At Indiana University Bloomington’s second annual Geoengineering Summit, around 160 middle and high school students gathered to present innovative solutions to climate-related challenges.
For eighth graders Kaylynn Pfister, McKiya Abel, Ellie Hull, and Charly Lane of Danville Community Middle School, what began as a biology class project evolved into a plan to address both climate change and artificial light pollution.
Their idea? Genetically engineered bioluminescent trees, an innovation that scientists are already experimenting with.
“We would plant them by the streetlights,” Pfister said. “Once they grow big enough and are really bright, we could take away the streetlights that produce light pollution.”
During their poster presentation to IU faculty and graduate students at the May 1 event, the students explained how the trees would sequester carbon and reduce energy use associated with artificial light, which has been known to harm wildlife and ecosystems.
When developing the project, Pfister said the group wanted a solution that brought urban residents closer to nature, envisioning a tree-planting pilot phase in Indiana before taking the concept worldwide. Their proposal required researching the costs of genetic engineering, considering possible drawbacks to ecosystems, and anticipating potential challenges for implementation, such as negative public feedback.
“The hardest part was making it possible in real life,” Lane said. “Not just the idea but actually figuring out how it would work.”
Grappling with such questions is exactly what IU faculty intended when they designed the five-lesson unit students participated in prior to the summit. The curriculum introduced the concept of geoengineering—the deliberate manipulation of Earth’s natural systems—to students and encouraged them to come up with their own climate solutions.
“We want to teach students about the ethical considerations of geoengineering and we want to engage students in providing their own solutions to some of the world’s (biggest) issues, like climate change,” said Adam Scribner, Director of STEM Education Initiatives, who co-developed and co-designed the curriculum with IU climate scientists Ben Kravitz and Paul Goddard.
The learning experience also gives students a new perspective on climate change, which can evoke feelings of anxiety in some students while others have never thought deeply about the subject previously.
“Before, I knew it was a problem, but I didn’t really think about it that much,” Abel said. “Now I actually want to make a difference.”
Similarly, Hull and Lane said the project made climate change feel more immediate and personal. Events like severe weather and heat waves in Indiana have become consistent reminders about the urgency of climate solutions.
“It makes me think about it all the time,” Lane said. “Like, what can I do to help?”
The summit also showed the students that innovation is not limited to scientists or adults. Through the process of developing their own climate solutions and presenting their ideas, they realized that they have a role to play in creating a sustainable future.
“Most of the time, we learn about what solutions there already are, but with our project, we were able to really see and experience what there could be—not just the way the world has to be,” Pfister said.
The summit was developed in partnership with faculty from IU’s Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, IU School of Education, and the Environmental Resilience Institute, as well as teachers from Arsenal Technical High School, Cardinal Ritter High School, Cascade High School, Center Grove Middle School, Danville Middle School, and Purdue Polytechnic High School. The summit is funded by an anonymous foundation and 2892 Miles to Go, which is supported by the National Geographic Society.
About the Environmental Resilience Institute
Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute bridges academia, applied research, and community resilience to deliver the science-informed, equity-centered solutions needed to flourish in a changing climate. Through community partnerships, transformative research, and immersive learning, ERI is creating a more sustainable and prosperous future. Learn more at eri.iu.edu.
