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Chancellor Encourages Discussion on Environmental Education at DU On April 23rd, members of the DU Community gathered in the Driscoll Ballroom to celebrate the many valuable programs and activities at DU that focus on aspects of environmental education. Approximately 200 DU faculty, staff, and students attended the half day event, presenting and viewing displays of current environmental activities on campus, and gathering in the ballroom for breakfast and a line-up of speakers. Provost Robert Coombe began the half day event with a few comments about the diversity of DU's environmental programs and then introduced guest speaker Chancellor Daniel Ritchie. Reflecting on Alfred North Whitehead's definition of education as "the acquisition of the art of the integration of knowledge," Chancellor Ritchie urged the university community "to think more broadly about the environment" at the University of Denver. This advice stems from a love of nature and the impact of Rachel Carson's book The Silent Spring in the 1960s and a more modern title, Rare Earth, by Peter Douglas Ward and Donald Brownlee. The Chancellor explained that Rare Earth shows us that we have benefited from an unusual convergence of planetary factors making life possible for our species. We are located in a particularly advantageous location within the desirable spot in a spiral galaxy, and this planet Earth is just the right size, with just the right influence from our moon to hold us at a 23 degree tilt in our orbit and we receive just the right assistance from Jupiter, a planet that protectively sweeps up planetary debris. In light of this phenomenon that makes life possible on earth, Ritchie suggested that education for the environment must include many things, including social sciences, chemistry, physics, sociology, history, art and music. Following Ritchie's comments, the Provost
turned the proceedings over to a special panel of speakers to bring
an outside perspective on "Environmental Challenges and Opportunities
for University Education." Under the direction of moderator Dr.
Noel Brown, former director of the North American division of the United
Nations Environment Program, the panel members spoke about the importance
of the environment within their own organizational missions, and value
of environmental education in preparing students for the future. The Business Perspective: a Sustainable Development Partnership with DU John Rutter described business conditions and the challenges of running an environmentally sensitive company in an environmentally sensitive region. As Chief Operating Officer of Keystone Resort, Rutter has partnered with the University of Denver's I2E2 and the Keystone Center to create the Snake River Sustainability Laboratory. This unique partnership with a vision of sustainable development research, learning, practical application, and information sharing is a way to help find sustainable practices that are grounded in realism and innovation so that we can live and work "sustainably." (See http://www.snakeriversustainabilitylab.org for more information.) The Science Perspective: Specialize AND Broaden John Firor, a Senior Scientist and Director Emeritus of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), encouraged audience members to become new types of scholars and students, to be specialists in a recognized discipline but with a firm grounding in a broad view of the world and how it works. Firor said students must be comfortable with the jargon of other areas, they must be able to read in other knowledge areas, and they must be able to synthesize across disciplines because no environmental problem involves a single academic discipline. The Public Service Approach: National Park Collaboration with DU David Vela, Superintendent of Palo Alto Battlefield National Park described the National Park Service's new initiative to make parks "real and relevant" to the nation's citizens. In the Intermountain Region, which stretches from Glacier National Park at the Canadian Border to the Gulf of Mexico and includes such parks as Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Mesa Verde, this is being done by adopting an overall framework of sustainability. To get this done, the Intermountain Region has joined in partnership with DU through the National Park Service Center for Sustainable Conservation Ethics. Superintendent Vela said DU was a natural alliance for many reasons, and one of the most important was the number of DU professors, students and projects already going on in parks. The Center is concentrating in four areas--educational programs, research, specific sustainability oriented projects, and outreach through conferences, seminars, etc. An Environmental Career as a Magnificent Obsession Jeff Cook, President of ECO, or Environmental
Careers Organization, explained to the audience, and to students in
particular, that an environmental career should be a "magnificent
obsession" that is possible for everyone. "An environmental
career is a lifelong pursuit, done through our jobs, philanthropy and
volunteerism, where we live, work and play." Cook explained that
every job can be environmental if we go about our work conscientiously,
with the results in mind. Presenting a few myths around environmental
careers, Cook said that eco careers are not just for scientists, engineers,
technicians and lawyers, and in the 21st century, eco careers will be
about creating good things, not just solving problems. The challenge
to environmental education is that it is an evolving process. "It
is a constant process of learning what we have done right, what we have
done wrong, and figuring out what the next steps are and doing them." |
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E.U.
Environment Commissioner Comments on E.U. - U.S. Split There is a serious need to revitalize cooperation between the European Union and the United States on environmental issues, European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said during a three-day visit to the U.S. at the end of April. Mrs.Wallström, in Washington, D.C. to attend the first E.U.-U.S. High Level Meeting on Climate Change, said that in particular, despite the differing approaches to global warming, the two governments have to work in a more cooperative fashion if the issue is to be dealt with effectively. Notwithstanding the differences on climate
change, Mrs.Wallström strongly reiterated the E.U.'s commitment
to tackling climate change multilaterally through the Kyoto Protocol.
"More than 50 countries have already ratified the Kyoto Protocol
and many more are in the process of doing so," she said in a speech
before the European Institute. "The signs for ratification by Japan
and Russia are also looking good. I am therefore quite confident that
the Protocol will enter into force later this year." Europe's Environment Commissioner also responded to American concerns that the E.U.'s application of the "precautionary principle" is simply a form of "green protectionism." According to Mrs. Wallström, "In many ways the precautionary principle is simply the application of common sense. If you smell smoke, you don't wait until your house is burning down before you tackle the cause." She argued that the precautionary principle is a legitimate policy tool for decision makers faced with potentially harmful environmental and health effects on the one hand, and a lack of scientific certainty concerning the nature or extent of risk on the other. "One of the main misunderstandings relates to the frequency by which we apply the precautionary principle in the E.U.," she said. "We do not spend our days in Brussels - as some might think - in Machiavellian plotting to apply precaution to the detriment of U.S. businesses." Mrs. Wallström suggested that while the environment is generally viewed as a "local" issue in the U.S., people in the E.U. are concerned about both the "local" and the "international" aspects of environmental issues. "I believe there is a greater understanding among the broad public of the international and global dimension of the environmental challenge," she said. "In fact, environmental policy has been one of the foundation stones of the European Union itself. Europeans are firmly of the view that we must co-operate across political borders to address environmental challenges." Before leaving Washington, Mrs.Wallström
held a press conference in which she indicated that the E.U.-U.S. split
on climate change had resulted in a series of unintended consequences.
Specifically she said the disagreement had "created mistrust in
Europe, which goes very deep and I think there is also mistrust here
in the United States and unfortunately it has spread to other areas
as well. We have a number of conflicts going on at the moment and that's
not good for either side of the Atlantic." 1 Mrs. Wallström's speech before
the European Institute can be found at: http://www.eurunion.org/news/speeches/2002/020425EImw.htm. |
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Students Respond to Environment Symposium The breakfast symposium on Environmental Education was well attended by DU students. Some early student feedback on the symposium suggests that the celebration of the various activities and accomplishments at DU left a generally positive and encouraging impression. Coming from a wide variety of academic disciplines and personal interests, the students seemed to enjoy the opportunity to get away from the classroom to see what else is happening on campus, and to hear from experts from outside the DU community. In the words of one student, "Listening to the speakers and reading the displays at the Environmental Education Breakfast sent an encouraging message. People on the DU campus do care and there are people working hard to bring awareness to our campus...It is evident that the beginning [of] the solution to our global environmental problems is education and it really seems to be catching on at DU." The two main educational components of the event were the displays about current DU environmental activities, and the panel of outside experts and professionals. Each component gave students cause for comment. Community Learning The event began with an energetic buzz as students, faculty and staff mingled and took in many displays that were assembled outside of Driscoll Ballroom. Even with a free breakfast inside, it took some time for the symposium organizers to successfully usher the attendees away from the displays and into the ballroom. While there was a short amount of time after the panel presentations for those attending to view the display a bit longer, many would have enjoyed more time to study the displays and meet with the campus groups, faculty members, and organizations that were present. Despite the shortness of time, students were excited to learn about the many opportunities for environmental learning within the DU community. "The posters…proved to be a window from the classroom to reality. I truly enjoyed the experience because it made what is being learned come to life and motivated me to try and do my part for the environment." One student "found it interesting that there are many courses here at DU, which offer different perspectives on the environment and on how one can make a difference in it…" Another student was excited about a display that showcased a DU study abroad program in the Galapagos Islands, and numerous students were struck by Professor Don Stedman's emissions display, particularly the fact that "it stated that ½ of the pollution comes from 10% of cars." In truth, the displays were an eye opening event for many students. In the words of one student, "Before this particular…event I never knew what a green building was." Yet another student stated that "another thing I learned that I had no idea about before was that we have an environmental [science] program. WOW, who would have ever guessed. I actually [requested] some information on the program." Panelists Insights and Encouragement In addition to the displays, students also learned a lot about the opportunities and benefits related to environmental education from the panelist's comments. Speaking about the environment as it relates to business, science, non-profit work, and personal development, the panelists all demonstrated to the students, and the DU community as a whole, that environmental education is important. The encouragement offered by the panelists was not lost on the students. "After learning about the environment in class, it was amazing to hear the same topics discussed by community leaders that are currently taking action to solve the problems," said one student. Another observed that "Although I have spent a lifetime hearing about how everyone can help the environment, the conference was the first time that I had heard a plausible international institutional solution." More specifically, individual panelist's comments resounded well with the students. Regarding Dr. John Firor's address, one student explained: "I feel that this senior scientist at NCAR had the most to say to the students and the University. His talk was on the involvement of the University, and the necessity to and advantage of bringing together all of the academic disciplines." Echoing this sentiment, another student stated: "I liked how he said that we need to have a wide world view in order to help out the environment…" Jeff Cook of ECO also inspired some students. "I had no idea that this organization existed and was very intrigued with its mission…I hope to use it in the future once I have more schooling…" Coming Together for Inspiration While the environmental education symposium was only able to provide the DU community with a brief glimpse of the wide range of programs and activities that are going on at DU, the general impression was positive, based on student comments. "I saw the beginning of the coming together at DU, and I would love to see even more student investments being made. Getting the different pieces of the community involved is the hardest thing…" In the classroom, students sometimes find it hard to be optimistically engaged about large and nebulous issues like the environment. Experiences like the symposium demonstrate to them that their studies have very real and practical applications, and inspire them in their academic pursuits. Beyond what goes on in the classroom, this kind of positive display of action and interaction is exactly what the DU community should continue to provide for its students. "I was most interested in the alliances that the University of Denver has been making in relation to the environment and its protection…This alliance [Earthlaw, Earthjustice, and DU Law's Natural Resources and Environmental Law]…allows passionate, dedicated young people who care about their future air and water an outlet to learn, grow, and experience first hand the power and impact they can have…" Hopefully the DU community can continue
to offer quality environmental education that crosses boundaries and
borders, of programs and disciplines, and finds new ways to prepare
its student for a lifetime of environmental learning and action. |
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Recycle
& Donate Your Old Laptop Computer
Cabeceras Aid Project ~ University of Texas Iquito Language Documentation Project This year Cabeceras will launch a three-year project to document and revitalize Iquito, a highly endangered language spoken in northeastern Peru. The project will yield a dictionary and grammar of the language, pedagogical materials for the bilingual school in the community, and a set of texts in Iquito about Iquito history and knowledge. One particularly innovative aspect of this project is that we will train members of the community to do linguistic documentation, so that they can carry on the work of the project between the summers when our field team is in the community, and then continue to work independently after our direct involvement is no longer necessary. To achieve the high goals that we and the community have set for the project, we are expanding the fieldwork team. o Fundraising goals: Also needed, if we get a bunch of computers…a
"ride" to Austin, Texas with someone prior to the deadline. |
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Spotlight: DU Community Demonstrates Environmental Education The Environmental Education Symposium (see lead article) featured a bounty of displays and projects put together by DU faculty, staff, and students. The displays highlighted a wide variety of interests and programs that demonstrate how environmental education is being implemented at DU. Many of the students from last winter quarter's CORE 2409, Global Warming & American Society, participated in the Provost's symposium with educational displays. On their poster, students Andy Lemelin (Engineering) and Michael Silva (DMS) showed how to calculate an individual's ecological footprint. They went on to demonstrate personal carbon emissions and the individual reduction needed to be personally compliant with the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. Geography major Amy Martino's poster reported on leaders in higher education and climate change, which include Tufts, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and Connecticut College. Engineering senior Mike Callahan compared the energy policies of the UK, the USA, and Australia. Katie Hornsby (Biology) and Nate Rowland (Engineering) looked at activities related to global warming in transportation and the automobile industry while Nic Heidinger (Real Estate and Construction Management) focused on green construction trends in the building industry. Other class members prepared letters to the editor on various environmental topics from the role of state legislatures in solutions to climate change (Shadrack Scott) to recent trends in sustainable agriculture (Andrew Richards). Stephanie Roach (International Studies and Russian) is continuing her research on changes in the military use of environmentally toxic substances to submit to the Journal of Military and Political Sociology. Faculty and staff also contributed to the displays. For example, Professor
Rock Pring (Law) displayed drawings of the new law school to
be open in Fall 2003. Faculty have worked diligently with university
architects to design the new building in conformance with Leadership
in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
The law school building will be the first certified Green Building at
DU. |
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New Journal: Environment and Sustainable Development The first issue of the international journal
"Environment and Sustainable Development" (IJESD) is now available.
IJESD is a fully-referred journal, whose aim is to foster the debate
on environment and sustainable * global environmental issues all with a with a practical perspective. Further details on the journal, guidelines for submissions and subscriptions can be seen at: http://www.inderscience.com/catalogue/e/esd/indexesd.html Fellowship Announcement: Environmental Fellowships - AAAS/EPA In cooperation with EPA and DoE, the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) will select approximately 10 fellows for 2003-04. The stipend is $56,000, with allowances for health insurance, relocation, and professional travel. The fellowships are one-year appointments, potentially renewable for a second year. The fellowship program is designed to provide an opportunity to learn first-hand how scientific and technological information is used in environmental policy-making. For full information, including the application, go to http://fellowships.aaas.org/environmental/ Application deadline: January 10, 2003. New
Program : Sustainable
Development TV Series The programme provides food for thought
as world leaders prepare for the upcoming United Nations Summit slated
to address social and environmental ills that must be faced if development
in the 21st century must continue apace. Job Opening: Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor, Science and Technology Studies - Michigan State University The Lyman Briggs School at Michigan State University is seeking applicants for a one-year Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor position in Science and Technology Studies, beginning August 15, 2002, with the possibility of up to two additional years. Get the full announcement on our Career page. Job Opening: Research Associate,
Environmental Health - Tellus Institute Tellus
Institute, a Boston-based non-profit environmental research and consulting
organization, seeks qualified candidates for an immediate mid-level
opening in the new Environmental Health Program, located within the
Sustainable Communities Group.
Application
deadline is May 15, 2002 with work to start as soon as possible.
Get the full announcement on our Career
page. Website: Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Data Center If you have been following the recent debate about fuel efficiency standards in the national media, you might be interested in DU Professor Don Stedman's research. Stedman has a website that provides access to much of the remote sensing work Don Stedman's group at the University of Denver has been involved in since 1987. That work includes emissions data collected to date in 21 countries around the world and in more than 25 US locations. The location for the website is http://www.feat.biochem.du.edu/. |
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International Institute for
Environment & Enterprise
University of Denver
2199 S. University Blvd.
Mary Reed Building, 3rd Floor
Denver, Colorado 80208-2360