What I find most exciting about my teaching and research in energy and environmental issues, is the inherently interdisciplinary nature of the challenges we confront. My goal is to arm my students with the methods, tools, and perspectives to understand, and ultimately to influence society’s many technical, economic, and policy choices concerning energy and the natural environment. In my Energy, Technology, and Society course, we take a “tour” through a broad array of conventional and renewable energy technologies, investigating the economic and policy drivers for their use, as well as their varying implications for environmental sustainability, international development, and ethnic/gender/economic equity. 

 My research is driven by an interest in the broad-based environmental and social impacts of energy technologies and policies. This work seeks to make explicit the trade-offs that are often present between energy systems, climate, and other important social and environmental objectives. In particular, I have worked on issues at the water/energy nexus, evaluating the “water footprints” of a range of energy technologies. In addition, I have worked on the climate, health, and policy implications of using waste streams – from woody residues of forest thinning to landfill gas and manure – as a renewable resource. My research has employed life cycle assessment (LCA), geospatial modeling, and technoeconomic analysis to inform policies at the state and federal level as well as internationally.

 I approach my research with an eye toward implementation. This has led me to work with California regulatory agencies on fuel and forest policy formulation and to serve on the board of directors of the Geneva-based Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials. Prior to coming to Humboldt, I worked in Rome for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. While there, I provided support to the governments of Indonesia and Colombia in evaluating the environmental and social impacts of their biofuel industries, and in formulating policies to address those impacts.