Text Ning Fan PhD candidates explain the most thought-provoking proposition in their thesis. This time it’s Ivonne Servin Balderas, who received her PhD on 5 March. In her study, she investigated the carbon transition as a prerequisite for a smooth and rapid energy transition.
‘Pollution comes in many forms in our daily consumption, from the clothes we wear to the fuel we use. But it’s not just consumer choices that are to blame. Even worse are the supermarkets, which often throw away perfectly good products that are approaching their sell-by date. What a waste.
Changing consumer behaviour is difficult. We can’t expect people to suddenly give up the conveniences they’re used to, nor can we expect supermarkets to change overnight. But we must act quickly to prevent further damage to the environment. That’s why I believe that harnessing waste is the most realistic and effective approach to a carbon-neutral society, and this can only be done with the aid of environmental science. Through environmental technologies we can capture CO2 from the air, recover discarded food and recycle household wastewater. This offers a rapid solution to society’s irreversible problems of over-consumption and waste, effectively preventing pollution and mitigating the effects of climate change.’
