In this blog, Professor Simon Mead and Azy Khalili talk about the sustainability takeaways from reducing freezer temperatures at the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, from risk management to carbon and cost savings. We also provide a snapshot of ultralow temperature (ULT) freezers across the Faculty.

ULT freezers are used for long-term storage of biomolecules, such as proteins and DNA. They typically provide a temperature between -40 to -80°C to protect samples from heat-associated denaturation. Historically, ULT freezers were set at -65°C or -70°C until manufacturers in the 80s and 90s marketed -80°C as the new standard. This was despite the lack of evidence showing a superior performance in terms of sample stability or recovery, not to mention the additional energy consumption and cost. After careful planning, in early 2024, staff at the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases (IOPD) made the decision to turn their ULT freezers down to -70°C. Now, a year later, they reflect on this decision in terms of sustainability benefits, sample integrity and cost savings.

Making the switch at the IOPD: Evaluating the potential risks

Before making the switch, careful planning and reporting was essential. Those at the IOPD needed to make sure that -70°C was acceptable to all before going ahead. This involved considering the potential risks.

One primary concern was sample integrity, particularly for long-term storage of sensitive biomaterials. However, existing studies indicated that many biological materials—including genomic DNA, fungal isolates, plasma antibodies, and cardiac biomarkers—remain stable at -70°C for extended periods. No compelling evidence supported the notion that -80°C is necessary for sample preservation over -70°C.

Another risk involved freezer performance during power outages. Lower storage temperatures theoretically provide a buffer against temperature fluctuations in case of failures. However, studies show that a freezer at -80°C only extends the time before reaching -20°C by 35 additional minutes compared to a freezer set at -70°C (19h 45m vs. 19h 10m). This difference was minimal, especially for modern, well-insulated freezers. Additionally, most research freezers at IOPD are connected to backup power and alarm systems, mitigating this risk.

Operationally, concerns may arise regarding staff and researcher acceptance of the change. A transparent communication strategy—including references to scientific literature and comparative data—helps ensure confidence in the switch. Regular audits of sample quality over time further reassures researchers that -70°C remains a reliable storage standard.

Cutting carbon and costs at IOPD

The transition from -80°C to -70°C at the IOPD presents significant sustainability benefits. The IOPD now have 34 freezers turned down to -70°C.

By lowering freezer temperatures to -70°C, IOPD has observed energy savings of approximately 32-33%, as confirmed by in-house measurements and external reports from manufacturers such as ThermoFisher and Eppendorf. This translates to lower electricity consumption, reducing institutional carbon footprints and operational costs.

At IOPD, these changes have led to an annual estimated cost saving of over £17,000 for 21 freezers and £5,800 for 12 Cryocube freezers, based on energy rates of 30p/kWh in London.

Furthermore, reducing freezer loads by discarding unnecessary or outdated samples enhances sustainability. Freezers with optimized space usage maintain stable internal temperatures, prolong equipment lifespan, and minimize maintenance issues. By implementing these changes, IOPD contributes to UCL’s broader sustainability goals, aligning with environmental responsibility and cost-efficiency in research operations.

Snapshot of ULT Freezer temperatures across the Faculty:

• UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology: 94% of ULT Freezers are at -70°C. They hope to reach 100% soon
• UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences: 100% of ULT freezers are set to -70°C
• UCL Ear Institute: 100% (two out of two) ULT freezers both set to -70°C%
• UCL Division of Psychiatry: 67% (two out of three) freezers are set at -70°C. One remains at -80°C because this temperature was specified as the storage temperature in a clinical trial. Once the data for this trial has been analysed, the freezer will be set to -70°C
• UCL Institute of Ophthalmology: 29% (eight out of 28) freezers set at -70°C, with the rest at -80°C. They are taking steps to switch more freezers to a warmer temperature.

In this blog, Dr Olga Tiurikova, Research Fellow in the Department of Clinical & Experimental Epilepsy at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology talks about the benefits and challenges of using human brain tissue in research. 

One of the current ethical challenges in sustainable research is finding feasible alternatives for the use of animals in laboratory experiments. That’s why I was excited to participate in a study funded by the NC3Rs (National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animals in Research). Working with a team led by Prof. Dmitri Ruskov and Prof. Matthew Walker, we used human brain tissue removed during epilepsy surgeries to study astroglia. Astroglia are a class of neural cells that are foung in the brain and spinal cord. They support neurons, repair damage, and maintain the blood-brain barrier. This research, in collaboration with neurosurgeons from Queen Square Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, allowed us to explore how these cells function and respond to physiological stimuli. Here, I want to share the key lessons learned—the benefits and challenges of using human brain tissue in research—hoping to inspire others to consider similar approaches.

Why human brain tissue for glial research?

Astroglia, once thought to be merely structural support cells, are now recognised as active players in brain function. They shape synaptic transmission and are seen as key targets for treating neurological disorders. Over the years, many attempts have been made to study the properties of human astroglial cells, mostly using fixed post-mortem human brain samples. Whilst useful for morphological studies, fixed samples are useless for understanding how live astroglia work. That’s where our project comes in—we use human brain tissue immediately after surgery to keep cells alive and study these cells in action.

The unique benefits of using human brain tissue

While the use of animal models remains invaluable in advancing our understanding of cellular mechanisms, they fall short of capturing the full complexity of human biology. This gap is particularly evident in studies of astroglia. For instance, the human cortex contains five distinct subtypes of astroglia, two of which are absent in rodents. These astroglial subtypes have unique, long, cable-like protrusions spanning multiple layers of the cortex, however, their functions remain largely unknown. Thus, using human brain tissue opens new possibilities to study these subtypes of astroglia that may be missed when relying solely on animal models and lead to new therapeutic opportunities.

That said, animal research is still crucial for studying complex systems, especially in the context of diseases and treatments. The real strength lies in integrating both approaches: using human tissue to investigate cellular processes and animal models to explore how new findings translate into the systemic level for long-term effects.

Navigating the challenges

Despite its promise, working with human brain tissue comes with challenges. One of the biggest hurdles was the time-sensitive nature of the samples. Since the tissue had to be studied within hours after removal, we ensured all experimental settings were ready before the surgery even began. The occasional nature of experiments requires us to be extremely efficient. To mitigate some obstacles, we are considering creating organotypic human tissue. This miniaturized, lab-grown brain tissue—or organotypic cultures we can apply to extend the usability of such a valuable post-surgical human sample.

Towards a more ethical future

Using human brain tissue from surgeries marks a significant step forward in reducing animal testing in neuroscience. This approach enhances our understanding of human brain function. Moreover, it aligns with ethical research practices and reduces the number of animals used. While animal models will remain essential for some studies, human brain tissue offers a valuable alternative, helping us move toward more humane and effective research methodologies.

Image credit: Google DeepMind on Pexels

As registration opens for Hot Brain 2: Climate Change and Brain Health, Professor Sanjay Sisodiya (Deputy Director for Sustainability and Climate Change, Queen Square Institute of Neurology and founder of Epilepsy Climate Change) looks back on the Institute’s first climate change conference in 2023.

Climate change is already affecting our lives.  What does it mean for the neuroscience community and people with neurological conditions, and for those working in neurological healthcare?

This one day hybrid conference highlighted the impacts of climate change across the spectrum of neuroscience, beginning dialogues on how we can respond in neuroscience.

The opening address was given by Professor Geraint Rees (UCL Vice Provost (Research, Innovation and Global Engagement) and the first three sessions each began with moving testimonies of the lived experiences of climate impacts for people with neurological conditions (Dravet Syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis and Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood).

After contemporary outlines of climate change from Professor Mark Maslin (Department of Geography, UCL) and of how the body copes with heat from Professor Michael Tipton (University of Portsmouth), presentations followed from neuroscience researchers including Dr James Mills and Dr Nathanael O’Neill (Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Queen Square Institute of Neurology) and Professor David Henshall (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), complemented by researchers from multi-disciplinary perspectives including:

• Dr Kris De Meyer (Director of the UCL Climate Action Unit) on the Psychology of Climate Change; Professor Anna Mavrogianni (Bartlett School of the Environment, Energy and Resources, UCL) on adapting residential care;
• Professor Michael Davies (Bartlett School of the Environment, Energy and Resources, UCL) on built environment effects;
• Dr Marina Romanello (UCL Institute for Global Health and Research Director of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change) on the health cost of Climate Change; and
• Kris Murray (Professor of Environment and Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) on the spread of disease.

International perspectives were given by Dr Angel Aledo-Serrano (Director of the Neuroscience Institute, Vithas Madrid La Milgrosa University Hospital) and Dr Bernadette Macrohon (Paediatric Neurologist, Zamboanga, Phillipines).

These were followed by Dr Natalia Kurek (Senior Clinical Lead, Greener NHS Programme) who presented on the Greener NHS plan, and Richard Smith (Chair, UK Health Alliance on Climate Change) who gave a call to action on what we can do as health professionals.

I facilitated a discussion and presented the poster award before Professor Michael Hanna (Director, Queen Square Institute of Neurology) gave the closing remarks.

Following on from the success of this first conference, ION has organised Hot Brain 2, with The Lancet Neurology. The aims of the conference are to raise awareness about the risks of climate change for the brain and neurological healthcare, to nurture global collaborative research, and to promote action against climate change and foster adaptation strategies. The conference will cover a variety of topics including temperature and the brain, and climate impacts on neurological infections and sleep.

Dr Sara Leddy from Queen Square Institute of Neurology discusses her research project investigating the effects of climate change on people with neurological diseases and what attracted her to this area.

On a personal level I have been worried about climate change for a long time, but as a doctor I wasn’t quite sure how best I could help, and often felt caught up with clinical work. It wasn’t until the beginning of the pandemic, that I realised what a powerful and essential role healthcare and other individuals can play in a global health crisis and how relevant this was to the crisis which we are now facing caused by climate change.

This inspired me to get involved in my previous trust’s sustainability group as well as local activism groups, and ultimately led to me to hear about the inspiring work that Professor Sisodiya, Deputy Director, Sustainability and Climate Change, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, has been leading in this field. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to combine my interests in neurology and climate change and am undertaking a PhD supervised by Professor Sisodiya, which started in September this year.

My research project seeks to characterise the effects of climate change on people with neurological diseases. There is currently limited evidence for a link between climate change and other neurological diseases.

However, when considered in its entirety, with its pervasive consequences, it is very likely to affect this vulnerable patient group in a number of ways. For example, weather-related disasters, which are increasing in frequency have led, in other countries, to disruption of supply chains responsible for medicines and health provision. Hotter temperatures at night during heat waves lead to disturbed sleep which can significantly lower the seizure threshold of an individual with epilepsy.

Certain genetic epilepsy syndromes are temperature-sensitive, and anecdotally patients and their carers have reported a deterioration of seizure control during the heatwaves of recent years. This has been noted by several neurologists in different countries looking after this complex group of patients.

Other neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and dementia are likely to have negative outcomes in extreme temperatures. Those diseases with features of autonomic or thermoregulatory dysfunction, such as Huntington’s disease, MSA, primary autonomic failure, certain peripheral neuropathies, and spinal cord injuries are also likely to be adversely affected.

Guidelines on the management of these diseases under extremes of temperature are yet to be developed and may significantly improve the quality of life for these individuals, in addition to preventing hospital admissions and additional harm during future heatwaves.

With large-scale validated surveys, my project hopes to provide evidence about the concerns of individuals with neurological disease and their families about climate change, to delineate what they are experiencing and to learn from their current adaptation strategies.

By using temperature and humidity monitors in certain clinical sites and in the homes of people with selected neurological conditions, in addition to recruiting individuals to take part in experiments using climate chambers, we seek to identify the direct effects of real-world temperature and humidity profiles on validated symptom, cognitive and clinical outcome measures, and on thermal comfort in this vulnerable cohort. I also plan to explore the effects of heatwave-simulated temperatures on medicines which are commonly used to treat neurological diseases, as this may give us further information on how best to store these drugs in future heatwaves.

Understanding the role of thermoregulation and its dysfunction in these conditions, alongside the effects of climate change, may give a further understanding of the disease itself, leading to additional novel avenues for future research, but most importantly it will allow us to prepare for the unpredictable climates which both we and our patients now face.

As clinicians and researchers, we have the opportunity and obligation to advocate for, and protect, patients from the difficulties that climate change will bring. I hope that my project will shine a light on how much we can and need to do for people with neurological diseases and inspire others to get involved! I am very grateful to the National Brain Appeal and the Epilepsy Society for funding this work.

If anyone would like to learn more about the project, please feel free to contact me (s.leddy@ucl.ac.uk) or come along to the workshop organised by Professor Sisodiya and Professor Helene Plun-Favreau on 24 January at 3pm in Room 412, 40 Bernard St, London WC1N 1LE.

“This event is a chance for early career researchers, students and technical staff to start a conversation around climate change and sustainability. What concerns you? What would you like to see change at UCL? How would you like to get involved? With input from a number of colleagues working on sustainability, and plenty of space for discussion, this is a great chance to start generating change.”

For further reading please see a recent article in Practical Neurology, with practical climate advice for neurologists.

Find out more about sustainability at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.

Richard Jardine from the UCL Division of Psychology and Language Sciences reflects on the impact of the green garden at Chandler House. 

Welcome to Chandler House, where sustainability and creativity converge to create a remarkable green space. Carefully cultivated by the dedicated staff and students, this garden has transformed from modest beginnings into a sanctuary of wellbeing, biodiversity, and even an engaging chili-growing challenge.

From Office Discards to Blooming Beauty

The story of Chandler House’s garden began with a sustainable twist. Old office bins found new life as plant pots. But the recycling endeavour didn’t stop there; resourceful minds also repurposed old shelves, wooden pallets, and even former oil drums, turning them into unique and functional planters.

A Collaborative Endeavor

The individuals behind this thriving garden are the dedicated staff and students of Chandler House. Together, they’ve created a garden that features a mix of wildflowers, bedding plants, acers, herbs, ferns, and the occasional sunflower. After all, who can resist the charm of a sunflower?

A Haven for Wildlife

This green haven isn’t just for people; it’s also a magnet for wildlife. Insects and a variety of bird species have found a welcoming home here, including blue tits, starlings, blackbirds, sparrows, and magpies. The garden has become a harmonious ecosystem, proving that nature can coexist within the heart of the city.

Bug Hotel by the Library Staff

To make the garden even more welcoming to critters, the library staff added a bug hotel. It’s not just a spot for students and researchers to enjoy; it’s also a haven for the tiniest guests.

A Wellbeing Retreat

Beyond its visual appeal, Chandler House’s garden offers a much-needed break from screens and the hustle and bustle of university life. It’s a therapeutic escape for gardening enthusiasts and a calming experience for anyone who takes a moment to tend to the plants.

A Window to Nature

The garden doesn’t just enhance the exterior space; it also transforms the view from the glass atrium windows, offering everyone inside a peaceful, natural view.

PALS Green Day Extravaganza and Richard’s Chili Challenge

The annual PALS Green Day is a highlight on Chandler House’s calendar. In 2023, it added an engaging twist to its eco-friendly initiatives. Staff and students were encouraged to use recycled pots for planting chili seeds. Hasan, from the Bedford Way cafe, added to the excitement by offering a free drink to successful chili growers. Additionally, these homegrown chilies would be incorporated into the cafe’s dishes. Richard Jardine, an enthusiastic participant, walked into the cafe with his chili harvest recently to get his cup of coffee.

Looking Ahead to 2024

The good news is that 2024 promises even more exciting activities. Keep an eye out for Green Day announcements, whether it’s growing more chilies or embarking on another unique project. Chandler House continues to be an exciting place to be!

Join the Green Team

For those eager to make a difference, Chandler House invites you to join the PALS Green Impact team. It’s a fantastic way to help plan green events, brainstorm innovative ideas, and contribute to a greener world. Interested? Just send an email to John Draper or visit the Green Impact website for more information.

Awards and Accolades

For the record, PALS has held the title of the greenest department at UCL for a decade. It’s a testament to their commitment to sustainability.

So, the next time you find yourself at Chandler House, take look at the remarkable Green Impact garden. It’s proof that when old office items meet innovative minds, something extraordinary can bloom, leaving you more connected to the world around you!

Andrea Hodgetts, Head of Strategic Partnerships for FLS/FMS and OVPH Sustainability Lead, shares with us what motivated her to start cutting single use plastic (SUP) waste and how Plastic Free July® (PFJ) helped her to do this.

Many of us will have heard about the emerging threat associated with plastic pollution. Its effects are found everywhere: in the air, on land and in our oceans. For me, the realisation of just how bad the problem is came in 2018 when I spent five months traveling around South America. As I traversed the lengths of Chile and Argentina I was horrified by the amount of plastic waste littering the sides of the roads.

Self-righteously I convinced myself it wasn’t anywhere near as bad in the UK, but when I returned home, I knew I was just kidding myself. I also knew that because of my lifestyle at the time, some of it was my fault and I needed to take responsibility.

Initially I just made small changes such as buying a Keepcup, making sure I always kept a fold-up bag in my handbag and I pledged that I would no longer use cling film and find sustainable alternatives. Soon afterwards, I discovered a zero waste shop (aptly name Zéro) had opened up in Merton Abbey Mills, close to where I lived which helped reduce my SUP waste enormously.

The big change came in June 2019 when Facebook’s algorithms had picked up on my interest in sustainability and showed me an advert about Plastic Free July® (PFJ). PFJ is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation, an organisation that aims to see a world free of plastic waste.

The premise is to start small, by making the pledge to reduce your plastic waste for a month, with the intention being that this will continue. Being an incredibly goal driven person, this gave me something to aim for so I jumped headlong into my first Plastic Free July!

To track the changes I made and alternative SUP free products I tried I kept a blog: Andrea goes plastic free. It included things like changing to soap from shower gel, avoiding ready made dips, giving up crisps and savoury snacks and worst of all for me, no Haribo!

Over the course of that one month I ended up generating 52 pieces of SUP waste. 25 of these were the sticky plastic labels you get on individual vegetables when you don’t buy them in a multipack. For a full list see: https://plasticfreeandrea.blogspot.com/2019/07/31st-july-2019.html

Annually this would equate to 624 items of plastic, against the current estimated average of 3432 per household[1]. Unfortunately I’d not had chance to keep a full track of what my usage was before this, but the based on the items I’d generated and the number of things that I’d stopped buying I would estimate this would have been about 50% less than usual.

Looking back it’s interesting to see the different things I started doing, how many of them I’ve stuck with and how many have fallen by the wayside. In 2019 I loved the natural plastic free deodorant, but around a year later, for some reason I started reacting to it. Despite trying five other types of waste free deodorants I’ve not found another that works for me yet so I’ve had to revert to plastic containing varieties.

However I still make and swear by my bathroom/kitchen cleaner made from all purpose concentrate, white vinegar and water, the first two ingredients comings from a zero waste shop. Sadly, the fabulous Zéro closed in 2022. However, Tooting market has one called BYO which whilst slightly less convenient has a fantastic range of products.

So am I still such a low generator of SUP waste? No, I wouldn’t say I was, but (other than the deodorant!) it’s pretty much all food associated, with most coming fruits such as berries that you just can’t buy in anything other than plastic.

Will I be doing PFJ this year? Absolutely. It’s the annual reset that I need to start shopping more consciously and less for convenience. For anyone that wants to take that first step to reducing their SUP waste it’s a great place to start!

See a list of zero waste shops in London.

[1] https://www.statista.com/study/51904/plastic-waste-in-the-united-kingdom-uk/

Photo by mali maeder on Pexels

Dave Hetherington, Divisional IT Manager within Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), reflects on the ‘STOP PRESS’ initiative, designed to proactively address the wasted energy that our printers consume.

We had a large number of older laser printers dotted around the division, which even when fully off would consume 0.6W per hour.

Over the course of a year, that would be £1.78 of wasted energy: remember, this is the device being fully off, but plugged into the mains with the switch on.

Now when you have approx. 70 odd similar devices, that begins to add up, 70 x £1.78 = £125.09 a year, for nothing.

As we all know, people don’t just leave their printers switched off, sometimes they switch them on, but even in ‘sleep’ mode, they would consume 8.5W an hour, still not printing anything yet, but our costs increase to £25.32 per year per device.

So for 70 devices, just in sleep mode, we are now looking at a bill in the region of £1772.15 per year, and we haven’t even printed anything yet!

Now as an example of how much these costs could rise, when the printer is sitting ‘Ready’ its energy consumption jumps to 14.5W per hour; again, we haven’t printed anything, but just by being ready to print, our energy consumption has nearly doubled.

If the devices never slept, that would be potentially £3.5k per year, still nothing printed, while most devices default to sleep after 30 minutes, we are looking at a potential bill of between £1,700 & £3,500 without printing a single sheet.

But what about if we actually used the printer?

Now while the actual energy usage varies depending on the content being printed, the example device* I’m using here has a maximum consumption of 780W whilst printing, and of course the relevant exponential costs that come with that.

So how did we address this?

Well initially this endeavour didn’t have a name, but as various office moves would take place, we would ask people if they really needed a printer in their office, it turns out that a lot of people didn’t really like having them in their office and also didn’t mind having to leave their office to get to a communal device, so we were able to encourage the removal of 18 devices for recycling in this phase.

Then during one of the Green Team meetings at the start of the pandemic, the STOP PRESS name was coined, and thanks to PALS’ culture of sustainability a lot of people just volunteered to give up the printers they had in their offices. The pandemic actually helped people to see that they didn’t need to print as much and this phase of the project resulted in 28 further devices being offered up for recycling over 18 months.

We raised awareness in various meetings: the IT Committee, PALS Staff meeting and of course PALS Green Team meetings. We added a page to the PALS Sustainability website to highlight the initiative and PALS Digital Signage & newsletters have a slide on this too.

We are now in a new phase, this one specifically targeted printers that are older, no longer supported by the manufacturer and those located in areas that still had excess devices in relation to the amount of computers/staff in that space, this phase should reduce our printer estate by a further 16 devices (7 agreed so far).

So what are you waiting for?

Encourage your departments to do the same!

If we can do it, anyone can.

*The device I’m using for this example is an HP LaserJet P3015.

The cost per day was worked out using the sust-it energy calculator site.

Photo by Phi Phạm on Pexels

As most people are aware, energy prices have been and could be still increasing. This is putting a direct financial pressure on any energy intensive operation, and scientific research can require a lot of energy.

At UCL, science facilities are responsible for about half of our energy consumption, and up to half of our overall carbon emissions. Within the Faculty of Brain Sciences (FBS), which conducts world-class research, these pressures are even greater.

So what can be done to mitigate our energy consumption, and reduce the environmental impact of our research, particularly without losing any of the benefits of our work?

In the Faculty, we see that there has been sector-leading efforts to address our sustainability. FBS has a senior committee tasked with addressing our sustainability. Members of this committee crucially include both academics and operations managers, ensuring all aspects of our work are considered.

This committee helped ensure that 100% of our laboratories participate within UCL’s LEAF programme, which aims to provide a standard in sustainable operations for labs like ours. Achieving this target meant engaging the entire Faculty, and has led to some significant wins, like improved sample tracking of departing staff to avoid build-up.

We also have used this committee to engage our academics on their ultra-low freezer temperatures, as changing the temperature from -80C to -70C will save 30% of the energy of the average UK home.

Looking ahead, the Faculty has been leading a programme of freezer replacements. To ensure that this programme will be as beneficial as possible to the planet, the embodied carbon of manufacturing and disposing the freezers was considered alongside energy efficiency.

This ensured that energy savings won’t come at the cost of manufacturing impacts. We targeted labs also which could replace two freezers with one, so that both energy and space requirements would be significantly decreased.

And looking even further ahead, we are participating in innovative research assessing the full carbon emissions of biobanking methods. This research will look into the full carbon emissions of our cold storage methods within the Dementia Research Institute, and assess how the move into a new facility can be as sustainable as possible. Look out for the research to be published later this year.

We face many increasing challenges, not least of which is that of our environmental sustainability. We hope to continue to contribute to addressing UCL’s sustainability goals, but also continue to drive leading research.

A perfect example of when those two efforts combine can be seen in the output of our very own Professor Sanjay Sisodiya. Professor Sisodiya studies how climate change can directly impact human health, and in particular how increased pollution levels can trigger variations in neurophysiological patterns and increases in epileptic seizures.

Such research is vital for both better understanding as well as highlighting why the actions we take as a Faculty are so important. We hope to lead – both in reducing our emissions while improving our knowledge surrounding the impacts and how to mitigate them. If you’re in FBS and interested in joining our committee, please contact John Draper (j.draper@ucl.ac.uk), or visit our web pages to learn more about how you can contribute to our shared initiatives.

Last week the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS) welcomed Bill McKibben, internationally acclaimed environmentalist and climate activist, to discuss the psychology of destroying a planet.

Bill is currently at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. Among other books, he wrote The End of Nature (1989), considered the first general audience book on global warming. He also regularly writes for magazines such as the New Yorker and Rolling Stone, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has honorary degrees from 20 colleges and universities.

Bill has been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and Right Livelihood Award. He also helped found 350.org, the first global grassroots climate campaign. Watch a recording of his talk. 

A UCL module is equipping students with the knowledge and skills they will need in their future careers to engage with the threat posed by the climate crisis. Dr Fred Dick (PALS), who co-leads the module, said: “The sole underlying driver of climate change is human behaviour, which can be very hard to change. It’s vital for psychologists and behavioural scientists to understand the basic mechanisms of global heating so they can identify which behavioural interventions will be the most effective in reducing carbon emissions.”

Psychology student Tobias Nash from the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS) talks to Greg Cooper about his upcoming documentary set in the Andes Mountain Range (working title: Denizen, release date: early 2023).

The documentary focuses on what we can learn from the Andean cultures to live more in harmony with our environment. It will explain why our brain biases us towards non-environmental actions and how we can bias ourselves towards more environmental actions. Tobias is currently in his first year of BSc Psychology at UCL. He is also a student sustainability representative in the award winning PALS Green Impact Team.

Why did you want to make this documentary?

Most documentaries seem to focus on the problems, with only a small segment at the end offering a solution. We may leave feeling inspired for the next week, but the trouble is this often doesn’t precipitate into action as we don’t know how to prioritise issues and have not been told how to put the proposed solutions into practice. With countless issues and all of them being described as high-threat, we become overwhelmed with all the things we “must do” to survive.

I want to change this.

I am making a documentary all about solutions with the aim that you will watch it and better understand how you make decisions and how you can bias that process to act more environmentally.

Whilst studying psychology, I started to see that psychology could both explain global issues and offer solutions to them. Ultimately, environmental issues are caused by human action. Our actions are shaped by our thinking. So, if we can use the tools of psychology to transform our thinking, we can change our actions and help solve environmental issues.

How would you describe the common biases towards non-environmental action that we hold?

In this documentary I also want to mitigate the eco-anxiety that all of these lamenting calls to action vying for our attention induce. We are not terrible people (“bad consumers” as the narrative goes), our brains have neurologically adapted to bias us towards non-environmental actions. Fortunately, we can use these adaptations to our advantage and bias ourselves towards more environmental actions.

We are biased towards whatever the convenient option is. This is a neural adaptation that helps us to conserve resources (time, energy, money) which helps us to fulfill our most fundamental desire to survive and thrive. Our linear economy is structured so that non-environmental products such as single-use plastics and fossil fuels are often the most convenient options.

However by understanding our hierarchy of needs and engineering our decision making process by modifying our choices, we can bias ourselves towards currently less convenient, but more environmental options.

What kind of psychological tools are available to us? How will you be highlighting these tools in your documentary?

The desire to conserve resources is one of the fundamental ‘deficiency needs’ within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This means that although we may feel passionate about acting environmentally, this ‘self actualisation’ need comes way after fulfilling our need to conserve resources. Therefore, we can bias our choices by making certain options more or less resource-demanding, that is: more or less convenient.

For example, if plastic bags were not offered but hidden and bought at £1 per bag, they would be inconvenient to use and not resource efficient. Subsequently their usage would plummet. At the same time, those taxes could be funnelled into subsidising reusable material bags and offering recycling for worn bags. As this more environmental option is now also more convenient, we would both bias ourselves towards it and contribute to turning our linear economy circular.

Understanding how we make decisions and what our biases are empowers us to engineer our decision making processes and bias ourselves towards environmental actions. As we are neurally adapted to choose the path of least resistance, if you want to change behaviour, you need to play with friction. If you want to stop an action, put obstacles in the way of you performing the action and if you want to encourage an action, remove any barriers. For example, if you want to get into the habit of cycling to work, add barriers to driving (e.g lock your car keys in a safe) and remove barriers to cycling (e.g clothes ready and bike by the door).

Aside from these tools from behavioural psychology, the documentary will highlight the need to eliminate the concept of waste and change our mindset from linear economy to circular economy.

Waste is products that we don’t want anymore. They don’t disappear when ‘throw them away’, we simply move them out of sight where they trap valuable resources in a useless state. Instead, we can break down undesired products into their component raw materials to replenish our finite stores of natural resources.

Professors, researchers and influential figures in sustainable industry will be featured explaining these key concepts and psychological tools, showing us how we can bias ourselves (personally and corporately) towards more environmental actions.

Where can we see your documentary?

It is likely that the documentary will initially be released on YouTube. But discussions with distribution companies are in progress. The goal is to share this knowledge with as many people as possible so that many people can use it to live more environmental lives.

Could you tell us about the #MyNextStep campaign?

We are all on a journey of living more in harmony with our environment. This is a constant process where we need to take step after step to become more environmental than we were before. The #mynextstep campaign, which will be launched on UCL PALS Instagram, is about creating a culture of moving forward and living more in harmony with our environment day by day and step by step. Your commitment to becoming more environmental will create change.

Where can we hear more from you?

I will be posting content and updates on my Instagram @tobiasnashofficial.

Find out more about what Toby and the PALS Green Impact Team are doing