now, gentleman will join the planet forward team as the education lead, where he will build and maintain strong relationships with our pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools and work to expand planet forward’s reach around the world. 

gentleman, who has a ph.d. in chemistry, brings to planet forward not only his immense experience in the scientific world, but also his work teaching scientists and others how to better communicate their ideas, research and findings with the public.

“we are absolutely thrilled to add darcy, with his expertise as both a communicator and a storyteller, to our team,” said kim ossi, planet forward associate director. “there’s nothing more important to planet forward than our relationships with our schools, and darcy’s going to take that engagement to a new level.”

“science and sustainability need to be as much a part of [societal decision making] as economic policy or urban planning or what type of government you want to have,” gentleman said. “it’s how we learn how to live, to have the life expectancies that we do, to use the technologies that we do. so whether people consider it on a daily basis or not, it is on a daily basis considered and applied in many of the things that touch us.”

gentleman graduated from the university of toronto in 1999 with a bachelor of science in planetary science, a degree program that he helped create, convincing faculty from the astronomy, physics, geology and chemistry departments to work with him on crafting the coursework. he went on to earn his doctorate in analytical chemistry from arizona state university in 2003, where he conducted nasa-funded research using spectroscopy involving fiber optics to measure salt content in water.

after finishing his research at arizona state, gentleman’s career pivoted to telling others about science and the impact that scientific research has on government policy and the public’s daily lives. as a managing editor at the american chemical society, gentleman shepherded editorial content for the journals environmental science & technology, and the journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

he later began offering science communication workshops to students around the country, eventually leading one for george washington university professor chris cahill’s class in 2018. cahill, who is now the chair of gw’s chemistry department, was impressed, and gentleman began teaching science communication as an adjunct professor of chemistry at gw in 2019.

shortly after gentleman started teaching in gw’s chemistry department, he had his first encounter with planet forward.

“through that work … i met, all across the university, as many schools and administrators as i could get a chance with, and that’s how i became exposed to planet forward,” he said. “so in that sense, i’ve been aware of and a fan of planet forward for five or six years.”

“a huge part of planet forward’s mission is to provide both the storytelling outlet and the instruction to students who know a lot and care about our environment, but who don’t necessarily have the skills yet to communicate that knowledge effectively,” said planet forward founding director frank sesno.

as an expert in science communication, gentleman said he is most excited about finding even more ways to bridge the gap between scientists and the public in his new role at planet forward. he explained that scientists aren’t always taught how to communicate their research to the public in a way that is easily digestible.

though he doesn’t agree with the notion that scientists aren’t good communicators, as is often believed by some outside of scientific circles; he contends that scientists are actually communicating all the time. whether it’s writing peer-reviewed research articles or reports to be shared with other scientists, the profession’s communications are often destined for audiences already familiar with core concepts. the disconnect, he explained, comes when scientific jargon is not clearly defined for a broader audience.

“if you’re speaking with a scientist who isn’t used to engaging with non-scientists, or hasn’t prioritized that, then it’s just not that understandable,” he said. “that realization has come into teaching science and engineering more and more, and that’s why the importance of science communications has gone up over the years.”

gentleman is confident that in his role at planet forward, connecting with students, scientists, and institutions across the globe, he can help both journalists and scientists become stronger storytellers about some of the planet’s most pressing issues.

”it’s very possible to tell a story about climate that has very little science in it whatsoever. it’s also very possible to tell a story that is entirely science and has very little human aspect in it,” gentleman said. “the thing that’s so exciting about environmental and climate reporting is that most stories are going to have a mix of both.”

gentleman’s role will include maintaining and growing university relationships and building enhanced curriculum for schools in the planet forward 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 .

“from a training perspective, whether it’s how to talk to a scientist to get useful content out of them … [or] teaching student correspondents how to ask the questions,” gentleman said, “we can help [students and scientists] find planet forward as a platform where conversations, stories and reporting can inform the growing examples of good science and give a voice to those who care so deeply about our environment.” 

dre pedemonte is “a writer at heart,” but never branched out into sustainable storytelling until she arrived at gw. she transferred to gw in the spring of 2023 and is majoring in english while minoring in journalism and mass communication. one of the first classes she took was sustainable reporting with professor frank sesno and john sutter in the fall of 2023. she was able to use her background as a commuter student to highlight stories from washington d.c. and the surrounding region, while dipping her feet into the water of sustainable writing.

in this class, students were broken up into teams to write articles about sustainability in the different wards of the district. she was assigned to ward 1, where her team wrote a piece about a local community garden that was facing closure due to lack of funding. “it was an amazing experience to go out into the field and speak with the community and local leaders,” pedemonte said. this story, along with many others in the course, were submitted to planet forward’s storyfest and pedemonte’s team’s story was nominated to be a finalist in the 2024 storyfest cycle. this sparked her initial interest in planet forward and furthered her interest in sustainable storytelling. during an environmental storytelling course in spring of 2024 professor jesse holland jr. introduced pedemonte to the frontline climate fellowship program during his environmental filmmaking course. with her growing interest in sustainability as well as new skills she learned from the course, she decided to apply for the fellowship. 

when pedemonte was accepted into the program she knew she wanted her final story to relate to the chesapeake bay, as pedemonte grew up visiting the bay throughout her childhood. she felt the chesapeake bay touches many states and affects many people and communities in the dmv, making it a topic many people can relate to. she decided her story would be a community-centered piece and she wanted to focus on latino stewardship across the chesapeake bay region. pedemonte wanted to tell the stories about the latino communities’ connection and relationship to the environmental and cultural significance of the bay itself.

the fellowship began on june 10th with a week-long master class on journalism. this week allowed the fellows to meet each other as well as the program mentors while being hosted by gw. the master class featured various workshops where the students learned how to frame stories, create multimedia pieces, and work with scientific and data-based story points. pedemonte saw the first week as “very rigorous, but it helped jump-start our stories and set the tone for the fellowship.” going into the master class week the fellows were assigned to have story ideas in mind. with these ideas they learned how to pitch a story and worked on fine-tuning their original ideas.

after the first week they went back into their communities in order to gather data and begin drafting their community focused stories. the fellowship also included a weekly meeting of the cohort of fellows as well as weekly meetings with their mentors. pedemonte said the research process involved “finding sources, reaching out to multiple people, as it can be hard to hear back, and reporting what they learned.” the last weeks included the wrap-up phase, focused on finishing up the stories and other media products.

at the start of the program each fellow was assigned one mentor to work with. however, they were able to speak with all the mentors in the program to get unique critiques and answer questions related to their stories. pedemonte felt her relationship with her mentor, eva sideris, was very organic and sideris gave her a lot of room to grow while pushing her storytelling abilities. sideris encouraged students to get out of their comfort zones, telling pedemonte, “you are all still students, and you still have so much to learn.”

pedemonte’s story, entitled “here and there: nuestro chesapeake,” allowed her to work with local organizations, including defensores de la cuenca also known as watershed defenders, to encourage, mentor, and inspire latino stewardship within the chesapeake bay. defensores aims to inspire an eco-conscious and diverse community in the chesapeake bay through events like fishing days, canoeing, and also lessons on topics such as water monitoring. pedemonte’s story focuses on highlighting how minority groups can empower restoration efforts in the chesapeake bay through community based organizations. 

having finished the fellowship, pedemonte and the other frontline climate fellows are looking towards the future. pedemonte says the skills she has gained during this program will benefit her immensely as she enters her final year at gw. additionally many of the fellows now are working to pitch the finalized stories they have created to external media outlets outside of planet forward. “throughout the course of this fellowship program, i not only worked with inspiring peers and mentors, but i was pushed to become a better environmental reporter. centering stories around the intersection of community and environmental injustices highlight the powerful community voices that need to be heard. with my finished project, i am proud to have been given the opportunity to do just that. while the summer is ending, i know i am looking forward to continuing my journey as a student, writer, and storyteller.”

this story was originally posted on the george washington alliance for a sustainable future.

according to the united nations, in 2022, two billion people worldwide did not have access to safe drinking water, and only 0.5 percent of water on the planet was usable freshwater. to help combat this water insecurity, we use desalination, a process implemented globally to increase the amount of fresh water available by removing salt and other pollutants from seawater and brackish water. desalination, while an effective method of producing freshwater, is not without its challenges.

the process produces brine, a waste product of highly concentrated salt water. but what if this waste product could be used to create something positive?

elizabeth north, ph.d., a scientist and professor at the university of maryland center for environmental science, and her team of researchers are currently developing a biomanufacturing process that uses brine to produce calcium carbonate, a chemical compound needed in various industries.

to continue reading, click on the full story below!

the research team is led by umces professor elizabeth north with co-principal investigator ryan hoover from the maryland institute college of art as well as collaborators from purdue university, salisbury university and facilitated solutions, llc. this project is funded by the national science foundation’s convergence accelerator (https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/convergence-accelerator) program. launched in 2019, the nsf convergence accelerator builds upon nsf’s investment in basic research and discovery to accelerate solutions toward societal and economic impact.

mykal bailey is a rising junior at howard university. she is studying film and political science, and is a passionate advocate for environmental justice and climate solutions.

additional reporting by emma marold, rising senior at suny-esf, majoring in environmental studies.

this story was produced as part of the planet forward summer seminar in multimedia storytelling.

this year’s summer seminar cohort is covering a wide range of environmental stories, from examining how a conservation organization is expanding how we care for both birds and people by including a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, to the experiences of a penguin researcher in antarctica who has documented climate change, to a carbon capture scientific innovation for water desalination plants, and a collaborative mapping tools for resilience in the global south. the enthusiasm these students share for the environment and for telling stories creatively is truly impressive. importantly, none are journalism students yet they are eager to tell stories to increase public understanding.

“these students are passionate about the planet and determined to raise their voices and have a positive impact,” said frank sesno, founding director of planet forward. “they know that storytelling is a vital form of communication. it’s incredibly gratifying to see them weave data, text, and media to tell compelling, creative, and memorable stories about important environmental issues.”

my colleague, aaron dye, multimedia editor and producer at planet forward, co-taught the course. his leadership and passion for documentary filmmaking helped students envision how they could capture stories through interviews and bring creativity to their multimedia stories. “students are increasingly seeking to make environmental stories more engaging, more captivating, and better looking. by putting a camera in their hands and saying, ‘go make a plan to film this researcher and turn their work into a story,’ we’re helping to build all sorts of analytical and communication skills with the students.” 

each year, planet forward works closely with students from a variety of majors who attend the pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools in our network. this is the second year for the summer seminar, which is designed as a master class to deepen student knowledge of storytelling formats and environmental issues. pillar and 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 schools in the planet forward program include liberal arts colleges, state universities, historically black colleges and universities, public polytechnic universities, and graduate schools of environmental studies in the united states and the united kingdom.    

in the program, students paired up with a member of their cohort and worked closely throughout the week with the planet forward team, who provided deep expertise in journalism, storytelling, science and environmental communication, and multimedia skills. 

the week unfolded as a master class in environmental storytelling. the early part of the week included sessions on responsible reporting, including interview preparation, conducting the interview, and setting the stage with proper lighting and framing. 

students interviewed dr. elizabeth north, a professor at the university of maryland center for environmental science, who discussed her novel research on capturing carbon and improving air quality while addressing freshwater security. in another session, students interviewed dr. naamal de silva, vice president, together for birds,at the american bird conservancy, who subsequently led an urban walk focused on justice and equity. students captured the contemplative urban experience on video and in photos, learning to enrich the multimedia narrative of the story.

students maya teiman, of middlebury college, and shannon taylor, of the university of arizona and an indigenous correspondent program alum, explored the importance of mapping frontline communities affected by climate change. “i was surprised by how hard it can be to access data for mapping in different regions,” teiman said. the team highlighted the need for mapping as a solution for understanding how communities are affected by climate change worldwide, drawing from their interviews with experts like gwu geography professors dr. david rain and dr. richard hinton. “gis is a very strong tool,” taylor said, adding, “i believe that utilizing gis helps bring social and climate issues to light.”

students took over the podcasting studio for an audio interview with ron naveen, ceo of oceanities. teesside university’s danny nicholson, who worked on the story about the impact of climate change on the antarctic, said, “i learned from ron that as humans, we can learn a lot from penguins!” 

participants in the immersive seminar sharpened their media skills and gained a deeper understanding of environmental storytelling, leaving them well-prepared to complete their first multimedia story to include original reporting, video, audio, photography, and graphic design elements. 

planet forward will publish stories from the 2024 summer cohort throughout july and august. 

in this podcast, lily edelman-gold, a young female professional in the california transportation and electric vehicle (ev) industry, discusses “a future of fair fueling,” her mapping project for equitable access of ev charging stations within monterey, california.  she walks us through how she created this project using arcgis pro, a geographic information system (gis) software through which professionals can analyze and display data through maps.

arcgis pro is a crucial tool for various environmental applications, such as mapping runoff risk to reefs and monitoring the illegal wildlife trade. edelman-gold’s project maps recommended ev charging locations in monterey that ensures equitable access for disadvantaged communities.  

a soon-to-be graduate from the middlebury institute of international studies (miis) in monterey, edelman-gold will be graduating with a masters in international environmental policy and sustainability management.  listen to learn more!

view excerpts from edelman-gold’s mapping project below — click to expand!

one segment in particular, how we frame it: crafting your story with intention, captured my attention. moderated by tyler hickman, a planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 from university of colorado, boulder, the segment navigated some of sustainability storytelling’s most tricky questions. how do you craft an engaging story? with whom do you craft it? what can we do to ensure our storytelling is timely and impactful? 

see my big three takeaways from the how we frame it segment below:

1.) framing should be participatory

sustainable storytelling is dependent on defining a character. one key piece of advice from panelist jessica stahl, editor for creative storytelling at grist, was to include ‘frontline communities’ that your story describes in the crafting of the story itself. coming from a background of focused, decisive reporting, stahl encouraged us all to bring our characters into the storytelling process. her journalistic niche is ensuring those most impacted by climate change are receiving the media attention they deserve. in this way, stahl urges us to give platform to the characters of our stories (given they are tangible individuals) in a way that directly supports their needs. when participatory, your story’s frame will undoubtedly make an impact.

2.) storytelling should be multidisciplinary

while you may believe that you know how to tell a story best, consider the opinions and input of others. that’s what rachel frazin, energy and environment reporter for the hill, suggested to an eager and receptive audience. frazin works for a publication that caters to a wide range of media consumers, often necessitating strict editing, fact-checking, and revision processes. as an energy and environment reporter, she understands the weight her journalism carries, especially for an audience that may not be expecting climate news. frazin’s strategy is to utilize the input and skills of those around her to synthesize a better end product. the climate crisis requires meticulous and intentional storytelling, and frazin urged us not to shy away from our coworkers, colleagues, and peers in times of need.

3.) framing should be flexible

for jesse j. holland, journalism is an act of adaptability. the associate director and associate professor of the school of media and public affairs at george washington university regaled the planet forward audience with his perseverance. declaring himself a “wordsmith” by trade, holland reminded us that journalism is always changing, evolving, and reinventing itself. further, he emphasized the importance of flexible framing and ensuring the integrity of your story within that flexibility. just as you match a particularly sized photo to a frame, sustainable storytelling must do the same. holland reminded us that journalistic quality is only determined by the storyteller’s ability to adapt and grow alongside their work.

carson davis is an academic assistant for the gw alliance for a sustainable future and is a dual-degree ba/mph student in the milken institute school of public health.

antonio has brought together researchers, elected officials, and community members to grow mushrooms to combat toxins in the soil from fracking waste. known as “mycoremediation,” the use of fungi to remediate polluted land has been shown to be effective at degrading waste. for antonio, the proximity of fracking operations, abandoned uranium mines, and coal mines to her community represent constant threats. rather than sit idly, antonio took action. listen below to hear the full story:

shining and shimmering, clear like glass in which you can see coral and fish enjoying the day, sits a meromictic lake in fayetteville, new york. the periphery of evergreens and oaks is the only indication that this lake is not in a tropical destination in the caribbean, but rather in upstate new york.

green lake is home to blue tropical waters, 15,000-year-old fresh water reefs, and life forms dating back to the ice age. a body of water that does not turn over and allows these ancient forms and corals to thrive, is called a meromictic lake. green lake is one of only 36 meromictic lakes in the world.

it is also popular for swimming, hiking, camping, fishing, water activities, picnicking, and also in-depth education for all ages about the lake. new york state parks aids in bringing the serenity of our natural world to the general public, fostering a care for our earth. katie mulverhill and cara gannon are environmental educators at green lakes state parks, both coming from differing backgrounds but using their compatibility they provide a vital resource for this park.

what is a meromictic lake?

meromictic lakes are unique because of their structure and natural ecosystems. unlike in other bodies of water, layers of water contained in meromictic do not mix. in green lake, the water column is split into three layers, which is not the case for every meromictic lake. the top layer is the fresh water run-off and is where most recreational water activities are being held, the middle layer is occupied by purple sulfur bacteria, and the bottom layer is spring-fed salt water.

normally, seasonal changes in sunlight and temperature would mix the layers of this lake together, but as a meromictic lake, the layers not mixing is the reason for the water remaining very clear. this layering effect creates a perfect home to a cyanobacteria that photosynthetically shed off calcium flakes that create fresh water reefs and sponges. given the clarity of the lake, it is very easy to view these reefs and sponges from the shoreline.

cara gannon who is a central region environmental education assistant with a background in marine science education, said the lakes at green lakes state park are unique to experience within the united states. “not only do we have green lake, we also have round lake at the park, and they’re both meromictic lakes,” she said. “there’s only about 13 of these types of lakes in the united states.”

the larger of the two lakes at the park, green lake, is rare for its quirky structure. glaciers from the ice age dug into the ground like a pint of ice cream being scooped into, creating a 195-foot depth and just two miles of circumference. after these glaciers melted, ancient life forms were left to flourish in the lake and are still thriving there to this day. “it’s really important for us to try and protect them and do as much research as we can on them,” gannon said. there are not many places on earth with pristine conditions for 15,000-year-old organisms to be able to grow and thrive. this makes greens lake the prime location to expand our knowledge on these life forms.

why is it blue?

green lake gets it’s name from the greenish blue color that is observed. in the top layer there lives cyanobacteria that photosynthetically shed off calcium carbonate. these little flakes of calcium carbonate float through the water column and reflects a blue/green wavelength to the human eye, this is why the water looks a tropical color.

the cyanobacteria shedding off calcium carbonate is also the reason the fresh water coral reefs form. this is because, as the calcium carbonate floats through through the water column it will eventually bump into something floating in the water of the edge of the lake. these little flakes compile together as time goes on and create fresh water reefs.

without the layering of this lake or the presence of cyanobacteria shedding of calcium carbonate, this lake would not have its unique color or the natural reefs that continue to grow. the structure of the lake, the water components, and glacier activity makes an almost unreal scenario for this lake to exist.

mulverhill touched on a lot of creatures that live around green lake. some of her favorites were the gray tree frog, tiger salamander, and the ring-necked snake. this habitat facilitates many different types of life and is a place that fosters the growth of next generations.

“giant clams give the reef life,” says delphia selch, “but today we hardly can see them on our reef.” giant clams play a critical role in coastal marine ecosystems and local food production all around the world, especially in the federated states of micronesia (fsm), a north pacific country of over 600 islands.

for the last 17 years, martin selch and his wife delphia have been growing endangered species of clams on the island of kosrae, the smallest of fsm’s four states with a population of under 7,000. these clams not only contribute to repopulating the reefs, but also provide sustainable and local food security.

“giant clams have become threatened all around the world,” says martin selch. climate change and sediment runoff has caused many of the local giant clam species to become endangered or extinct. however, martin and delphia have dedicated their lives to cultivating six varieties of clams including tridacna gigas, the world’s largest mollusk species, that previously had disappeared from kosrae’s waters.

in this short documentary, discover the importance of giant clams, their contribution to food security and the marine environment, and meet the people dedicated to keeping them around forever.

what if the future of air quality justice rested in the threads of a spider web?

in this original hand-drawn comic, climate cartoonist joy reeves explores a recent initiative in north carolina to use spider webs to monitor air pollution. spearheaded by the north carolina environmental justice network and a team of volunteer “funnel web finders,” the “spidey sens-r” project aims to measure heavy metal pollution on funnel weaver spider webs in greenville and goldsboro communities. the team hopes to use the metals collected on the webs to identify air pollution hotspots near polluting industries—especially in areas that lack government air quality monitors — in order to prioritize future testing in those areas and uphold environmental justice principles through community science.