
Through her role as a Parks Analyst with the New York City Department Parks and Recreation, Katie Edmond (MPA-ESP ’14) is working toward a greener future for New Yorkers in high-need communities.
1. What is your current job?
I’m a Parks Analyst with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation working on the Community Parks Initiative, which aims to improve parks in high-need communities through increased programming, maintenance, capital investment, and community partnerships.
2. What drew you to the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy program (MPA-ESP)?
Coming from an environmental science background, I spent years studying the details of climate change, soil loss, invasive species, and water shortages. But as I entered the workforce and began discussing these issues with both scientists and non-scientists, I realized there was a real gap in my knowledge of how our communities address these problems. The MPA-ESP program’s focus on policy, governance, and real-world environmental management really appealed to me. Essentially, my previous studies showed me what the environmental problems are and the MPA-ESP program showed me how we solve them.
3. What were you doing before you started the program?
I was working for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, where I taught science and nature classes to children, led tours showcasing the ecology of the city, and inspected boats entering local lakes for aquatic invasive species. I also spent some time as an assistant instructor of soil science at the University of Minnesota.
4. What area of environmental policy and management are you most interested in?
The majority of my previous work experience centered around public speaking, education, and communications, so I’m very interested in the way the presentation of information affects how that information is perceived and understood. This is especially crucial for any discussions on climate, sustainability, and other environmental issues, which are frequently derailed by misunderstandings of data, uncertainty, risk, or the basic scientific principles involved. During my time in the MPA-ESP program, I tried to focus on the most effective ways to frame information for a variety of audiences, including scientists, policymakers, and the general public. I was even able to put what I had learned into practice during the program, as I twice had the opportunity to present formally on behalf of my Workshop team.
5. How did your professional goals develop during and after the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy program?
I entered the program very interested in pursuing a career with the federal government, for an agency like the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Agriculture. My experience in the program gave me a closer look at the world of local-level public service. I came to think that, while the environmental work done at the federal level is important, it would be in city government that I could experience firsthand the impacts of my work on my community. I’m very excited to be working with NYC Parks on this parks equity initiative and building a bright, green future for all New Yorkers.
6. What skills has the MPA-ESP program taught you that you think have proven useful to your current position?
The skills I gained and honed during the MPA-ESP Workshop have proven to be invaluable. Everything from collaborating with team members, balancing multiple (and sometimes conflicting) priorities, adapting quickly when things go wrong, and even email and conference call etiquette come up on a daily basis. The Workshop taught me never to underestimate the importance of open group communication, a detailed work plan, and a good PowerPoint.
Students in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program enroll in a year-long, 54-credit program offered at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, in partnership with the Earth Institute.
Since it began in 2002, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program has given students the hands-on experience, and the analytical and decision-making tools to implement effective environmental and sustainable management policies. The program’s 682 graduates have advanced to jobs in domestic and international environmental policy, working in government, private and non-profit sectors. Their work involves issues of sustainability, resource use and global change, in fields focused on air, water, climate, energy efficiency, food, agriculture, transportation and waste management. They work as consultants, advisers, project managers, program directors, policy analysts, teachers, researchers and environmental scientists and engineers.
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Wisdom the mōlī, or Laysan albatross, is the oldest wild bird known to science at the age of at least 70. She is also, as of February 1, a new mother.
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Comparing rime ice and glaze ice shows how each changes the texture of the blade. Gao, Liu and Hu, 2021, CC BY-ND
Ice buildup changes air flow around the turbine blade, which can slow it down. The top photos show ice forming after 10 minutes at different temperatures in the Wind Research Tunnel. The lower measurements show airflow separation as ice accumulates. Icing Research Tunnel of Iowa State University, CC BY-ND
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While traditional investment in the ocean technology sector has been tentative, growth in Israeli maritime innovations has been exponential in the last few years, and environmental concern has come to the forefront.
theDOCK aims to innovate the Israeli maritime sector. Pexels
<p>The UN hopes that new investments in ocean science and technology will help turn the tide for the oceans. As such, this year kicked off the <a href="https://www.oceandecade.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)</a> to galvanize massive support for the blue economy.</p><p>According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the "sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem," <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019338255#b0245" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Science Direct</a> reported. It represents this new sector for investments and innovations that work in tandem with the oceans rather than in exploitation of them.</p><p>As recently as Aug. 2020, <a href="https://www.reutersevents.com/sustainability/esg-investors-slow-make-waves-25tn-ocean-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Reuters</a> noted that ESG Investors, those looking to invest in opportunities that have a positive impact in environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, have been interested in "blue finance" but slow to invest.</p><p>"It is a hugely under-invested economic opportunity that is crucial to the way we have to address living on one planet," Simon Dent, director of blue investments at Mirova Natural Capital, told Reuters.</p><p>Even with slow investment, the blue economy is still expected to expand at twice the rate of the mainstream economy by 2030, Reuters reported. It already contributes $2.5tn a year in economic output, the report noted.</p><p>Current, upward <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/-innovation-blue-economy-2646147405.html" target="_self">shifts in blue economy investments are being driven by innovation</a>, a trend the UN hopes will continue globally for the benefit of all oceans and people.</p><p>In Israel, this push has successfully translated into investment in and innovation of global ports, shipping, logistics and offshore sectors. The "Startup Nation," as Israel is often called, has seen its maritime tech ecosystem grow "significantly" in recent years and expects that growth to "accelerate dramatically," <a href="https://itrade.gov.il/belgium-english/how-israel-is-becoming-a-port-of-call-for-maritime-innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iTrade</a> reported.</p><p>Driving this wave of momentum has been rising Israeli venture capital hub <a href="https://www.thedockinnovation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">theDOCK</a>. Founded by Israeli Navy veterans in 2017, theDOCK works with early-stage companies in the maritime space to bring their solutions to market. The hub's pioneering efforts ignited Israel's maritime technology sector, and now, with their new fund, theDOCK is motivating these high-tech solutions to also address ESG criteria.</p><p>"While ESG has always been on theDOCK's agenda, this theme has become even more of a priority," Nir Gartzman, theDOCK's managing partner, told EcoWatch. "80 percent of the startups in our portfolio (for theDOCK's Navigator II fund) will have a primary or secondary contribution to environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria."</p><p>In a company presentation, theDOCK called contribution to the ESG agenda a "hot discussion topic" for traditional players in the space and their boards, many of whom are looking to adopt new technologies with a positive impact on the planet. The focus is on reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment, the presentation outlines. As such, theDOCK also explicitly screens candidate investments by ESG criteria as well.</p><p>Within the maritime space, environmental innovations could include measures like increased fuel and energy efficiency, better monitoring of potential pollution sources, improved waste and air emissions management and processing of marine debris/trash into reusable materials, theDOCK's presentation noted.</p>theDOCK team includes (left to right) Michal Hendel-Sufa, Head of Alliances, Noa Schuman, CMO, Nir Gartzman, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, and Hannan Carmeli, Co-Founder & Managing Partner. Dudu Koren
<p>theDOCK's own portfolio includes companies like Orca AI, which uses an intelligent collision avoidance system to reduce the probability of oil or fuel spills, AiDock, which eliminates the use of paper by automating the customs clearance process, and DockTech, which uses depth "crowdsourcing" data to map riverbeds in real-time and optimize cargo loading, thereby reducing trips and fuel usage while also avoiding groundings.</p><p>"Oceans are a big opportunity primarily because they are just that – big!" theDOCK's Chief Marketing Officer Noa Schuman summarized. "As such, the magnitude of their criticality to the global ecosystem, the magnitude of pollution risk and the steps needed to overcome those challenges – are all huge."</p><p>There is hope that this wave of interest and investment in environmentally-positive maritime technologies will accelerate the blue economy and ESG investing even further, in Israel and beyond.</p>- 14 Countries Commit to Ocean Sustainability Initiative - EcoWatch ›
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