Thinking globally, acting locally in the 21st century: Bamboo to bioproducts and cleaned mine sites
Michael T. Timko,
Timothy M. Woodard,
Aubrey E. Graham,
Julian A. Bennett,
Robert Krueger,
Aidin Panahi,
Nima Rahbar,
James Walters,
Darnell Dunn
Affiliations
Michael T. Timko
Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Corresponding author
Timothy M. Woodard
Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Aubrey E. Graham
Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Department of Chemistry & Biology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Department of Social Science & Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Julian A. Bennett
Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Department of Social Science & Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Robert Krueger
Department of Social Science & Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA; Institute of Science & Technology for Development, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Aidin Panahi
Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Nima Rahbar
Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
James Walters
Avos Bioenergy, 3187 Danmark Dr, West Friendship, MD 21794, USA
Darnell Dunn
School of Business, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Summary: Current solutions to global challenges place tension between global benefits and local impacts. The result is increasing opposition to implementation of beneficial climate policies. Prioritizing investment in projects with tangible local benefits that also contribute to global climate change can resolve this tension and make local communities’ partners instead of antagonists to change; the approach advocated is a new take on “thinking globally, acting locally”. This approach is a departure from the usual strategy of focusing resources on solutions perceived to have the largest potential global impact, without regards to local concerns. Reclamation of polluted mine sites by using fast growing bamboo to remove heavy metals provides a case study to show what is possible. Effective implementation of thinking globally while acting locally will require increased coordination between different types of researchers, new educational models, and greater stakeholder participation in problem identification and solution development.
