Internships

Christina Sue ’19

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project Title

Protecting China’s Cities and Nature Through Energy Management and WIldlife Litigation

I interned at the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) China branch in Beijing, where I worked on the climate and energy and on the wildlife-protection teams. This summer afforded me flexibility to bounce between projects, most notably introducing a cap on oil consumption and setting up national sentencing guidelines for wildlife crimes. The climate and energy team played a pivotal role in advising on China’s coal-consumption cap, so being able to calculate emissions, meet with advocates and experts, and predict environmental impacts with recommendations for the oil cap felt especially pertinent. On the wildlife team, I analyzed past wildlife-crime rulings in the American court system to provide a foundational understanding and highlight the necessity of standardization in these types of cases. I also developed presentations that aggregated information on environmental indicators as part of a government project to transform mines into national parks. Beijing is quickly moving towards environmental sensitivity and sustainability in tandem with China’s rapid economic growth. This summer strengthened my determination to pursue environmental work and it piqued my interest in Chinese global diplomacy.