Dublin Student Explores Climate Solutions With Scientists Worldwide

DUBLIN, CA — A Dublin high school student launched Sustainability Beyond the Lab, an environmental science communication website aiming to make science and emerging technologies accessible to general audiences.

"I believe it is especially important for residents across the Tri-Valley to understand the environmental issues affecting our region and the technologies being developed to address them, as well as what is preventing many of these promising technologies from actually being scaled and widely adopted," said Annie Luo, a student at Brave Christian High School in Dublin.

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"I want to help ensure that people aren't simply hearing about new scientific breakthroughs without understanding what it takes to bring them from the laboratory into the real world."

Luo said she wants to understand not only the technology, but what happens after it works in the lab. Her interviews and research include the challenge of manufacturing, scaling, critical materials and supply chains, economics, policy, and infrastructure.

Her website contains more than two dozen interviews with researchers, experts, and articles that break down scientific topics ranging from carbon capture to advanced solar cells to nuclear energy to other emerging technologies. She offers interviews with more than two dozen researchers and environmental advocates, including scientists affiliated with MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and more. She also interviewed Bay Area environmental leaders like Save The Bay Executive Director David Lewis and youth climate organizer Natalie Dias.

The site also features independent research. According to her research summary, Luo spent nine months making five experimental solar cells using organic materials. The cells generated measurable voltage when exposed to light. Next, she wants to study how oxygen damages these cells over time, and how to make them last longer.

Sustainability Beyond the Lab also features a "Take Action" directory that links readers to volunteering, student environmental projects, and climate organizations. "My goal is not only to help readers understand emerging technologies, but also to connect them with organizations where they can learn more, get involved, and make an impact in their communities," Luo said.

For more information, visit sustainabilitybeyondthelab.org.

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