Gilbert Michaud Of Loyola University Chicago: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About Sustainability And The Environment
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Recycle: Recycling is an easy but effective environmental sustainability tip. Get in the habit of always recycling cardboard, plastics, glass, and other materials. Check what’s permissible in your city or town. This is a simple activity that even children can do at a young age.
As a part of my series about what we must do to inspire the next generation about sustainability and the environment, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gilbert Michaud.
Dr. Gilbert Michaud is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago. A community-engaged scholar, his research focuses on renewable energy policy, electricity markets, and sustainable economic development. He holds a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), as well as a certificate in Data Analytics from Cornell University.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in the small college town of Fort Kent, Maine, right on the Canadian border. It’s a tight-knit, active, French-speaking community with an actual fort that was built for the non-combat Aroostook War, a dispute over the international boundary between Maine and New Brunswick, Canada. Fort Kent is known for its outdoor sports, so I spent a lot of my childhood cross-country skiing, golfing, kayaking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, and playing organized team sports such as soccer, baseball, and volleyball. I think that these opportunities for outdoor recreation really spurred my love for the natural environment.
Was there an “aha moment” or a specific trigger that made you decide you wanted to become a scientist or environmental leader? Can you share that story with us?
Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I think that my upbringing always had me connected with the environment. We had a huge garden at my house, and so my brothers and I were able to learn how to grow our own vegetables. We had a pond in my backyard, which we used to play hockey on in the winter, and to discover aquatic creatures in the summer. We composted. I was literally always outside as a kid, and I do think that there was always a hint of sustainability to what we did as a family. Fast forward to my first job out of my undergraduate studies, where I worked at a business journal, conducting interviews with clean energy leaders that were building solar and wind projects across the country and helping to reduce emissions. I think that was my “aha moment.” The stories that I helped create for the journal and the people that I spoke with were so inspiring, and I ended up taking a leap of faith and quitting the job and ultimately doing a master’s degree and a PhD studying renewable energy.
Is there a lesson you can take out of your own story that can exemplify what can inspire a young person to become an environmental leader?
I think that it’s okay — desirable even — to take chances. Call me an unbridled optimist, but some of my best experiences have been trying new things that I sometimes didn’t end up liking. My parents sent me away to engineering camp when I was a kid, and while I enjoyed it, I realized that I didn’t want to be an engineer. My aforementioned job at the business journal was rewarding, but I knew that I didn’t just want to write about clean energy projects, I wanted to conduct research and actually go out into communities and help them get built. I always tell my students to get out there and just start trying things. You might not like it, you might make mistakes, and you might fail, but if you can keep a positive attitude and learn from these experiences, it will always serve you well. I teach environmental law and policy, and I make sure that my assignments and activities are applied and engaged. The students are submitting feedback on climate action plans. They’re providing testimony on key environmental bills. Once they learn that they can go out and make a tangible difference, they often have their own moment of inspiration, and the rest of their journey makes more sense.
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
At Loyola, we’re doing truly amazing things related to climate action and sustainability. Of course, these topics are the cornerstone of our academic programs at the School of Environmental Sustainability. As a campus, we’re reducing energy use in our buildings. Our athletics events are zero waste. We have more green roofs than any other university in the Midwest. We’re making our transportation options more sustainable. There is so much going on. What I’m admittedly most excited about, as someone who studies energy, is our recently announced plan to purchase our electricity from a large solar project here in Illinois. Not only will this help us get off of fossil fuels, but it will also open up learning opportunities for students, as we plan to do site visits once the project is operational.
Can you share 3 lifestyle tweaks that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?
I’ll offer a few that are energy specific:
First, be mindful of your transportation habits. The harmful environmental impacts of traditional vehicular and air travel are well known, and burning fossil fuels releases emissions into the air that contribute to climate change. If available, take trains or busses. Carpool. Bike. Walk. Consider a hybrid or electric vehicle if you can.
Energy use in buildings is also a major contributor to emissions. Consider ways that you can make your home more energy efficient. Install more efficient light bulbs. Weatherstrip your windows. Consider more efficient home appliances. Use smart home devices. Do some research on your electric utility provider and consider purchasing renewable energy from them, or perhaps even installing your own, such as rooftop solar.
Perhaps this is non-traditional, but one other idea is to actually consider working in the energy sector itself. The jobs in this space are growing rapidly, and they are incredibly diverse. From electrical engineers and IT specialists, to lawyers, accountants, and researchers, there’s a job related to energy for nearly everyone. It can also be rewarding. Workers in this sector often note how they feel good about making a difference deploying new technologies and reducing emissions for future generations. I can’t think of a better way to do your part than actually going out there and doing the work as part of your own career.
The youth-led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are 5 things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement?
In addition to the ideas shared above, I’ll offer:
1. Recycle: Recycling is an easy but effective environmental sustainability tip. Get in the habit of always recycling cardboard, plastics, glass, and other materials. Check what’s permissible in your city or town. This is a simple activity that even children can do at a young age.
2. Reduce food waste: This is a big one. About one third of all of the food in the United States goes uneaten. Meal plan. Store food appropriately. Use leftovers. Compost. Simple behavioral changes can help prevent widespread food waste.
3. Eat less meat: This is a bit of a tricky one, but objectively, eating less meat does reduce emissions and does reduce the impacts to the land used for its production. If cutting meat out of one’s diet isn’t feasible, reducing consumption can still make a notable impact.
4. Reduce water usage: So many people waste water. Take shorter showers. Install water efficient products, such as showerheads. Turn off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth. Again, these are simple tips for anyone to follow, including children, and they can be incredibly effective.
5. Education: Instead of offering additional ways to live more sustainably (like growing your own food, going paperless, bringing your own bags to the grocery story, and many others), I’ll suggest a broader educational category to end. Stressing the importance of the 3Rs (i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle) to youth is a foundation of more sustainable practices. There are so many other things to learn about sustainable living, and even new innovations that continue to emerge. Education is a really powerful tool, so do some independent research, and try to adopt sustainable practices that work for you in your living situation or circumstance.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
A few years ago, one of my graduate students and I did a research project looking at the drivers and barriers for small businesses to adopt green practices. This could be anything from recycling to installing solar. We surveyed hundreds of companies and found that a better public image was a major motivation for adopting green practices. When businesses are seen as environmentally friendly, they often improve their reputation, and subsequently increase sales. They also decrease their operational costs by reducing water, energy, etc. It was an interesting study, and while access to capital remains a challenge, it’s clear that businesses can be more profitable by being more sustainable. There is a correlation.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are too many people to thank that have been inspirational for my own journey in this field. I’d like to collectively thank my grandparents. Literally all of them were extremely hard workers that led by example. Maybe it’s part of the Northern Maine rural culture. My grandparents always seemed to put their head down and work really hard without a complaint, even when times were tough. I like to think that I’m the same way. Doing environmental work can sometimes be depressing, and being a professor can be incredibly taxing. But I like working and am passionate about what I do, so I’m grateful for my grandparents (and my own parents, to be comprehensive) for instilling that in me.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I teach law and policy classes, so my cliché answer is to change our policy systems to better drive environmental change. Far too often, money and lobbying get in the way of progress. We have amazing engineers, chemists, and others that are making groundbreaking progress from a materials science perspective, but what ultimately drives (or hinders) sustainability projects in many geographies is public policy. From an energy perspective, governments are continuously battling to address issues of electricity production and consumption, conservation, waste management, and many others. I’d like to see less ideological conflicts and more collective action for things like sustainable energy. At the very least, getting involved in the policy process is vital, so I always encourage folks to get out there and fight for what they believe in. Changing policy, and perhaps even how our policies are made, can bring a lot of real benefits to a lot of people.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
I often tell my students that I’m a “work hard, play hard” kind of person. In the classroom, we work hard to understand important concepts related to environmental law and policy, analyze stakeholders, review bills, etc., but we also integrate space for having fun while doing this work. We attend meetings. We make memes. We sometimes play music and have food. Who says that we can’t have a bit of fun while doing the hard work? I think that creating such an enjoyable environment (no pun intended) helps folks relax and stay positive, which is important because fighting for policy change is really, really challenging work.
More related to the environment, I’ll say that I believe in karma. I think that if we take care of the earth, it will take better care of us. Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way.
What is the best way for people to continue to follow your work online?
Social media is probably the best way to stay in touch and follow my work. You can find me on both LinkedIn and Twitter/X. My research group also has a website that houses our projects, research reports, etc.: https://www.michaudenergypolicyresearchgroup.com/
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
