With a PhD in statistical astrophysics, David Corliss is lead, Industrial Business Analytics, and manager, Data Science Center of Excellence, Stellantis. He serves on the steering committee for the Conference on Statistical Practice and is the founder of Peace-Work, a volunteer cooperative of statisticians and data scientists providing analytic support for charitable groups and applying statistical methods in issue-driven advocacy

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, this month’s column focuses on environmental analytics, highlights some of the many ways people are making an impact, and provides information about opportunities to get involved. When Data for Good intersects with environmental activism, the result is data-driven sustainable change for the good of the planet and everything on it.

Hackathons are one of the most popular and effective ways to use our statistical and data science skills to make a positive difference. One great place to find events and join a team is Earth Hacks, which uses the power of hackathons to create powerful, innovative, and data-driven responses to the climate crisis. One amazing feature Earth Hacks offers is a list of environmental hackathons. Well-researched and up-to-date, this is definitely a site you will want to bookmark. New hackathon opportunities appear almost every month.

Earth Hacks also has a resource archive and project presentations from environmental solutions developed in past hackathons. It’s a great place to find cool ideas and connect with hackathon sponsors. Earth Hacks takes an interdisciplinary approach, so their activities aren’t restricted to people with a lot of heavy technical skill and you are likely to meet people with diverse backgrounds. With a particular focus on creating opportunities for students to get involved, student groups, professors, and individuals will want to check out Earth Hacks, refer others to their website, and maybe even consider starting a local chapter.

Whether you are getting involved in Data for Good for the first time or have been active for years, it’s important to leverage connections with organizations with which we participate now. While COVID-19 may have a lot of us working from home, outdoor activities to take action on our analyses and collect data for new ones offer a great way to interact with people in relative safety while working to help the world around us. Bird counts, listening for frogs, collecting light pollution data to measure impacts from urbanization, and other activities provide vital data and a chance to enjoy the milder weather and interact with others. Partnering with local parks, community groups, and environmental organizations will add the power of data and science to their programs to maximize their impact.

One important area in which scientific research is much needed today is the environmental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been many effects on the environment, including reductions in greenhouse gas emission, reductions in some pollutants, and changes in human behavior that affect the environment. Not all of these have been beneficial, such as the increase in medical waste. A good place to start developing a new D4G project is a study on the environmental effects of the pandemic from the National Center for Biotechnological Information. This gives an excellent overview of many of the effects that have been reported and the methods proposed to address them.

The situation on the ground and in the water and air is changing rapidly, calling for fast action. This is one area in which thinking globally and acting locally is especially important. While much has been done on overall effects on the planet, local studies are needed to track, visualize, understand, and forecast the evolving environmental impact from the pandemic. Partnering with local groups will empower them to leverage analytics in guiding their course of action for maximum effect.
One often overlooked area with a great need for analytics is governmental and legislative advocacy. This takes some special skills, because putting science into action requires more than analytics. A key feature is teaching and presenting to people who don’t have a statistical, or even scientific, background. D4G practitioners can bridge the gap between technical research and public policy.

Activities include identifying the key drivers of environmental outcomes, analyzing past policy to identify best practices, writing and presenting to explain the actions and evidence to people outside of scientific research, and recognizing what can be changed and what cannot. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced air pollution but I wouldn’t recommend having another pandemic as a practical strategy. Instead, showing people—especially policymakers—the environmental changes during the pandemic will allow them to accurately project the beneficial effects from increasing the use of alternative energy.

Much of this work is undertaken by environmental organizations and supportive political candidates. Volunteering for a candidate is a great place to start. My own first experience in legislative advocacy was as a volunteer statistician for a congressional candidate—someone I already knew, thus leveraging an existing connection. I soon found myself writing position statements and explaining the candidate’s views to environmental advocacy groups to persuade them to endorse the candidate and donate to the campaign. Getting the science into policy takes more than just the science. The statistics are needed first, but it’s public-facing written and spoken communication skills that empower the best science to become the best policy.

For Earth Day this year, consider the different ways your statistics and data science skills can be applied to literally make a better world and more sustainable future for all. When it comes to scientific advocacy for the environment, solving the equation means helping save the planet.