BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution | Rare

Three Days of Inspiration, Insight and Opportunity

Relive The Center for Behavior & the Environment at Rare’s unique virtual summit, BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution, to explore water pollution through the lens of human behavior.

Read the recap

The world relies on clean water. Yet pollution threatens nearly every body of water on earth around the globe. Human behavior lies at the center of this issue, both as the problem and the solution.

At BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution, we explored the latest academic insights from behavioral science, took inspiration from the world’s leading environmentalists, were ignited by artists, athletes, and storytellers, and identified best-in-class opportunities to help every practitioner and changemaker apply behavioral insights to reduce water pollution.

Summit Agenda

The summit was divided into three sessions – each building on themes from the prior day(s) – that explored how the science of human behavior can help protect our world’s most valuable resource. Guest poets opened each day with inspiration, followed by insights from a diverse range of experts, cutting-edge research features, and stories of environmental bright spots. Click on the links below to watch videos from the session.

Session 1: The Levers of Behavior Change

• Poem: Meera Dasgupta, 2020 Youth Poet Laureate of the United States
• Game Show–Behavior Change for the Win!: Philipe Bujold, Center for Behavior & the Environment, Rare
• Introducing Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution: Kevin Green, Vice President, Center for Behavior & the Environment, Rare
• Changing Behavior in the Agricultural Sector: John Pickering, CEO, Evidn
• Research Feature: Kent Messer, Director of the Center for Experimental & Applied Economics, University of Delaware
• What Worked: Inspiring Compost Use in Lake Nokoue: Donald Houessou, Director of Operations, ACED Benin
• Research Feature: Ganga Shreedhar, Assistant Professor, London School of Economics
• Research Feature: Juan Camilo Cardenas, Professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Universidad de los Andes (on leave)
• “ESPN” Special: Where Our Sports Brains and Sustainability Minds Connect:
  • • Dee Caffari, Sailor and Ocean Advocate
    • Brent Suter, Major League Baseball, Milwaukee Brewers
    • Leidy Klotz, facilitator, Copenhaver Associate Professor, University of Virginia

Session 2: Effective Behavior-Centered Design

• Poem: Jordan Sanchez, Poet and Student, Harvard University
• What is Behavior-Centered Design?: Kevin Green, Vice President, Center for Behavior & the Environment, Rare
• Research Feature: Gregg Sparkman, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Princeton University
• Changing Behavior in the Wastewater and Sanitation Sector: Sergio Perez, Inter-American Development Bank
• Research Feature: Paul Ferraro, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins University
• Our Relationship with Water: Danni Washington, TV Host and Co-Founder, The Big Blue and You
• Activating Youth: Jamilla Sealy, Youth Seat, Steering Committee, Global Water Partnership
• Interview: Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Endowed Professor, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Brett Jenks, CEO & President, Rare
• Design Challenge Pitches: CHECK OUT THE PITCHES

Session 3: Considerations for Widespread Behavior Change

• Changing Behavior to Reduce Plastic Pollution: Jenna Jambeck, University of Georgia National Geographic Fellow
• A Generation of Change on Plastics: Melati Wijsen and Shria Shyam, Bye Bye Plastic Bags
• Research Feature: Jiaying Zhao, Associate Professor, Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Colombia
• An Equitable Global Shift: Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, Vice President, Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization, National Wildlife Federation
• Behavior Change & Local Government: Cristina Domencq, McKinsey.org
• A Circular Society at Scale: Lucia Reisch, Professor, Department of Management, Society and Communication
• Solution Search Awards Ceremony: LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GRAND PRIZE WINNERS AND FINALISTS

Speakers

Featuring: Solution Search Awards 

Our worldwide Solution Search contest attracted 100 entries from over 30 countries. Each entry demonstrated how behavioral insights can be applied to reduce water pollution. At BE.Hive: Behavioral Solutions to Water Pollution, we crowned two grand prize winners on stage among the top ten finalists. 

Contest Partners

Technical Partners

Thanks to generous supporters, we could offer this event with reduced pricing.