On September 3rd, Beatriz Mingo delivered a lecture on the carbon footprint of astronomy and astrophysics to new PhD students in astronomy and cosmology at the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council’s national summer school. The lecture highlighted A4E and prominently featured the work of several A4E members. The students were highly engaged, participating through questions, interactive polls via Mentimeter, and in-depth discussions with Beatriz. This reflects the growing importance of environmental sustainability among both current and future astronomers. Rather than adopting a pessimistic view, the lecture and subsequent discussions focused on embracing change and exploring various ways for the astronomy community to take action toward sustainability.

The summer school took place at Keele University, which has a renewable energy park with two wind turbines, a large field of solar panels, and storage batteries. The park is operated by a smart system that minimizes the carbon intensity of the campus by using an adjustable mix of grid and on-site renewables to power the university’s systems, from heating to electric car charging. Other universities in the UK have expressed interest in implementing similar schemes.

If you want to learn more, please, contact Beatriz directly.