Program Type:
Talks & Lectures- Registration is required for this event.
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Program Description
Event Details
Is it better to use plastic or glass for milk bottles? Are there environmental benefits to lab grown meat? How do the climate change benefits of renewable energy compare to the impacts of increased mining? Explore answers to these and more with environmental consultant Tessa Lee.
Tessa will introduce the concept of a ‘circular economy’ and explain how ‘systems thinking’ is critical in answering any question on ‘Is X better than Y.’ Tessa will also discuss recycling and reuse systems, providing a toolkit for weeding out greenwashing from robust environmental claims and sharing research on a case study on the circularity of wind turbines and solar panels. Please bring your questions about the circular economy and join our conversation!
Tessa is an environmental consultant with 8 years’ experience focusing on circular economy, life cycle assessment (LCA), and recycling systems across the EU and US. She works for Industrial Economics (Cambridge, MA) calculating carbon footprints for private companies such as Papa John’s, and supporting the EPA and New York State agencies on recycling data collection, renewable energy siting, and low carbon building products. Tessa previously held life cycle modelling research positions at Yale’s Yao Lab and Idaho National Laboratory on additive manufacturing and flexible plastic recycling. Tessa also worked at Eunomia, a waste specific consultancy based in the UK, where she supported city governments in the procurement of waste collection services, and EU policy development, such as recycled content targets for plastic water bottles. Tessa has a Master of Environmental Science from Yale University and a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Cambridge.
The Branford Land Trust Winter 2025 Speaker Series is made possible by a grant from the Branford Community Foundation and Guilford Savings Bank. Save the Date for these upcoming events: “Forest Health & Climate Change” with David Irvin (April 22); and our Annual Meeting presentation: “Insects and Water” with Julie Michaelson (May 12).
About the Branford Land Trust:
The Branford Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, accredited by the Land Trust Alliance, established in 1967 to protect Branford’s open space and natural resources.
The mission of the Branford Land Trust is to preserve open space in Branford, and to promote our community’s appreciation of Branford’s diverse natural features.
Run by volunteers and supported by member families and businesses, the Land Trust maintains more than 30 miles of hiking trails, and manages and protects over 1,000 acres in more than 130 parcels, and holds conservation easements on another 400 acres in Branford.