Wayne Nastri of South Coast AQMD: “Here are 5 things we must do to inspire the next generation about sustainability and the environment”

People usually think movements have to be large ones to make a difference. I don’t think that way necessarily. While large scale movements in history have had huge impacts, I think youth can focus on the small things. You really can make a difference. The little things add up, from the food that you eat, to the way you get products, how you travel, and how you live. Sometimes you’ll be the only one in your community, school or group of friends. Its ok, don’t give up! Be persistent and don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe it. I guarantee you someone is watching, someone is learning and it will lead to change.

As 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 Wayne Nastri. Wayne Nastri was unanimously appointed by the South Coast AQMD Governing Board as Executive Officer in December 2016, after serving as Acting Executive Officer since April 2016. Previously in his career, he served from Oct. 2001 through Jan. 2009 as U.S. EPA’s Regional Administrator for Region 9 — Southwest Region, which has jurisdiction over California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. In that position, he was responsible for policy development and operations, exercising management oversight for nearly 1,000 employees and an annual budget exceeding $700 million. He worked closely with the public, industry, and all levels of government in a wide variety of voluntary pollution prevention programs and energy conservation efforts, including development of diesel emission reduction efforts through development and implementation of the West Coast Diesel Collaborative, in which South Coast AQMD actively participates. Mr. Nastri also focused Region 9 efforts on development of strategies to address emissions associated with ocean-going vessels and marine ports. Before his federal position, he served as Governor’s Appointee on the South Coast AQMD Governing Board from Aug. 1997 to Aug. 1998. Earlier in his career, Mr. Nastri served on the site mitigation external advisory committee for Cal/EPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the zero-emission vehicle implementation advisory committee for the California Air Resources Board, and the site manager’s advisory committee for the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). He also served as the Legislative Director for the California Environmental Business Council.

In his earlier private sector experience, Mr. Nastri served as co-president of E4 Strategic Solutions, Inc., a consulting firm focused on negotiating mutually effective solutions for complex environmental & energy issues faced by regulatory authorities, elected officials, and executive management at local, state and federal levels. Earlier employments also include: Senior Vice President and Co-Chair of the Energy & Environment Practice of mCapitol Management; Sr. Vice-President of Dutko Worldwide; President of Environmental Mediation, Inc.; and Vice President, Environmental Affairs of the Jefferson Group in Washington D.C. Mr. Nastri holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine.

South Coast AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including the Coachella Valley.

Thank you so much for doing this with us Wayne! 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 Carson, California- a working class neighborhood. The city was very diverse with Latino, Black, Asian, Asian-Pacific Islanders, White — no particular majority at the time. The city had a number of refineries on the western and southern border, and the air was very smoggy. Smog alerts and having to reschedule outdoor time due to bad air quality was common for me. What’s interesting is that at the time, classrooms and homes didn’t really have air conditioning or filters, so being inside wasn’t much better than being outside.

I went to public schools, graduating from Carson High School before enrolling at the University of California, Irvine. While an undergrad, I majored in biosciences and did undergraduate research, receiving a Presidents undergraduate research fellowship. My family had moved to Orange County and after graduation I worked in the bioscience field as a chemist working on development of analytical clinical techniques. I eventually worked for a small environmental company that did emergency response and used my chemistry background to address the cleanup of chemical spills. Eventually I got involved in the investigation and cleanup of contaminated soils and groundwater and became a project manager, working on a variety of contaminated sites.

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?

There were a couple things actually. Living in Southern California most of my life, I actually never saw the mountains as a kid. And while now, with all the progress we’ve made with air quality, everyone can see the San Gabriel Mountains, when I was young, I didn’t even know there were mountains nearby! That had a huge impact on me. Growing up, I also used to surf at local beaches all the time. I remember we would see oil in the waters and often times would get oil stains on our surfboards or trunks. That really inspired me to start working on science to better understand what was going around us. In junior high school I helped start the ecology club focusing on cleaning the environment and recycling material. The rest is history.

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?

There is a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that says “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” I believe that. People should act on what is important to them, even though others may not be interested. Taking that first step, doing something small is so important. It’s a sign of leadership and you never know who will become interested. I really believe in the good of every human being. Most people want to help others. When others see you working hard, they may offer advice, or their perspective — listen to them! They can see things in you or your work that you may not yet see.

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?

South Coast AQMD has come a long way in cleaning the air and we recognize the important role the next generation will have in continuing these efforts. That’s why we have been partnering with schools and youth through a variety of programs at South Coast AQMD. We have a Clean Air Ranger Education (CARE) Program that works to educate and empower elementary school students in environmental justice communities on air quality and environmental health issues. We will soon be launching our new Why Healthy Air Matters (WHAM) program throughout high schools to increase awareness of air quality issues within the South Coast Basin and empower youth to drive positive change during a time when they are developing and forming their own habits. The WHAM Program utilizes Kids Making Sense®, a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-based educational curriculum that teaches students about air quality issues. We also have our Young Leaders Advisory Council that consists of about 20 young adults (18–30) in our region. This group seeks to engage this generation specifically, to discuss air quality issues and to benefit from their passion, fresh perspectives, commitment, and urgency to help improve our air.

We still have so much work to do and we can’t do it without the support of the public and future generations to come. Education will remain one of the most important factors for addressing climate change. At the end of the day small, positive changes in behavior are necessary throughout society to adequately address climate change. Go for the small victories and build on them.

Can you share 3 lifestyle tweaks things that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?

Sustainability to me has always been about efficiency and minimizing impacts to the environment. The biggest example is on the energy side and is easy to learn — don’t use or waste energy if you don’t need it. This is a tale as old as time. You’ve heard your parents say it over and over again. “Turn off the lights if you’re not using them!” All joking aside it is as simple as that. Turn off lights, walk or ride a bike where and when you can. Carpool or use public transportation where it’s available and fits within your schedule. When you’re trying to Marie Kondo your life, and want to dispose of things that don’t bring you joy, remember to donate, recycle or reuse items — avoid simply throwing things away.

Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview: 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? Please give a story or an example for each.

To make a difference, I suggest going back to the simple basics. It doesn’t have to be complicated. My advice:

• Encourage them to lead by example. It’s simple. “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
• Involve them in activities where they can see results from their efforts. I know that life can be busy. With work, kids, homework and other afterschool activities it can be hard to find time to give back. But information resonates best when people can see results. Don’t ever think children and youth too young to participate hands on. It’s incredible what they are capable of.
• Don’t just tell them they can make a difference, show them. Start as young as possible.
• Leverage relationships, resources, family and community to lead positive change
• Encourage them to teach others.

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?

Businesses have many opportunities and should approach sustainability and environmental consciousness in a stepwise fashion. Evaluate where the opportunities are and how the measures you implement affect your business. Will engaging in these kind of measures matter to your customers and will it result in getting more customers and thereby more business? Will it result in reduced operational costs and thereby improve your profitability and bottom line? Be open to the results of these kind of evaluations and then start, see how it works and expand where you can.

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 many people that have helped me along the way, but perhaps the most important were my parents who instilled in me that there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do so long as I was willing to work for it. It was that work ethic and encouragement that gave me pushed me to follow my passions, study hard. It’s how I’ve been able to reach every goal I’ve set for myself throughout my career.

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. :-)

People usually think movements have to be large ones to make a difference. I don’t think that way necessarily. While large scale movements in history have had huge impacts, I think youth can focus on the small things. You really can make a difference. The little things add up, from the food that you eat, to the way you get products, how you travel, and how you live. Sometimes you’ll be the only one in your community, school or group of friends. Its ok, don’t give up! Be persistent and don’t be afraid to stand for what you believe it. I guarantee you someone is watching, someone is learning and it will lead to change.

Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?

This particular quote actually came to me later in life and was told to me by a legend in the environmental field — Bill Ruckelshaus. Bill was the first Administrator for U.S. EPA. I was at U.S. EPA HQ for the Presidential Environmental Youth Awards and Bill had spoken about the importance of youth in advancing environmental issues. After the ceremony, the parents of the group (high school students that had developed and implemented micro water treatment systems and were distributing them to schools in India) I asked Mr. Ruckelshaus if he would perhaps say a few words to the kids. In essence, this is what he said:

In life, people are always watching and observing you. They see things that you may not see nor completely understand. They may give you advice or provide opportunities because they see something in you. Listen to those people and take advantage of the opportunities they present because they want to help you. You will find that there are people who help guide you throughout your career.

As I think back on my own experience, there were always people who would encourage me and tell me what I was good at or gave me advice about new things I should try, learn and do. I never thought growing up that I would one day lead a significant region of the US EPA or become the Executive Officer of the South Coast AQMD. Yet throughout my career people saw things in me and guided by presenting opportunities. Take advantage any opportunities to network and grow. Who knows where it will ultimately lead you.

What is the best way for people to follow you on social media?

While I’m not on social media, you can follow South Coast AQMD at @SouthCoastAQMD on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also download our app available for Android and Apple devices. Just search South Coast AQMD in the app store.

This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!