As I put this series together, I thought about how to best communicate all I know without crowding you in details.
My solution is these 10 fundamentals. Understand them, and you get sustainability in science better than 80% of all other advocates:
1. Changes are made with reconsideration and stepwise to ensure safety.
2. Most sustainability changes simply mean prioritizing efficiency and effectiveness over convenience and habit.
3. Most changes are simple and straightforward; they simply remain hidden due to anxiety and false assumptions.
4. Reduced environmental impacts also mean saved money, time, and increased safety for scientists.
5. More case studies, publications, and resources exist than we
realize.
Let’s take a short break because I want you to understand how important it is that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel or search for extremely fancy solutions.
Extremely simple solutions can enable huge savings, as we will see in a second. However, let’s address another set of key points:
6. Proper sustainable practice doesn’t endanger samples, as it focuses on optimization, not changing workflows.
7. Every protocol and every instrument can be optimized.
8. Even small changes have larger impacts than we often expect – especially as they are the first step toward cultural change.
9. Many stay silent but eagerly support sustainability initiatives if you take action.
10. Driving change is exciting when done with the right partners; the community is big and has the right partner for everyone.
