After the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, many of us are concerned about the state of American democracy. ESAL Founder & Chair Arti Garg shares her thoughts on the importance of election integrity. She suggests steps we can each take to engage with our local governments about this issue.
In November, ESAL spoke to members of the Wastewater Epidemiology for the Bay Area (Covid-WEB) team about wastewater epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 and the Covid-WEB project.
Amy J. Wilson’s career in technology, social entrepreneurship, and innovation has taken her from D.C. to Oakland, California, tackling projects ranging from government innovation to local public engagement platforms. ESAL interviewed Wilson to learn more about how city governments can use technology and human-centered design to better respond to their residents’ needs and priorities.
ESAL spoke with Kendra Zamzow, an environmental chemist in Chickaloon, Alaska who provides scientific input to mining approval decisions on behalf of community groups and tribes throughout the country. The conversation covered the scientific and engineering issues associated with mining and how regulators learn about and use that information.
As protests to address structural racism and police brutality continue, it can be difficult to decide what we can do as scientists and engineers. ESAL's Arti Garg shares specific ideas on how to effectively contribute to your community by voting, engaging with elected officials, and listening.
Engineers and scientists hold a privileged position in our communities, but our civic responsibility does not end with our technical pursuits. Our training gives us unique approaches to using evidence and solving problems, and we can use that to make our communities stronger and better able to meet challenges.
As local communities rally together to face this challenge, ESAL has compiled a list of ideas for engineers and scientists who want to contribute to COVID-19 efforts. We will continue to add to it as we learn of new efforts, so please send us anything you’d like to see included.
Our latest playbook guide aims to ease your first steps toward local engagement. We share ideas and tips for learning more about how your local government is addressing issues you care about.
