Ethan Cypull
Bekenstein Climate Leaders

Ethan Cypull ’24 MEM

Goal: Work on renewable energy solutions to transform industry and government, thereby, helping his home state achieve the goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040

Ethan Cypull ’24 MEM first glimpsed the effects of climate change at age 12, when he listened to his parents talking on the phone to family members in the Philippines whose homes and livelihoods were devastated by a typhoon. 

"That introduced me to the idea that these types of natural disasters are only going to get worse," he said.

He pursued his interest in the environment as an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota -Twin Cities, researching how climate change may impact state parks and tourism. After graduating, he served as an AmeriCorps volunteer, overseeing a large-scale tree-planting project to offset the urban heat island effect. These experiences led him to the Yale School of the Environment. 

Cypull ’24 MEM said one of the highlights of his first year at YSE was a class on environmental communication taught by Anthony Leiserowitz, JoshAni-TomKat Professor of Climate Communication and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. 

“He emphasized how crucial it is to link climate change to the everyday challenges people face,” Cypull said. “The class also cemented my belief that addressing climate change requires just as much social skill as it does scientific and policy expertise.”

Going forward, Cypull said he hopes to focus a significant part of his work on shaping public attitudes about climate change and addressing equity issues involved in climate-mitigation efforts. 

"I'm very passionate about the energy transition being fair and equitable to all kinds of workers," said Cypull, who analyzed best practices in renewable energy projects while interning for the National Association of State Energy Officials last summer.  "If somebody works at a coal-burning plant, I believe they should receive job training to learn how to work at a solar plant, so workers in the industry aren't too impacted by the changes that renewable energy brings."

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