In response to the results of the 2016 election, Satish Desai became an active member of the club’s Clean Energy Committee. Over the past year, he’s played a major role and has been focusing on pushing state-wide clean-energy standards. One issue he’s been advocating for is the recent Can-Do Climate Action Bill, which would support the increased use of solar panels (particularly on schools), electric cars, and research and development on carbon sequestration. (Like many other bills, this one is on hold because of the legislators’ focus on the COVID-19 crisis.)
A scientist in experimental physics by training, Satish worked on the Tevatron, a particle accelerator near Chicago, early in his career. He moved to Minnesota in 2012 to work on NOvA, the successor to the MINOS experiment, which studied beams of subatomic particles in the Soudan Mine near Ely. His activism began at the University of Minnesota where we worked on the faculty unionization campaign. He moved into the private sector in 2017, during which time he became a primary organizer for the “March on Science”.
Satish’s interest in climate issues began in the early 1980s, when he watched the documentary series “Cosmos.” This made him aware of the threat posed by climate change years before many people heard of it.
Satish values the work of the Clean Energy Committee because of its work at the state level. He believes that the federal government is dysfunctional, so “the biggest bang for the buck is to focus on solutions, and push Minnesota to adopt stricter energy standards.”
What gives Satish hope? Organizations like the Sunrise Movement and the energy and enthusiasm he’s seen in young people. Along those lines, Satish has demonstrated great energy and enthusiasm in his work with the Clean Energy Committee and related endeavors.