Tiina, what is your exact job title and where do you live?I am working as an energy efficency engineer for an energy consulting firm in Oakland (across the bay from San Francisco). I live about two miles from work, so on most mornings (when it doesn't rain or isn't freezing) I get to ride my bike to work. It's such a great way to wake up and start the day, and not have to deal with traffic! Although my job title says 'engineer', I really do more project management and analysis-type work than engineering. I help start up new energy efficiency programs targeted at the commercial sector for various utilities across the nation. These programs pay incentives (or 'rebates') to customers that make their buildings more energy efficient, based on certain guidelines that my company and the utility would determine beforehand. Things like putting in more energy efficient light fixtures (you'd be surprised how much you can save by doing this), changing out the heating and cooling equipment, and so on. This helps reduce the energy load the utilities see on their infrastructure, and gets rid of the need to build new power plants and power distribution networks to support the increasing demand. So it's a win-win situation for everyone. And it even stimulates job growth!
What do you like most about living where you do?
One of the things I like most about living in the Bay Area is its authenticity. People here are very open-minded, health and environmentally conscious, and connected to the outdoors. You've got some great universities out here (Berkeley and Stanford, for example), and some very forward-thinking businesses (Google, Apple, even Facebook). California, and particularly the Bay Area, has long been at the forefront of green building and sustainable design. In fact, this state recently passed one of the strictest green building codes in the country (ie. new buildings have to divert an 'x' amount of waste, reduce water usage, use more non-toxic materials and chemicals, and so on). So it makes one wonder, is there something in the water that makes this place so awesome? (Actually, the Bay Area has some of the best drinking water in the nation as well) Aside from all the nerdy stuff, there are also tons of farmers markets and great outdoor activities: sailing, surfing, cycling. I got into cycling after moving out here in November 2008, and will be doing a metric century ride (100 km) next month with about 2,500 other women, where the majority of the proceeds go to various women's organizations. I'm a firm believer that biking is one of the best ways you can really get to know an area. It's faster than walking, doesn't require fuel (except maybe a few granola of Power Bars), and you can go at your own pace. David Byrne (of the Talking Heads) recently published a collection of journal entries he wrote about various cities that he explored entirely by bike (many of them being non-biker-friendly) in his 'Bicycle Diaries
', which gives readers a whole new perspective on some familiar cities.
', which gives readers a whole new perspective on some familiar cities.
What kind of things can we do to make our buildings of the future be environmentally friendlier to the planet?
First of all, I would emphasize promoting growth in cities and doing away with suburban sprawl, which forces people to drive everywhere, takes up a lot of land, and requires more infrastructure to be built. Second, I think people should focus more on making their existing buildings work better and use less energy and water, instead of building new infrastructure and tearing down the old, which is a huge waste of material and resources. Depending on the kind of climate you're in, some additional ways of making buildngs 'healthier' for both the occupants and the surrounding environment are to increase natural lighting in the building, use gray-water and rain collection systems (re-using rain and sink water to flush toilets or water the landscape), put up a green roof (and maybe grow something edible on it too!), and use non-toxic and renewalble materials as much as possible.
You are working in a predominately male industry of engineering, has it been hard to reach the point to where you are right now being a women? Have you had encouragement along the way from your male colleagues?It's true; engineering is still a very male-dominated field. All my engineering professors back in school were men, as well as a huge majority of my classmates. However, everyone that I've encountered has been very supportive, and I've been very fortunate to not have encountered much sexism (maybe because I've always lived in rather liberal places?). When I first started working for the company I'm at today, I was pleased to find out that the male to female ratio was very balanced. However, most of the female engineers I've come across in the industry have moved to project management roles, while the men tend to stay with strict engineering. I recently took an HVAC class (heating, ventilation, and cooling in buildings), where 90% of the students were middle-aged men. I think women are slowly starting to break through in some other fields of engineering (chemical, industrial), but mechanical and electrical still remain primarily male-dominated.
You have an interesting story of how you came to America from Estonia, can you share that with our readers?
I moved to America right before the Soviet Union collapsed when I was seven years old. My father was working for the Estonian radio station, and he had an opportunity to record the Estonian women's choir as they performed in Rome. The stranglehold on the Soviet bloc countries was already pretty weak at the time, so my mother and I were able to 'sneak' out of the country with him. We were living in a small hotel room for about 4 months without any idea of what lay ahead, until a non-profit agency helped find a host family for us in America. My family started from scratch. My parents didn't know a single word of English, so they started going to night school and worked odd-ball jobs on the side. I asked my parents why they left their careers, family, and everything else they knew behind, and they said it was to give me an opportunity for a better education and life. Because of the huge sacrifice they made, I have never taken anything for granted and have put my fullest into school, work, and life in general. I don't know where I'd be without them, and if there will ever a way for me to pay them back for the huge sacrifice they made.
The theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is writing women back into History. Who are the women who you feel have changed the course of history for you that definitely deserve a main mention rather than a passing footnote?
I'm a fan of eating healthy, delicious meals made from local ingredients, and since this has been a hot blog topic here lately, it would only be appropriate for me to give a loud shout out to Alice Waters. Also known as the Mother of Slow Food, Alice was integral in spearheading the slow food movement, which is all about cooking from scratch using the freshest, finest seasonal and local ingredients. Her cook books have become my kitchen bibles ('The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution
,' 'Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook
'). And the meals don't usually take that long to make, either! You need to make reservations at least a month in advance to eat at her famous Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley (right next to Oakland). She also revolutionized the Berkeley school lunch system by showing students how to grow and maintain vegetable gardens at school. She's been a huge advocate of organic farming, food education, and making sure every child is able to eat a healthy meal at school. We all know how important diet is to our health (including mental health), so just think of what kind of impact this could have on our nation, if kids were ingrained with this kind of attitude towards food from early on!
,' 'Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook '). And the meals don't usually take that long to make, either! You need to make reservations at least a month in advance to eat at her famous Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley (right next to Oakland). She also revolutionized the Berkeley school lunch system by showing students how to grow and maintain vegetable gardens at school. She's been a huge advocate of organic farming, food education, and making sure every child is able to eat a healthy meal at school. We all know how important diet is to our health (including mental health), so just think of what kind of impact this could have on our nation, if kids were ingrained with this kind of attitude towards food from early on!
Books Mentioned in the Post:
