Our founder
Daniel Hesler, MD, FASA
Founder, Carbon Stewardship Solutions · Regenerative Farmer · Chief of Anesthesiology · Public Health Officer
Dr. Hesler is a board-certified attending anesthesiologist with nearly 20 years of experience — and the first documented emissions-neutral anesthesiologist. He founded Carbon Stewardship Solutions at the intersection of three passions: clinical medicine, regenerative agriculture, and public health.
His mission is straightforward: to help hospitals, ASCs, and health systems reduce their environmental footprint in ways that are practical, clinically sound, and financially beneficial — starting where the opportunity is greatest.
The CSS origin story
Where three worlds meet
Carbon Stewardship Solutions didn’t emerge from a boardroom or a consulting firm. It came about because Dr. Hesler lives at a genuinely unique intersection — one that very few people in American medicine occupy.
Growing up a lifelong farmer and outdoorsman, Dr. Hesler developed a deep passion for sustainability and the stewardship of natural resources long before he ever entered a medical school classroom. That foundation never left him.
As his career in anesthesiology advanced and his understanding of public health deepened, Dr. Hesler found himself in a position few others could occupy: someone who understood the science of anesthetic gases, the economics of healthcare operations, the biology of soil carbon sequestration, and the public health consequences of greenhouse gas emissions — all from lived, practical experience.
It was that combination that allowed him to connect the dots: regenerative agriculture could play a direct role in helping hospitals become more sustainable. Carbon Stewardship Solutions was built to make that connection a reality — for any hospital, ASC, or health system ready to lead.
The three worlds Dr. Hesler brings together
Credentials & education
A foundation built on depth of experience
Every recommendation CSS makes is grounded in real clinical, academic, and agricultural experience — not theory.
Medical education & training
Sustainability & public health education
Awards & recognition
Honored across medicine, agriculture, and sustainability
Dr. Hesler’s work has been recognized across three distinct fields — a reflection of the depth and breadth of his commitment to sustainable stewardship.
2025 Franciscan Foundation Blue Skies Innovation Challenge Winner
Awarded for the "Franciscan Anesthesia Net Zero" project — a real-world, clinician-led model for emissions-neutral anesthesia practice.
2025 River-Friendly Farmer of the Year
Recognized for outstanding stewardship of natural resources and adoption of regenerative agricultural practices that protect watershed health.
2024 Hoosier Homestead Award
Presented by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture to recognize a commitment to preserve Hoosier family farms with multi-generational agricultural heritage.
2024 Charles Deam Forest Stewardship Award — Regional Finalist
Recognized for exemplary forest stewardship practices contributing to long-term ecological health and carbon sequestration.
First documented emissions-neutral anesthesiologist
Since 2020, Dr. Hesler has maintained a fully emissions-neutral anesthesia practice — generating real cost savings for his hospital without compromising patient safety.
Fellow of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (FASA)
Fellowship designation recognizing sustained contributions to the specialty of anesthesiology and a commitment to advancing the profession.
Creation stewardship
The deeper “why” behind what we do
For Dr. Hesler, the push toward sustainability goes beyond regulation and cost savings. It is rooted in a belief that we have an obligation to care for the natural world entrusted to us — and to leave it in better shape for those who come after. This conviction, drawn from his Christian belief in Creation Stewardship, is the driving force behind Carbon Stewardship Solutions.
Care for patients beyond the OR
Anesthesia’s environmental footprint affects the communities where our patients live. Reducing it is an extension of the commitment to patient well-being.
Stewardship of natural resources
We are caretakers — not owners — of the land, air, and water. Good stewardship means making decisions today that protect resources for future generations.
Responsibility to future generations
What legacy are we leaving? The choices made in operating rooms today have consequences that extend far beyond the walls of any hospital.
“Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Ready to work with Dr. Hesler and the CSS team?
Carbon Stewardship Solutions works with individual clinicians, anesthesia groups, hospitals, ASCs, and health systems. All methods are patient-safe, clinician-tested, and cost-effective.