Hermosa Beach, a beach town not far from Los Angeles airport, is one of the first U.S. cities to have established the goal of being renewable energy-powered by 2020. Over the last year and a half, I had the good fortune of being able to contribute to the cause by consulting for the City as the inaugural Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Fellow.
TEX is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit program that brings together scientists and community leaders to use science to tackle community issues related to natural resources and climate change. Here is a blog post I wrote about my experience as a TEX Fellow, working with Hermosa Beach on their carbon reduction goals:
Being a TEX Fellow was an extremely enjoyable and enriching experience. I can sense that this is the start of a lifelong love affair with pro bono consulting. If I ever convince myself to get a PhD, my problem statement would most definitely be a TEX-style community science issue. There is a certain fulfillment to see your work have a tangible impact on the people and communities around you.
