U.S. EPA’s Dr. Robert Kavlock and AT&T’s John Schulz
“Green is Good” welcomes U.S. EPA’s Dr. Robert Kavlock and AT&T’s John Schulz to discuss their green initiatives.
Dr. Robert Kavlock, Head of the National Center for Toxicology, U.S. EPA
Dr. Robert Kavlock has played an integral role in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s computational toxicology program, highlighting new innovations in and creating a better understanding of molecular biology and computer science. Today, Dr. Kavlock sits as the Head of the National Center for Toxicology, which was established in 2005.
Dr. Kavlock works on a program called ToxCast, which aims to forecast toxicity of some 9,900 chemicals we use all around the world on a daily basis. The harsh reality: So much is still unknown about how chemicals interact with our environment and personal well being.
“There is a huge information gap in terms of what would we like to know about chemicals versus what we do know about chemicals,” Dr. Kavlock says. “When we started ToxCast we had basically a blank wall and said, ‘What can we do to start to change that situation?’”
John Schulz, Director of External Affairs, AT&T
Sustainability and AT&T go hand in hand, thanks to the company’s Director of External Affairs, John Schulz. Schulz says it all starts at the community level, where AT&T takes a hands-on role in various social and environmental affairs.
AT&T’s energy conservation efforts are large-scale measures. Schulz, like several thousand of his fellow employees, telecommutes regularly, saving the company bundles of energy, space and money. As well, much of AT&T’s information is being transferred to “the cloud,” greatly reducing once-necessary electrical loads. Even more impressive: AT&T is investing $565 million over 10 years in its alternative-fuel vehicle fleet.
“We’re big into energy,” Schulz says of AT&T. “The technical stuff is not rocket science. What really makes a difference with energy is visibility [and] accountability. We’ve got a lot going in solar and wind right now. And water is critical — you cannot live without it. We recognize that that resource is under strain. [AT&T is honing] in on opportunities to be as efficient as possible.”
