Catherine Lussier

Prior to these last five years working with pyrolysis technology in Norway, I explored various fields, from agriculture to education and back to engineering. I worked as a teacher in Montessori schools, co-founded a small cooperative organic agriculture project, and co-owned and operated a farm. It could be said that I am always seeking a new challenge and am eager to learn. I'll slip in here that I speak French, English, and Norwegian fluently. Before my current work, my experience as an engineer had me touch the fields of machine vision, sterile packaging, non-destructive resonance testing, and composite materials. In my work, I have always enjoyed both the technical aspects, as well as the interpersonal interaction with colleagues, clients, or suppliers. I am a strong believer in leading with sleeves rolled up. Focusing on collaboration, on local economy, and on involvement in the community seems to be becoming a must going forward if I should follow my heart.

In my current occupation, we are building a plant for the transformation of forestry waste into biocarbon to be used to replace fossil coal in metallurgical processes. Ever since I joined the company in 2019, I have been dreaming of using this technology (pyrolysis of waste) in a community setting, with circularity in mind, i.e., waste to energy for process and heat to greenhouses for local agriculture. I have been imagining ways to rethink and reinvent communities for some years. I am no author, however, I was inspired to write down my thoughts in a simple book during the pandemic (https://www.balboapress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/840602-50-shades-of-green). This little book was intended to plant seeds in the people I observed around me, those who seemed to be going through life without ever reflecting about life. Today, I see this book as what it would have been like to have a conversation with me 5 years ago.