Soil as a Climate Solution: Rattan Lal’s Decades of Research
Rattan Lal’s research demonstrated that healthy soils could simultaneously increase agricultural productivity, restore degraded land, and remove carbon from the atmosphere through large-scale sequestration. Conducted over decades at Ohio State University, his work transformed soil health from an agricultural concern into a central pillar of climate policy. Recognized with the World Food Prize, Lal’s research […]
Archictecting the U.S. Hydrogen Economy (2023)
In October 2023, America’s heavy industries and transport corridors began a historic shift toward a post-fossil-fuel future with the launch of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. Driven by pioneering clean-energy leader Dr. Sunita Satyapal, this $7 billion initiative established seven multi-state networks to manufacture, store, and deploy clean hydrogen at a massive industrial […]
A New Era for American Energy: The Launch of ARPA-E
In October 2009, the United States fundamentally revolutionized its approach to the climate crisis when brilliant engineer Dr. Arun Majumdar became the founding Director of ARPA-E. Tasked by President Obama to build a new federal agency from scratch, Majumdar established a hyper-agile engine for high-risk, high-reward clean energy breakthroughs. By bridging the notorious gap between […]
Ani Dasgupta Appointed President of the World Resources Institute
Ani Dasgupta became President and CEO of the World Resources Institute in 2021, placing an Indian American at the helm of one of the world’s leading environmental research and policy organizations. Under his leadership, WRI continued to shape US climate legislation, international climate negotiations, and sustainability policy through research and partnerships spanning more than 60 […]
Varshini Prakash and the Green New Deal Breakthrough
Varshini Prakash co-founded the Sunrise Movement in 2017, transforming American climate activism through youth-led grassroots organizing. The movement’s 2018 sit-in at Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office propelled the Green New Deal into the center of national political debate, fundamentally reshaping how policymakers discussed climate urgency and environmental justice. Sunrise helped redefine climate advocacy for a new […]
The Community Science Revolution
Independent scientific research transformed environmental justice in America. Siddhartha Roy’s water testing during the Flint water crisis demonstrated dangerous lead contamination, prompting federal intervention and exposing the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by low-income communities. Raj Pandya expanded that model nationally through the American Geophysical Union’s Thriving Earth Exchange, connecting scientists with communities confronting environmental challenges. […]
Indian Americans and the Climate-Health Nexus
Indian American researchers and physicians helped establish climate change as a public health challenge. Gaurab Basu reframed climate change through the lens of health equity, Seema Wadhwa led one of the nation’s most ambitious healthcare decarbonization initiatives at Kaiser Permanente, and Ramanan Laxminarayan advanced the One Health framework linking environmental degradation, antimicrobial resistance, and infectious […]
Building the Infrastructure for Urban Climate Resilience
Indian American innovators transformed how American cities prepare for climate change. Shalini Vajjhala founded Re:Focus Partners to develop financing models that help municipalities build climate resilience infrastructure, particularly in underserved communities. Vatsal Bhatt led the development of the LEED for Cities and Communities standard at the US Green Building Council, giving hundreds of cities a […]
Founding EcoSikh and the Global Eco-Gurdwara Movement
Rajwant Singh co-founded EcoSikh in Washington, D.C., launching a faith-based environmental movement that transformed gurdwaras into models of ecological stewardship. Through tree-planting campaigns, environmentally sustainable gurdwaras, and advocacy for plant-based langar, EcoSikh demonstrated how Sikh institutions could address climate change through religious practice. From its American base, the organization expanded across India, Canada, and the […]
Geeta Aiyer and the Mainstreaming of ESG Investing
Geeta Aiyer founded Boston Common Asset Management as one of the earliest American investment firms dedicated to environmental, social, and governance principles. By using shareholder engagement to encourage stronger environmental accountability and corporate responsibility, she helped establish ESG investing as a credible strategy for institutional investors. Her work reshaped how financial markets incorporated sustainability into […]