International Conservation & Development

Fellow Story

Orosz wins 2012 Energy Globe Award for first solar powered hospital in Lesotho

“Imagine taking some parts from a car, from an air conditioning system, some more parts from a plumber, and you build a machine that is run with heat instead of gasoline. Then you hook it up to a free energy source such as the sun, and what you get is a clean, sustainable, cost-efficient source of hot water, electricity and even cooling.” Since 2005, Matt and his team have been doing exactly that in Lesotho: Building a solar powered plant for a local hospital as a showcase project for other applications.
June 21, 2012
Fellow

Ryan Carle

2012 Fellow
Ryan’s interest is in coupling applied ecology and habitat restoration to create effective management for threatened species and ecosystems. He works as an ecologist and project leader for the environmental non-profit Oikonos Ecosystem...
Fellow

Reed Schuler

2012 Fellow
Reed Schuler is the Managing Director for Implementation and Ambition and Senior Advisor to U.S. Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry, directing efforts to accelerate decarbonization by major economies and managing bilateral engagement...
Fellow

Leah Butler

2012 Fellow
Leah began her environmental career in federal service at U.S. EPA’s Superfund Division Region 9, starting in 2006. In this role, Leah managed the investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites in Arizona and on Hopi and Navajo tribal...
Fellow Story

Bringing Sustainability to Ranching Worldwide

Michael S. Stevens is the Co-Founder and Principal of Pioneer Mountain Group, an environmental consulting firm based in Hailey, Idaho. PMG provides a range of management, conservation, scientific and natural resource production and marketing services to clients including non-profit organizations, investment firms, and private landowners. The firm’s current projects are in the western United States, Latin America and Canada.
June 5, 2012
Fellow Story

Coleman part of Brookings event on innovations in shipping and the G-20's development and climate goals

In 2009, President Barack Obama and leaders of other developed countries committed to mobilizing $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing countries confront climate change. However, in an era of fiscal austerity, it is clear that national contributions will need to be supplemented by innovative sources of finance to meet this goal. The World Bank and International Monetary Fund recently released a report on how the shipping industry could be one of these innovative sources of financing.
June 4, 2012
Fellow Story

Electrifying Villages in India

The reality for some 80% of India's population - there is no running water or electricity. But for 2008 Switzer Fellow Dipti Vaghela this presents a significant opportunity.
June 1, 2012
Fellow Story

Perrault co-authored briefing calling for greater scrutiny of hedge funds and banks funding development

"Investment decisions involving loss of land and access to critical resources like water can have a devastating impact on the poorest communities who are dependent on the land to feed their families and make a living. For such projects, there must be even greater transparency, due diligence, and attention to community rights to resources - not less," said Anne Perrault of the Centre of International Environmental Law, co-author of the briefing. Read the full story
May 24, 2012
Fellow Story

Jennifer O'Leary Seeking Funding on RocketHub for Coral Reef Project

Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems world wide. This project collects critical data for the Kenya Wildlife Service to promote effective coral reef conservation and management of marine protected areas.
May 9, 2012
Fellow Story

Fighting for resource rights

Sara Mersha (2010) is the Director of Grantmaking and Advocacy for Grassroots International. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sara worked for 12 years as Lead Organizer and then Executive Director of Direct Action for Rights and Equality (DARE), a grassroots group serving low-income communities of color in Providence, RI. After serving as Visiting Faculty in the Ethnic Studies Department of Brown University, she began a master's degree at Brown's Center for Environmental Studies.
May 7, 2012