About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T24: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Sustainable Horizons: A Symposium on Collective Action for a Resilient Future
|
| Presentation Title |
Building a Sustainable Culture in Day-to-Day Laboratory Research |
| Author(s) |
Jon-Paul Maria, Kristin Ann Dreyer, Saeed Almishal, Krista Bailey, Jack Rumery |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Kristin Ann Dreyer |
| Abstract Scope |
This presentation will present ideas and initial practices to establish a sustainability laboratory culture. While much modern materials research is motivated to make sustainable technologies, its execution is often wasteful. Fume hoods left open, poorly insulated furnaces, needlessly pure raw materials, disposable everything, equipment idling for endless hours; just a few examples where we can do better. Penn State embarked on a university-wide effort to reduce the research carbon footprint and instill a sustainability-focused mindset among all researchers. Thus far, over 50 labs and 400 researchers pilot the process where individual labs become certified by My Green Lab. The details of this process the challenges for implementation, and the programmatic successes will be presented. In addition, we will discuss a specific effort led by the PSU MRSEC: Center for Nanoscale Science where graduate researchers creatively analyze lab operations to quantify and communicate energy use and develop strategies to consume less. |