built on this space because it was mostly clear and flat.

“long story short, that turned into the solar project,” last said.

the project was completed in the fall of 2019 and includes a large solar panel farm of 5,000 panels. according to the catholic energies website, the project offsets nearly 3,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually which is the equivalent of getting rid of 735 car emissions in one year.

since the solar panels are located in a field, they also created a pollinator garden using the space between the panels. according to the dc department of energy & environment, pollinator gardens improve habitats for wildlife and require little attention as they thrive without fertilizer, pesticides or extra water.

“it’s got lots of great, positive impacts for the catholic charities and the community,” misleh said.

even though the solar panels are concentrated in one area, they help subsidize the cost of catholic charities’ 12 buildings located all across washington, d.c. misleh said the solar panel farm gives energy to pepco, lowering the utility company’s reliance on fossil fuels.

in total, misleh said catholic energies has helped catholic charities cut their electric bill by $250,000. even though a third party is in charge of operating the solar panels which misleh said costs $185,000 per year, a total of $65,000 in savings is going towards other projects run by catholic charities.

“we were very, very proud of that project,” misleh said.

creative solutions to make a difference

catholic energies also works with local communities such as nativity catholic church and nativity catholic school in burke, va. husband and wife, george and kim young, who are parishioners at nativity, volunteer their time within the creation care ministry. unlike catholic charities which installed their solar panels in a field, theirs are installed on a roof.

in their full time jobs, george young is a licensed clinical social worker and master addiction counselor with a private practice, while kim young is a naturalist at hidden oaks nature center. after pope francis’s encyclical letter laudato si’ came out, they wanted to create an organization within their parish to address environmental issues.

“that really provided more inspiration and more support for this idea,” kim young said.

when george and kim young discovered nativity needed a new roof, they thought the parish could also install solar panels. according to kim young, they were inspired by the success of installing solar panels on their own home years earlier. they were not in charge of the final decision making process but instead.

“constantly when we would see the pastor in the hall, we would mention it when the opportunities presented itself,” kim young said.

their advocacy paid off in july 2020 when nativity completed the installation of the solar panels on its new roof. the project is expected to decrease nativity’s carbon footprint by 7,700 tons along with estimated savings of $200,000 over the next 25 years after paying off the power purchase agreement.

due to nativity’s efforts towards environmental issues, george and kim young helped the church win an interfaith power & light award in 2022 for outstanding energy stewardship in response to climate change.”

although kim young said she feels parishioners do not commonly think about the solar panels on the roof anymore, she said parishioners were excited when the pastor made a “big deal” in his sermon about the solar panels and when they won the interfaith power & light awards.

kim young said she wants to push for parishioners to reconnect with the environmental difference nativity is making and caring for the environment is not something “extra.”

“we see it as integral to our faith,” kim young said. “and to the point really, that it’s an obligation of our faith.”

in the middle of a solar panel array in north carolina, the grass rustles with movement. a raccoon wanders between the panels. a fox wriggles through the permeable fencing and darts around the site. a cluster of turkeys stare accusingly into the wildlife camera. eventually, a curious bobcat prowls outside the fence, slinking inside and outside of the site boundary. 

the animal sightings were made possible by a carefully-placed camera trap used for conservation research. the project is part of efforts from the nature conservancy to investigate how solar development influences animal movement and work with solar developers to preserve the small corridors — or wildlife passageways — that allow for that movement. 

the sight of wildlife lingering at a solar facility between crystalline panels is an unusual one. but in north carolina, a state that ranks fourth in the nation for solar energy production and ninth for biodiversity, scientists and developers are realizing that the choice between renewables and biodiversity doesn’t have to be a trade-off.  

solar energy in the energy transition and climate crisis

amid national efforts to decarbonize the u.s. energy sector and achieve current emissions reductions goals, the u.s. is increasing its buildout of renewable energy. in the last decade, the solar industry saw an average annual growth rate of 24%, according to the solar energy industries association. 

as more and more renewables projects gain traction in states like north carolina, biologists have raised concerns over potential impacts on wildlife populations, especially amid overdevelopment and fragmentation. scientists have begun to research those impacts, but many studies have focused narrowly on bird deaths, habitat conversion,  pollinator habitat, or soil ecosystems, with fewer insights on migration and movement specifically. with climate change exacerbating the need and scale of future migrations, this research gap is a pressing one. 

while people often think of climate change as the biggest threat to biodiversity, the answer is actually habitat loss. liz kalies, the lead renewable energy scientist at the nature conservancy, spreads this message in her conservation work. “we can’t justify poor siting of renewable energy in the name of biodiversity,” said kalies. 

“but similarly, if we ignore climate change, that will also have severe consequences for biodiversity. so, we just really need to keep the two in our mind simultaneously, and not sacrifice one for the other,” she said.

strategies for building wildlife-friendly solar

fortunately, solar developers haves several options to avoid making those sacrifices: selecting sites responsibly (including repurposed mine land), building in wildlife passageways (small corridors to allow animals to pass through)—which could mean splitting a site down the middle—and letting nature reclaim parts of the facility by growing wildflowers, planting native species, or building pollinator habitats. a simple change, such as mowing the lawn in september or october instead of august, after breeding season, can make a difference, according to a research team in new york. 

one of the most promising strategies so far is permeable fencing: swapping out traditional chain-link fencing for larger-holed fencing, which is meshy enough to allow small-to-medium sized mammals to slip through. animal monitoring reports show the early promise of this fencing, as camera traps capture foxes, birds, and coyotes navigating around the fencing. in one study, wildlife-permeable fencing increased the probability that ungulates (hoofed mammals) successfully crossed through the fence by 33% — and they were able to do so in 54% less time.

camera trapping and bobcat tracking: the research behind wildlife-friendly solar

kalies and her team have launched several projects to study solar-wildlife interactions, including the camera trap project, direct site visits with developers, and even a bobcat-specific project. kalies and her team are currently working on the latter, which involves locating, sedating, radio collaring, and tracking bobcats to generate visual maps of their meanderings. bobcats are secretive, elusive animals who prefer uninterrupted vegetation, making them good candidates to study the challenges that animals may face in in solar landscapes. 

surprisingly, bobcats are interacting with the solar facilities. from the videos kalies played, it appears some of them are even drawn to the facilities for unknown reasons. in their preliminary data, one bobcat appeared to cut through a solar facility that didn’t even have a permeable fence. the team hopes to increase their sample size of bobcats in order to predict impacts of solar buildout on their populations through simulation alone.

do developers really want foxes and bobcats roaming through their facilities?

sometimes, the answer is yes, according to developers. medium-sized predators may help quell rodent populations, and rodents have been known to gnaw through the panels’ wiring, breaking the solar array.  

wildlife passageways offer other benefits to developers. at face value, building wildlife-friendly infrastructure is great for a company’s brand image and public relations — especially when local opposition to renewable projects is so prevalent, and sometimes stems from animal conservation concerns. additionally, installing wildlife-friendly fencing is economical, according to kalies. it costs roughly the same as a chain-link fence and holds up just as well structurally, based on her reports from developers. 

“i love the idea of wildlife friendly fencing,”  said scott starr, co-founder of highline renewables. 

“you’re going to be a partner with the community for 30 plus years. so, you want to do things like screen it with evergreens or use wildlife friendly fencing […] and even if it’s a small upcharge, you are looking for things to make the project work that don’t just show up in the pro forma but are also a benefit to the community.” 

as a developer who specializes in small-scale distributed generation,  starr notes that it’s common to screen for endangered species early on as part of choosing a site. “we are very careful as developers towards critical species, critical habitat, wetlands, things like that. that is part of the process.” 

but, when it comes to sharing land with wildlife, the territory is more unfamiliar. starr elaborates on the policy gaps in how governments incentivize wildlife-friendly buildout. 

“the only things that i’ve really seen are ‘we’ll give you adders to put it on this rooftop!’ and ‘we’ll give you adders if  you put it on a brownfield or co-locate with some kind of agricultural operations!’ said starr. “there never is really anything about wildlife corridors—we just don’t know.” 

while developers can’t claim that solar sites are equivalent to wildlife refuges, they do share some compelling similarities: they’re quiet, isolated, fenced off, and relatively low-disturbance on the landscape. whether or not a site is wildlife-friendly often comes down to what’s adjacent to the facility, says kalies, meaning rural sites typically have better luck than urban, overdeveloped, already-degraded plots of land. 

challenges and limitations of building wildlife passageways

some of the biggest research-specific challenges for kalies’s team include accessing sites in the first place, finding partners willing to collaborate, and hours of challenging fieldwork. another difficulty lies in data interpretation. even with data from camera traps, for example, seeing an animal onsite doesn’t mean it’s necessarily benefitting. the animal could be migrating, breeding or nesting, foraging, lost, or simply hanging out. 

starr adds that, from a developer’s perspective, even if you support wildlife-friendly fencing,  you may get a ‘no’ from the county, from financiers, or from any long-term owners of the project who might consider wildlife a risk to their multi-million dollar asset. (some developers are even concerned about bird droppings reducing the efficiency of their solar panels.)

overall, the solar industry’s ability to become “wildlife-friendly” may depend on the level of discussion happening in government. “we need clear guidance and policymaking that incentivizes these kinds of considerations,” said starr.

the future of wildlife-friendly solar 

despite these challenges, pursuing wildlife-friendly solar in north carolina may be a promising step toward preserving biodiversity. the state ranks the 13th highest in the nation for risk of species loss. while wildlife movement patterns are being studied in the western u.s. (such as pronghorn migration), more research is needed on patterns in eastern states.

the first step to preserving biodiverse populations is ensuring that animals can continue to move freely across landscapes. through siting adjustments, permeable fencing, planting wildflower pollinator habitat, and actively collaborating with scientists, the solar industry has a chance to protect wildlife. energy developers and biologists alike can take part in this initiative, giving a new meaning to “energy conservation.” 

america’s solar industry is in trouble. 

who and what’s the cause of this are questions not easily answered. some point to complex supply chains. others point to problems with domestic innovation. and a few point to mamun rashid, the ceo of auxin solar, which the wall street journal calls “the most-hated solar company in america.”

the reasons for this are several. auxin filed a petition with the commerce department in 2022 accusing several chinese solar manufacturers of evading u.s. tariffs. last august, the commerce department ruled that four companies in southeast asia circumvented american tariffs on chinese made components. as a result, sweeping new solar tariffs are set to face the industry in june 2024. the countries in which those tariffs will be levied account for “nearly three-quarters of solar modules imported to the united states.”

tariffs are taxes on the import of foreign goods. they are paid by the domestic company who is purchasing those goods. 

“we are facing an unprecedented moment in american solar. many companies have relied on cheap foreign labor for their products. what we’re doing is shedding light on faulty business practices that favor china and harm american workers. we’re fighting for energy independence,” rashid said.

yet, many clean energy advocates have resoundingly criticized auxin. secretary of energy jennifer granholm stated in an interview with npr, “at stake is the complete smothering of the investment and the jobs and the independence that we would be seeking as a nation to get our fuel from our own generation sources.”

such advocates anticipate the ruling will make solar projects in america far more expensive and lengthy. according to cnn, the ruling has apparently stalled many u.s. solar projects, upending an industry critical to a clean energy future. 

this frustration, rashid claims, reflects just how reliant america’s solar industry is on foreign supply chains, many of which seep through china. according to the wall street journal, “chinese manufacturers make around 63% of the polysilicon used in most solar panels globally, and more than two-thirds of the wafers that are the next step in the manufacturing process.”

“what a decision like this forces businesses to do is rethink the way they conduct business,” said rashid. “many companies wouldn’t be as angry as they are if they hadn’t made the mistake of relying on china, so now the band-aid is peeled off and they need to develop new long-term plans. we need to incentivize companies to play by the rules and produce in america.”

rashid notes that covid exacerbated already dangerous supply chains, shedding light on american manufacturers’ reliance on foreign labor. that is what inspired him to pursue the investigation with the commerce department. now, he says, america’s solar industry bears the burden of re-shoring the supply chain. that is a process he believes tariffs will set in motion.

clean energy advocates in america believe in the need for a robust domestic solar industry. it’s an urgent policy priority. but they say in order to achieve this, we need the global supply chain in the interim.

they say it will simply take too long to accomplish energy independence to afford shattering the global supply chain, an outcome that would undoubtedly impede a clean energy future. one of these advocates is abigail ross hopper, the ceo of the solar energy industries association (seia), the trade association representing america’s solar industry. she vehemently opposes auxin’s investigation.

“the bottom line is that we all want energy independence and for america’s solar industry to thrive. but in order to achieve those long-term goals, we’ll need to rely on the global supply chain in the short-term to continue building and supporting solar projects in america over the next three to five years.” hopper said.

to re-shore america’s solar supply chain and meet this critical moment, both rashid and hopper note it will take time. but there are important steps being taken right now to bolster america’s industry. among these steps is the inflation reduction act, which offers economic incentives for solar companies to produce in america. 

and while rashid applauds the ira, he still says at the heart of the debate is the need for american companies to re-evaluate their best practices and no longer rely on imports from southeast asia. 

“for far too long, american companies have benefited from foreign producers that violate american law. the ira is an important first step, but we need long-term solutions from the businesses themselves, a commitment that they will no longer rely on unfair and, quite frankly, illegal activity in the supply chain.“

through indigenous ways of knowing, and self-knowledge of who we are as stewards of newe sogobia (mother earth), the original people of what is known as the ‘americas,’ have made efficient use of resources through the management of agricultural practices, fire regimes, land use, etc. since time immemorial. having understood this from an early age, i spent my youth attending ceremonies that helped me connect to the natural world through cultural teachings. my name is bahnwahntze. i am newe (shoshone), and i grew up on the south fork indian reservation in northeastern nevada. my upbringing involved spending summers in northern california, both in urban areas and on the round valley reservation near covelo, ca. growing up, my parents, raised on reservations, taught me that nature and people worked together as one. while living in the urban setting i was being exposed to an ideology that my peers around me weren’t. this helped me to understand and appreciate the symbiotic relations that give us life. i began integrating my understanding into the western science teaching i was receiving. 

my interest in technology began at an early age. as a traditional powwow dancer, i was used to hearing loud music, so at home i began learning how to connect additional speakers to my stereo and also how the amps affected the output of the speakers. i would also practice my dance steps by watching videos of other dancers. to watch the videos, i had to switch connections from cable television to a dvd player. soon my family began to notice my interest in technology and would have me help them with their technological difficulties. after i graduated high school, instead of going into a stem academic program, i went into a technical program at d-q university, a tribal university that offered a technical certificate in cable networking. in the program, i learned how to properly install cable networks for television including fiber optics for the internet. having proven myself successful in installing cable networks, i felt stunted in my personal expression. trapped in a cycle of work and little rest, ignoring my instinct to be on the land, i was forced to listen to that instinct when i was injured at work. my story truly begins once i allowed myself to reeducate and start a new career. 

going into academics having already been in a career for several years, i had no idea what i wanted to do or what kind of research was happening. my mentality at that point was just to get into a program where i could learn office skills, as my injury left me with sedentary work restrictions. i had always liked plants, so i started looking into agriculture programs. what caught my attention was an agricultural business and education program at a local community college.

this program was designed to transfer me into an agricultural science program at a 4-year institution, but i had only wanted to get my 2-year degree so i could begin working right away. fortunately, i was able to get into a research internship during my first semester. while the experience was a great introduction to research, it was the connections i made through the internship that allowed me to progress as a researcher.

soon after i was invited to another fellowship where i presented my first inquisition poster. it was during these sessions i began to notice research that was being done within tribal communities. my perspective on experimentations that had occurred on tribal lands and within tribal communities had mostly been negative; due to the history of the government performing malicious acts on indigenous people and their lands in the name of science. during the conference, i began to learn about different organizations that promoted indigenous scientists. this led to a path where i am currently in my academic career. not only did this program focus on traditional ecological knowledge, but it broke me free from the negative connotations of research within indigenous communities. after this incredible experience, i decided to apply to graduate school so that i could contribute to the science benefiting indigenous communities.

i was introduced to agrivoltaics (av) through my recent internship which took me to the navajo nation. i had been seeking out an internship that would allow me to work within a tribal nation as none of my previous internships had allowed me to. i was unfamiliar with the topic, but i was interested in the program that was presented to me. i learned that av is an emerging innovative agricultural system that places photovoltaic (pv) panels within existing agricultural areas and vice versa. it is an integrated agricultural and energy production system that enhances water conservation and is the very definition of what is known as a food, energy, and water nexus.

during this program, i had the opportunity to work at an agricultural experiment station. i worked closely with the research director who made me aware of opportunities with a new graduate program they were offering. my mentor at the time had wanted to place sheep under the pv panels but i expressed my interest in traditional agriculture practices like intercropping to begin the project. so began my journey into av systems and the three sisters garden system.  

being able to make contributions back to society in a way that promotes indigenous knowledge is one thing, having a project that allows me to go directly into tribal communities and promote localized community growth is another. on the navajo nation, it is fairly well known that a significant number of households are not connected to any kind of grid. understanding that av contributes to built environment as off-grid av systems will greatly benefit remote communities and give them opportunities to power additional agricultural infrastructure such as greenhouses.

when discussing av and how it contributes to built environment with my research director, kevin lombard, ph. d., professor of horticulture at the new mexico state university (nmsu) agricultural science center at farmington; stated that “there is increased interest in urban built environments and having greenhouses closer to consumers.” he then went into how the greenhouses are essentially closed systems and mentioned, “combining that with solar panels to artificial lighting or supplemental lighting makes a lot of sense”. not only will av systems make energy available to agricultural equipment, but they will also have the opportunity to make beneficial use of the land under the pv panels. giving community members the knowledge of how to manage the space under the panels will allow them to grow different crops.

one thing the pandemic exposed was our need for food sovereignty and increased localization of resources. part of my graduate research project is to use the energy produced to support an off-grid greenhouse; this encourages me to continue to push the topic of incorporating indigenous agricultural practices that will contribute to the sustainable component of a controlled environment system. israel joukhdar, a senior research scientist at nmsu college of agricultural, consumer, and environmental sciences, stated “that’s the great thing about building for the future, it’s not that we have to totally transform and tear down all our buildings and do all this stuff, but doing very small things can make a huge change […] a small change goes a long way”. av systems create microenvironments under the pv panels because of the shade that is created. through the microenvironments, we are combating climate change and preventing the degradation of land through smaller built environment systems. 

with the integration of western science into indigenous knowledge as a way to enhance thousands of years of research with the modern infrastructure of today, av shows promise as a component in the efforts to mitigate climate change. the understanding of symbiotic relationships is essential to assisting in rebuilding the environment and increasing the nexus between food, energy, and water to conserve and restore resources. adapting to both forms of scientific knowledge is leading research and i am thankful my culture and upbringing have allowed me to assist in the science that will benefit the work being done. awh’ho

the students convened at the ford rouge complex with myself and planet forward multimedia editor aaron dye after traveling from across the country. among the students, duke university, george washington university, howard university, middlebury college, suny-esf, tuskegee university, and university of arizona, were represented.

during an intensive day with engineers, plant managers, and members of ford’s esg team, students got to see the production of ford vehicles on the assembly line as well as explore various testing facilities like ford’s wind tunnel.

starting in march, the students will be publishing their stories from this trip which will cover a range of topics. from water conservation in ev production to ev consumer reluctance and range anxiety, the stories will explore the challenges of the current moment in actuating the just transition to evs, as well as the solutions that ford is bringing to the table.

this trip would not have been possible without the support of the ford motor company, their partnership with planet forward, or their hospitality during the trip. we look forward to publishing the stories from this trip and can’t wait for you to read them!

editor’s note: ford motor company made this series possible by providing students with an experiential learning opportunity at their facilities in dearborn, michigan. all editorial content is created independently. we thank ford motor company for their support of our project.

in the heart of panama’s lush landscapes and vibrant cultures, a narrative of resilience and transformation unfolds. here, amidst the rich tapestry of indigenous communities – the guna, emberá, wounaan, bri bri, naso tjërdi, and bokota – a story of empowerment emerges, transcending the confines of mere survival.

once bound by the chains of generational poverty and subsistence living, these communities stood at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. it was in this dynamic juncture that my organization, empower natives, ignited a beacon of hope, a catalyst for change, and a partner in their journey towards sustainable progress.

i founded empower natives to uplift indigenous communities in panama and address their challenges such as extreme poverty and lack of access to resources.

amidst the rustling palms and ancestral whispers, empower natives embarked on a transformative quest. they didn’t arrive with ready-made solutions but embraced a vision founded on respect, cultural understanding, and collaboration. they listened intently to the wisdom of elders and the dreams of the youth, recognizing that true empowerment blossoms from within.

with innovation as their compass, empower natives introduced a symphony of change. they facilitated workshops on entrepreneurship, gently guiding these communities to see their agricultural endeavors not merely as subsistence but as thriving businesses. digital tablets, augmented reality, and tailored training became the tools paving the path toward economic empowerment and technological adaptation.

but empower natives didn’t stop there. they recognized that progress must weave through the fabric of tradition, not sever it. cultural preservation became intertwined with each initiative, celebrating age-old wisdom while embracing contemporary innovation.

the narrative shifted – from the struggle to survive to the empowerment to thrive. economic landscapes flourished; traditional knowledge found synergy with modern practices; communities stood taller, brimming with newfound confidence.

today, the once-forgotten whispers of these indigenous communities echo louder. empower natives, hand-in-hand with the communities they serve, have redefined the narrative. it’s no longer about surviving; it’s about thriving. they’ve sparked a movement where ancient wisdom meets innovation, where subsistence living transcends into sustainable development, and where empowerment paves the way for a brighter, more promising tomorrow.

in washington d.c., protests are part of our everyday life. we see them when we walk down the street (the white house is only four blocks away from where i go to school at george washington university) and we partake in them to defend our rights as american citizens. our first amendment right to assemble is what gives us hope in our country’s ability to change and grow. in my time at university, the national mall has been peppered in pink as women filled the streets to fight for the right to have an abortion. many of them were my peers and friends.

the freedom to protest is often explored by americans for the first time in college. all across the country, you can find students protesting on their campus on a plethora of issues. gun violence, racism, anti-semetism, to name just a few. our values develop, faraway from our hometown bubbles; we are educated on the issues, from multiple points of view; and we have an air of idealism, feeling that we can shape the world we want to inherit.

i, however, had never attended a protest before. i fought for my beliefs through business, founding a company to create the change in the fashion industry that i wanted to see in the world. i used to think protests were ineffective because i didn’t think that powerful people would listen to what protestors had to say. i was wrong and i learned this while attending cop28 in dubai and joining my first protest.

during our final days of the conference, members of the gw delegation and i were walking across the cop28 campus when we heard drums, chants, and song. people from around the world came together to fight for their shared future. we were drawn in and soon found ourselves in the middle of a protest. at first, i was overwhelmed, surrounded by a cacophony of angry, disappointed, and anxious protestors. i am not one for large crowds.

then, i listened. and suddenly emotions overcame me. people were on the streets protesting because they had tried everything else without avail. people were protesting because they wanted to be heard, they were furious. people were protesting to share their experiences with others, forming a community. i was deeply moved. i danced to the beat of the drum, sang with the

indigenous groups, and raised my fist to the sky to fight for our future. i hugged people in the crowd. i felt part of something and i felt powerful.

and we were powerful. the day after that protest, the cop28 draft text had changed completely, and for the better. the new language was our first footstep away from fossil fuels. i was, and am still in awe. even still, this protest was not the same as what you would experience here in the states. remember, we were in the u.a.e. the protests had to be scheduled, the boundaries were fenced in, spontaneity was stolen. i recognized then what an immense privilege we have as americans to take to the streets when we have something to say.

within the context of the un climate change conference, which was taking place in an authoritarian country, we could have some power, but only some. however, exerting pressure is important. the un is working to include more voices in the negotiations, including those who traditionally are not at the table. the uae is also evolving. without external pressure, the people who benefit from the status quo would have little reason to open up closed processes.

one month later writing this article, i still think about how that protest changed me. i felt empowered in my own voice. i felt the voices of the voiceless empowered around me. we changed history. it was incredibly exciting. i also feel immense gratitude for the freedoms we have here in the united states, a place where we can bring our full uninhibited self to a protest. protest has power and i am lucky to live in a place where every citizen gets to be powerful.

by jason marmon, daniel stipanovich, and seungshin seo

in the heart of the sonoran desert, a silent sentinel has stood for centuries, witnessing the unfolding story of the earth’s changing climate and human expansion. the saguaro cactus, an iconic symbol of the american southwest, is now facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change, extreme heat, and urban sprawl. this crisis is not just about the survival of a species, but a stark reminder of the fragile interdependence between nature and humanity.

climate change: a rising threat to saguaros

climate change, exacerbated by increasing temperatures and diminished precipitation patterns, is having a profound impact on the sonoran desert’s ecosystem. saguaros, adapted to the desert’s harsh conditions, are now struggling to cope with the extreme heat and irregular monsoon seasons. the summers in the phoenix valley, for instance, have been the hottest on record, disrupting the natural cooling period essential for the saguaro’s survival. without this respite, these cacti face difficulties resting properly at night and photosynthesizing, a critical process for their survival and growth.

urban sprawl: encroaching on the desert’s balance

the rapid expansion of urban areas like the phoenix metro have encroached and exploited the desert, further stressing the saguaros. cities like phoenix have transformed the landscape, replacing native vegetation with concrete and asphalt. this urbanization not only reduces the habitat of the saguaro but also contributes to the ‘heat island’ effect, where urban regions become significantly warmer than their rural surroundings. this increase in temperature exacerbates the stress on all cacti, already battling the effects of climate change.

invasive species: a fiery challenge

the introduction of invasive species like buffel grass and stinknet poses another significant threat to the saguaro. these non-native plants compete with the saguaro for scarce water resources and alter the fire regime of the desert. fires, rare and less intense in a natural desert ecosystem, have become more frequent and severe due to these invasive grasses, posing a direct threat to the saguaro, which is not adapted to survive frequent and intense fires.

a complex problem demanding diverse solutions

addressing the plight of the saguaro requires a multifaceted approach, which must engage a diversity of stakeholders. conservationists, scientists, urban planners, local communities, and policymakers must collaborate to develop and implement sustainable solutions. this includes strategies like controlling urban expansion, managing invasive species, water optimization, soil health, and fostering best-practices to mitigate the heat island effect. these actions must be proactive at this point in time. 

the role of local communities and science

the involvement of local communities, especially those with a deep cultural connection to the desert, like the akimel o’odham and tohono o’odham people, is crucial. their traditional knowledge and practices offer invaluable insights into sustainable desert living. in tandem, scientific research provides a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the saguaro, guiding conservation efforts through informed decision-making and knowledge sharing.

raising awareness through art and education

artists like aaron sabori play a pivotal role in raising awareness about the saguaro’s plight. by creatively expressing the relationship between humans and these cacti, artists can evoke emotional responses and inspire action. educational initiatives, too, are essential in cultivating a broader understanding of these issues among the public, especially the younger generation.

the road ahead: collaboration is conservation

the challenge faced by the saguaro is indeed daunting, reflecting a broader environmental crisis. however, it also presents an opportunity for humans to realign with nature. by listening with our hearts and joining forces across various domains, we can work towards a future where the saguaro, and by extension, us and our natural world, can thrive amidst the challenges posed by a changing climate and ever expanding human footprint(s).

as the saguaros stand as sentinels in the desert, they beckon us to heed their silent call – a call to action for the preservation of our planet’s delicate ecological balance. in addressing the challenges faced by this iconic cactus, we not only strive to save a species but also reaffirm our commitment to a sustainable, harmonious coexistence with nature.

see our next project at the carbon summit at arizona state university.

the cajón del maipo is an arid, once snowcapped region of the chilean andes, 40 miles north of chile’s capital city of santiago. there, a series of hamlets tucked around the mountains and valleys are home to a lively community of small-scale agricultural and ecotourism businesses. in recent years, the effects of melting glaciers in the region have exacerbated a historical drought and threatened local water security.

in 2013, a new hydroelectric project, named alto maipo, began construction along the río maipo, a large glacier-fed river in the cajón del maipo valley. while the valley is already home to a long-standing network of hydroelectric plants, the company, aes gener, promised to produce over four times the current energy supply by diverting rivers through 43.5 miles of tunnels dug beneath the mountains.

after being announced, the project was met with swift backlash from community and environmental leaders. now, years after protests have died down, the project remains internationally controversial and plagued by operational problems, such as glacial retreat reducing the water flow needed to provide the energy for the project.

the greater regional hydroelectric system generates energy through a broad series of underground tunnels that divert water from naturally occurring rivers before being returned to the surface. alto maipo’s tunnels span over 41 miles and source millions of gallons of water from three rivers: the río volcán, the río yeso, and the río colorado.

water travels through the tunnels before being deposited into the larger río maipo, several miles downstream of where the water would naturally flow. the energy produced across the cajón del maipo is sent to the santiago metropolitan region

translation: fundamentally, the olivares glacier field is one of the principle glacier reserves of uncovered glaciers in the region. but we have to understand that in the whole maipo basin, there are over 900 glaciers. of those, many are rock glaciers. and all of them are an important part of the water reserves for the region of santiago.

francisco ferrado, glaciologist at the university of chile

the water, which consists largely of glacier melt, is contaminated from mining and sediment from the hydroelectric diversion process, according to researchers. by redirecting surface water to skip roughly 100 km (about 62 miles) of the cajón del maipo, where communities depend on rivers for water security, the impacts of climate-change-fueled drought in the region are exacerbated. this effects not only households and agriculture, but also the surrounding nature.

translation: it’s what you call a sacrifice zone. the truth is, in the end, it’s a territory that has been sacked by international corporations whose activities have very harmful impacts on the environment and communities. mining is one of the greatest threats – in the end, it’s like the saying, “bread for today, hunger for tomorrow.” that leaves very significant damage. they take the water out of the rivers, they take the resources, and they leave. that’s the reality.

benjamín busto, local environmentalist

locals say the construction of alto maipo came at a cost to local groundwater and marred the landscape of nearby townships el alfalfal and los maitenes permanently. the maipo basin provides 70% of the santiago metropolitan region’s drinkable water, and 90% of its irrigation water. this is increasingly critical as a historic megadrought has swept through chile in the last decade, threatening national food and water security.

resistance to alto maipo turned the region into the center of a battle over water rights. between the project’s announcement in 2013 and 2018, “no alto maipo” activists came to the cajón del maipo from across chile to protest, saying that the project compromised an already fragile water supply. international groups, such as the outdoor gear company patagonia, supported the movement and coined slogans such as “salvemos el maipo, or “save the maipo.”

translation: at the beginning, the meetings were huge. a hundred people, eighty, or more in the beginning. this conflict is turning 16 years old. we live in a society that wants immediate results, and environmental conflicts are long. we don’t always – we almost never win. so, maintaining energy and the hope of winning – beating the state, beating the corporation – was very complicated. and in the end, four or five of us ended up sustaining a tremendous campaign.

marcela mella, local activist

initially, “no alto maipo” meetings and protests drew hundreds. at the height of the public campaign, mella was invited to speak at united nations. but eventually, mella said, only a handful of people would show up. sometimes, the protesters were harassed. “my daughters got scared. they would cry because the [alto maipo] workers would shout things at me,” she said.  

translation: it’s also not convenient that such a big responsibility, like leading a movement, falls on two to three people – it requires more backing. it’s difficult in a capitalist system like the one in chile for people to have the confidence to continue the movement.

marcela mella

during protests, journalists uncovered cyber-espionage on mella’s social media accounts by aes gener, the company behind alto maipo; no charges were ever filed. in 2021, she ran for local office but lost. a year later, her appointment as a provincial presidential delegate for president boric was cut short, a consequence, she says, of disagreeing with her colleagues and the president himself. now, she says she has not found work for five months and has been left in poverty.

in one town at the center of the alto maipo construction, el alfalfal, the controversy is fueled by the tangled history of the region. in 1962, chile entered a period of agricultural reform, which granted the community titles to the land, but this didn’t last long. in 1973, augusto pinochet began his military dictatorship with a u.s.-backed coup. during the pinochet takeover, land ownership was stripped from the community.

today, decades after the end of the dictatorship, the resident’s land titles have not been restored. according to el alfalfal residents, aes gener promised that if the township supported the development of alto maipo, the company would support them in regaining their land titles.

translation: that was our biggest dream, our land titles.

victoria ortega, resident of el alfalfal and community spokesperson

in 1983, ortega’s mother was one of 29 people that died in a devastating mudslide that sent the side of a mountain hurtling downward, destroying everything in its path and marking the region as high-risk for landslides and flash floods. ortega says that bienes nacionales, a land ministry of the chilean government, prevents development in areas with high risks of landslides.

these regulations would require aes gener to fortify the mountainside around their home. locals say this was part of the company’s promise to the town. ortega says that although the construction has since finished, no such action ever materialized. for now, the residents of el alfalfal do not own the land they live on and in their view, alto maipo betrayed their trust.

translation: that’s nature. and there, my mother died on the 29th of november in ‘87.

victoria ortega

at the height of community backlash to the plant, media often showed the town of el alfalfal surrounded by walls. aes gener was ordered by the chilean ministry of the environment to build these around el alfalfal’s main town to shield the residents from sound and dust. “no alto maipo” activists cited these walls as an example of human rights violations. today, the residents themselves say they don’t mind – the walls alleviated fears that the children would fall down the steep banks of the nearby río colorado, or be hurt by heavy machinery. although the walls are currently being removed, the town is opting to keep a chain link fence around the perimeter.

translation: the first thing, as residents, that we asked of alto maipo was to get help with our land titles. they signed a thousand papers and made promises to the people. but in the end, for a company, what matters least is the people. 

jeni gonzales, resident of el alfalfal

in addition to the broken promises of restoring their land titles, residents like jeni gonzales say they have “not relished living in a construction zone” and mourn the loss of their soccer field, replaced by a water retention tank for the plant. but despite a decade of conflict, el alfalfal residents say they are now largely at peace with alto maipo. today, many el alfalfal families are now employed by the aes gener company as traditional ranching businesses have become less profitable due to the drought and glacial retreat. 

beginning in 2017, alto maipo began a financial and operational nosedive due to rapidly decreasing energy prices, increasing construction costs, and decreased energy productivity due to drought and reduced glacier melt.

in december 2021, construction on the alto maipo plant was completed. in the same year, they filed for bankruptcy in u.s. courts. banks and lenders began leaving the project, writing off the hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. strabag, a european construction company contracted to do the majority of tunneling for the alto maipo project, restructured its financial agreement to become a shareholder and guarantor of the project. in 2023, a chilean environmental regulator charged aes with failure to build sufficient infrastructure, and for skirting ecological due diligence.

as of july 2023, when this story was reported, alto maipo was not yet operational.

the reporting for this story was done in conjunction with a related story on mining and glaciers in the region, published in atmos magazine.

abandoned coal mines threaten community safety and the environment, but despite bipartisan support, remediation efforts are often stalled by litigation and red tape, senators said at a hearing on nov. 9. 

states must undergo prolonged vetting processes before they can turn previously mined lands into wildlife habitats, commercial areas or other reclamation projects, chairman sen. joe manchin, d-w. va. said at the energy and natural resources committee hearing in washington, d.c.

“these coal communities sacrifice everything to power our nation to greatness and should be able to implement projects that will have positive impacts on the community in a timely manner,” manchin said. “they sure as hell don’t deserve to be strung along by the federal government, tied up in bureaucratic red tape, and forced to wait to put transformative projects into action. it’s absolutely unacceptable.”

acid water saturated with metals and long standing fires beneath the earth threaten entire communities located near abandoned coal mine sites. communities that complain the most about damage from former coal mines are prioritized for restoration projects, according to rob rice, director of the division of land restoration at the west virginia department of environmental protection.

states get new instructions every year on how congressional funding should be used in a restoration project.

“and each year, that guidance document becomes thicker, so there’s more hoops to jump through,” rice said. “the vetting period has increased over subsequent years.”

glenda owens, deputy director of the office of surface mining reclamation and enforcement at the u.s. department of the interior, blamed the lengthy processes on court disputes over approval of coal mine restoration projects.

“we want to make sure that the decisions we make during these environmental reviews will sustain judicial scrutiny,” owens said. “if we don’t adhere to the controlling court decisions, we’re going to risk getting those decisions vacated or having to start all over, which is just going to require additional time.” 

this discussion followed a hearing last week that addressed a similarly slow approval process for carbon capture and storage wells, despite both issues receiving bipartisan support and congressional funding. 

“it’s just very frustrating that things aren’t going out the door. i want to make sure that the government is not impeding this and putting more oversight to the point where their intention is not to let it happen,” manchin said. “that’s what’s scaring me, because everything we’re doing, we’re trying to show that we can produce the fossil [fuel] that’s needed for energy security, better and cleaner with more innovation [and] technology than any other place in the world, but we can’t if the government’s fighting you.”