My Philosophy
“Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger and hatred.”
- Perils of Indifference, Elie Wiesel
This quote by Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, has stuck with me for years. Commenting on the tragedies that humanity has witnessed throughout the centuries–Treblinka, Auschwitz, two World Wars, bloodbaths in Rwanda and Eritrea–he calls out indifference in the face of injustice. Learning about the countless genocides and acts of discrimination stained across our history, this speech made me realize that we are repeating our past. Even now, we are indifferent to the very warnings of indifference that Wiesel cautioned us about. How much more indifferent can we possibly be? While the victims of this apathy are most noticeably humans, I find it more relevant to its effect on the nature around us. Thus, I believe the grandest challenge of our time will be eliminating the indifference regarding human destruction of our planet. The pursuit of justice has guided my actions thus far and I plan on being a part of the movement towards a sustainable future.
Why Climate Change?
Sea levels are rising, species are dying, natural disasters are intensifying and our forests are burning. No corner of the globe is immune from the devastating consequences of climate change, yet the social dimensions of the issue prove that some are disproportionately affected by it. The people facing the most severe threats from climate change do not share any responsibility for the warming of the planet, making this a humanitarian issue as well.
Over the years, I have learned that it is crucial to suggest functional ways to mitigate climate degradation and promote sustainable development using science as a tool of persuasion. With science being the backbone of persuasion, we can then incorporate political discourse to enact real world change.
As I learned more about the environment, I began to challenge myself with personal projects, courses, and internship experiences that would develop my skills in the field. Being in close proximity to Washington D.C., the University of Maryland was the perfect place to use my environmental research for the common good. I had the opportunity to partner with a team of students and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to research heavy-duty vehicle NOx pollution on key environmental justice communities in the D.M.V. Here, I built upon my research skills and learned how to incorporate GIS software, like ArcGIS, to map communities and locate areas of greatest emissions.
While conducting raw research is helpful in addressing the climate crisis, the issue is multi-faceted and working with governments to shape policy agendas is necessary as well. In another class, I had the opportunity to work directly with Takoma Park’s local government to develop a climate action plan in order to reach net zero emissions by 2035. I helped work on the City’s Climate Emergency Response Framework Resolution to come up with efficient home energy labeling policies that work best in evaluating minimum energy efficiency standards.
There is no doubt that the changing climate has the potential to bring communities together and transform the way we live in a manner that is inclusive and equitable. There are a plethora of ingenious solutions that have not yet made their way to the markets and through the political realm, but as our society progresses and activism strengthens, these ideas are not so out of reach. As I continue to tackle climate change and fight indifference through my education at Columbia University, I hope to take my knowledge and experiences and provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.
Education
September 2023 - August 2024: Columbia University, New York
Columbia Climate School: Masters in Climate and Society
August 2019 - December 2022: University of Maryland, College Park
I was fortunate to be able to share my passion for the environment with an open minded community as a student at the University of Maryland. I majored in Environmental Science and Policy with a double minor in Remote Sensing of Environmental Change and International Development and Conflict Management. The highly interdisciplinary environment program at Maryland taught me the ways of addressing the complexity of global trends such as environmental change, global food security, environmental justice, and the development of green technologies. My overall college experience proved to me that the integration of natural sciences and social sciences can shape good public policies and help the movement towards a more sustainable future.
Awards and Honors
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International Development Global Learning Scholarship Recipient
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Cum Laude
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Deans list all four years
Notable Classes
Environmental Law (ENSP 330)
During my junior year of college, I enrolled in my first environmental law class. Here, I learned about the roots of environmental law and its current role in the modern regulatory regime. I became familiar with the role of agencies, Congress and the courts in relation to how we deal with representation of our environment. My favorite aspect of the course was using case law to interpret the major federal environmental statutes that seek to control pollution and protect natural resources including the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (the “Superfund Program”), Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. I then had the opportunity to write a memorandum and do a public debate using international law articles to argue that countries were violating childrens’ rights by making insufficient cuts to greenhouse gases.
Capstone in International Development (GVPT 356)
In this senior capstone course, I spent the semester working directly with Manna Project International to help initiate a Daycare program for street vendor children in Sangolqui, Ecuador. This project gave me a real taste of humanitarian work and I was able to really dive into problem solving and be creative in designing solutions. I also learned critical development skills like writing a research brief, problem stakeholder analysis, results framework and concept note to ultimately generate a final pitch. I even had the opportunity to interview street vending mothers on the ground to get their perspective on early childhood education. A major step in combating climate change is making sure that children are educated and have the knowledge, skills and values to also be agents of change.
Advanced Geographical Environmental Systems (GEOG 301)
Unlike my more policy-oriented courses, this class was part of my minor in Remote Sensing that gave me a fundamental understanding of the science behind the physical aspects and dynamics of the Earth system. I had the chance to use real mathematical models and apply them to the climate and biosphere in order to see their interactions. The class served as hard evidence for the changing climate and convinced me of the importance of modeling in applications to real world phenomena. At the end of the semester, I had the chance to use EN-Roads climate simulator to come up with the best climate action plan that would meet the Paris goals and keep warming below two degrees celsius by 2100. I then presented my plan to peers and professors to persuade them of my strategy that favored significant renewable and nuclear subsidies alongside heavy taxes on fossil fuels and carbon.
August 2015 - May 2019: Reservoir High School
My passion for the environment began in high school when I enrolled in Independent Research with Mrs. Kucik. I spent the year conducting research on ocean acidification and its effects on coral reef ecosystems. From the beginning, Mrs. Kucik taught me how to find reliable sources, how to pull out key information in a database and how to present information in a way that encouraged people to take action. As I began to realize that this issue was more pressing than I had imagined, my passion grew. Every week, she pushed me to persevere and remain committed to a cause greater than me and if it weren’t for her, I would not be as dedicated to my studies as I am today.
At the end of the year, the Howard County Board for Independent Research selected me to speak at the Johns Hopkins Annual Student Learning Conference about my research. I presented my findings to over 300 professionals and students across Howard County, MD and my goal was to encourage people to decrease their carbon footprint.
Climate Papers / Projects
"Writing must always have intention because words have power."
– Suheir Hammad
I believe that writing is one of the greatest tools of persuasion and to be an effective writer, you must first care. Everything I have written and developed until this point has been to persuade an audience to take action or learn about a certain environmental issue. Whether it be creatively or scientifically, I will continue writing to inspire change.
Activism: Women and the Environment
My father took me to my first protest in D.C. when I was just six years old. I remember chanting:
“What do we want? Freedom! When do we want it? Now!”
As an Iranian-American woman, I have witnessed the countless atrocities and blatant violations of human rights in Iran under the authoritarian regime.
On September 16th of 2022, a 22 year old Iranian woman named Mahsa Amini died at the hands of police brutality for not wearing her hijab in accordance with government standards. Since then, people across the globe, including myself, have been protesting for institutional change. Over 200 people in Iran in addition to children have been killed by security forces over the freedom protests and the unrest continues.
"زن، زندگی، آزادی"
Translation: “Woman, life, freedom”
If there is one thing I have learned from my environmental studies thus far, it is that the climate crisis and women's rights are invariably intertwined. Without gender equality and empowering women, a sustainable, more equal future remains beyond our reach. The link between gender and climate change overwhelmingly indicates that women and girls are disproportionately affected by the crisis and thus they need to be at the heart of climate action. Involving women in solving the climate crisis could mean food security, zero hunger, an end to poverty, and improved education. Studies have already proven that increasing women’s representation in national parliaments leads to the adoption of more stringent climate change policies, resulting in lower emissions. At the local level, the participation of women in natural resource management is associated with better governance and conservation outcomes.
As I continue to march for women's rights in Iran and participate in climate strikes, I do so knowing that this is a key step in achieving a more just and sustainable future.
Getting My Hands Dirty
In order to better understand our changing climate, it is essential that we interact with our environment on a personal level. Throughout the years I have volunteered at community gardens, participated in clean-ups, helped construct a greenhouse garden and took part in on-the-ground field testing.
One of the courses I chose to enroll in during my senior year was a field methods course. Here, we spent three hours outside every Wednesday afternoon learning how to apply techniques that environmental scientists use on a daily basis. I had the opportunity to do field mapping, compass navigation, stream hydrology measurements, vegetation classification, remote sensing and soil sampling. We also did stream clean-ups.
As climate change worsens, flooding is inevitable and College Park is already prone to flood events. In order to get a baseline measurement for how high the water can go before flooding occurs, I used a sensor and depth gauge rod to characterize the flow carrying capability of the stream and its adjacent floodplain. Once I calculated the velocity, depth, and distance of the cross section, I could use the midsection method to determine the discharge flow.
Sustainability Abroad
During the summer of 2022, I was given the opportunity to take my skills in environmental science and policy and apply them abroad in Singapore. I spent the summer working at Sembcorp Industries Ltd. which is a company that leverages its sector expertise to deliver innovative solutions that support the global energy transition as well as sustainable development goals. While I worked at the company’s headquarters in Singapore, the industry is multinational and has partnering branches in China, India, the United Kingdom, Myanmar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Indonesia. Overall, the experience served as a reminder to me that the climate crisis is a global one and requires collaboration between all nations, big and small. And, as the U.S. moves towards renewable energies, it will need companies like Sembcorp in the near future and I plan on helping in that green transition.
The Sembcorp motto: “Transform brown to green”
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Sembcorp currently has an energy portfolio of 16.5GW, with 7.0GW of gross renewable energy capacity comprising solar, wind and energy storage globally. The company also has a proven track record of transforming raw land into sustainable urban developments, with a project portfolio spanning over 13,000 hectares across Asia.
I had the honor of visiting Singapore’s floating solar panels designed by Sembcorp Industries. They are the world’s largest floating solar panel farms and were designed to quadruple solar energy production by 2025 and make its water system entirely powered by renewable energy. Made up of 122,000 solar panels spanning 45 hectares, it is roughly equivalent to the size of 45 football fields. The 60 megawatt-peak solar photovoltaic (PV) farm is now officially one of the largest operational inland floating solar PV systems in the world. The power generated by the panels is enough to power 16,000 4-room HDB households and also offsets 32 kilotonnes of carbon emissions annually. This is equivalent to taking 7,000 cars off the roads.
My work at Sembcorp involved research on the company’s renewable project sites for biodiversity screening and risk mitigation. I used Google Earth Pro and the IBAT Tool daily to evaluate whether the company’s project sites were negatively impacting habitats. For instance, one of my tasks was to evaluate whether Semborp’s wind farm in India was enhancing sustainability efforts, or doing more harm by cutting off migration routes and killing bird species. I also assisted in gathering on-site data for the monthly biodiversity survey at Singapore’s floating Tengeh solar panels. Finally, to incorporate policy into the job, I also drafted and edited new Environmental Group Policy Standards to be shared and utilized by Sembcorp global branches and presented my findings to board members and staff.
Sembcorp Tengeh Floating Solar Farm
My Role
