Editor Letter, Fall 2022

We are thrilled to present to you the fourth issue of Common Home, Georgetown’s magazine on environment and sustainability from the Earth Commons Institute (ECo). 

In this issue, we shine a light on efforts big and small to reduce environmental threats across the globe. You’ll find stories of innovation, bravery, and doggedness; of actions big and small that inspire us, from corporations to museums, laboratories to villages.  

We look to community organizations across the world – in Mongolia to Palau and beyond –  to discover creative ways to strengthen ecosystems while providing humans food and clean water. Their solutions are local, but their lessons are universal. 

In this vein, we hear first hand from people on the front lines of a changing climate. We step into the shoes of a veteran Australian firefighter in a time of ever more threatening bush fires, and discover how a physician on campus trains fellow health care workers to treat the toll of extreme weather. 

We look to Georgetown alumni, too. Through their first-hand accounts, we see how a multinational packaging firm reduces waste, we learn about NASA’s sustainability efforts, and immerse ourselves in an eco-friendly fashion show by a Fulbright scholar in Cambodia.

We hear good news on how American policies and actions shape the future on our soil. One piece discusses how the Inflation Reduction Act may impact the climate, and another explores how a climate change museum hopes to inspire civic engagement through their exhibits. And we explore how consumers and corporations are moving – at various speeds – towards Electric Vehicles, and a more circular economy. 

With the importance of humanities in understanding climate change, the impact of carbon emissions, and more, this issue of Common Home is our most multifaceted yet.

A special thank you to our esteemed guest writers within and beyond Georgetown. We are delighted to share your voices with our readers.

Sincerely,

The Common Home Editorial Board
Marion Cassidy, COL ‘23, Alannah Nathan, SFS ‘24, and Maya Snyder, SFS ‘24