When people hear I’m going to Texas to study oil and gas law, they assume I’m gearing up to join the fossil fuel parade. But I’m not here to wave a flag — I’m here to change the music.
Yes, I’m moving to Houston — the oily heartbeat of America — but my aim is to understand the system from the inside so I can help dismantle it. I want to be fluent in the language of petroleum law not to profit from it, but to one day rewrite it. My dream is to develop international policies that accelerate a shift toward renewable, healthier fuels — including one particular fuel source I’m wildly obsessed with: moss.
Specifically, genetically engineered moss that could replace crude oil. It’s a long-term goal — part science fiction, part science reality — but it aligns perfectly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure). I believe the future of sustainable energy lies not just in wind and solar, but in biologically enhanced natural materials that can absorb carbon, grow easily, and be engineered for fuel — and I want to help create the legal frameworks that protect, regulate, and promote these innovations.
But sustainability isn’t just a far-off dream for me — it’s also a daily habit. In preparation for my international placement, I’ve taken active steps to make the experience as eco-friendly as possible:
• Flights: Funded through the Turing Scheme, I’ve booked the most direct and low-emission route available to reduce air miles.
• Transport in Texas: I’m going car-free. I’ll walk, cycle, and use public transport wherever possible — which in Houston makes me either very brave or very sweaty. But either way, it’s worth it.
• Living light: I’m packing sustainably, bringing only essentials, avoiding fast fashion, and choosing reusable products wherever I can — from water bottles to shopping bags to cutlery.
• Low-impact lifestyle: I plan to shop second-hand, support sustainable local businesses, and cook at home using locally sourced ingredients to reduce food waste and packaging.
Beyond my personal choices, I hope to engage other students in conversations around climate law, green innovation, and how we as future professionals can influence the systems we enter. My belief is that real change will come when people who understand the rules are willing to rewrite them.
So yes, I’m going to Texas to study oil law. But I’m also going to disrupt it. One mossy legal argument at a time.
