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Through Â鶹ֱ²¥â€™s , Thomas Scopino '27 put his classroom knowledge to work, studying tree canopy coverage at New York Public Library locations and exploring the vital role libraries play in building climate-resilient communities. Drawing on courses taken in geographic information systems, statistical analysis, and sustainability economics, he helped advocate for greener urban spaces across New York City, and the experience both broadened his perspective on environmental policy and sparked new career interests.

You are pursuing an MS in Environmental Science and Policy at Â鶹ֱ²¥. What first sparked your interest in environmental science and sustainability? Was there a particular experience or moment that made you want to pursue this field?

As an undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon, I began as a Chemistry major, and, as I learned about some of the more negative actions of my fellow tribe of chemists towards the environment and public health, coupled with my own understanding of the climate crisis, I decided to double major in Environmental Sustainability Studies. At Â鶹ֱ²¥, I wanted to further focus on the environment, and I think this moment, right now, is an important one in sustainability, with regards to topics such as chemical remediation and energy usage, both from a policy perspective.

Recently, you completed a Â鶹ֱ²¥ with the New York Public Library (NYPL), working on an urban climate infrastructure project in partnership with New York City government. Tell us more about your role and what you learned from this experience.

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My work was to determine the scope of the tree canopy at NYPL managed locations, how it could be protected and expanded, as well as advocate why that work was valuable. This project was related to the city’s goal to increase the urban canopy to 30% by 2040, one that very few megacities can boast, and has spanned multiple mayoral administrations, which is something I found encouraging. The biggest challenge for me was underscoring that goal throughout the many city agencies under the mayor, prioritizing expanding, and protecting the tree canopy, while addressing other important needs such as city housing.

What surprised you most about the role libraries play in New York City's sustainability efforts?

I was not surprised to learn that NYPL has a sustainability focused team, given how important such efforts are at any large organization. However, I was surprised to learn about the immense value of that work. NYPL has over 90 locations across the city, and I was shocked how important these branches are as a piece of city infrastructure. All libraries are considered cooling centers at times of extreme heat, a critical role in areas where AC is limited to New Yorkers. Balancing that power usage with demand response on the city's grid to prevent rolling blackouts, however, was work I was entirely ignorant of. And this is just one example of how NYPL seeks to balance sustainability and human needs.

How did your experience as a Â鶹ֱ²¥ student prepare you to contribute to this project? Were there particular classes, professors, or skills that helped you tackle real environmental challenges?

At the time I began this role, I had only taken one semester of courses at Â鶹ֱ²¥, but each course already proved an essential tool to my work, and, in subjects such as Geographic Information System (GIS), environmental statistical analysis, and the economics of sustainability. For example, I built GIS data sets to help visualize the ecological survey and statistical analysis I worked on, as part of my overall role to ascribe ecosystem service values to the tree canopy. And this was an essential aspect of making an economic case for why the urban tree canopy was so important.

How has this internship informed what you would like to do after graduation?

I worked closely with the Energy team at NYPL, and their focus on efficiency and practical solutions impacted me and changed my outlook on sustainability a bit. Early in my academic career, I was very interested in the hard science of the climate crisis and sustainability. After my experience at NYPL, I am more focused on topics such as energy efficiency rather than just renewable energy. My experience at NYPL has also been valuable in the event that my career leans more towards a corporate path versus one with ground engagement work.

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