Boswell Symposium focuses on environmental education, grassroots activism
By: Courtney Hime, Jessica Adams
Issue date: 9/25/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Sunday and Monday welcomed the fall Hampton and Esther Boswell Symposium. Discussions centered on the theme of "Grassroots Environmental Activism: Race, Economics and Technology."
Majora Carter stressed the importance of the human touch in enacting environmental change in her keynote address Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Walden Social Center.
Monday's panel discussion featured three environmental experts. The panelists discussed ways they've been able to incorporate environmental work into their lives Monday afternoon in the Watson Forum.
"Green the Ghetto"
When President Robert G. Bottoms introduced the keynote speaker for the Boswell Symposium, he expressed a common environmental mindset.
"Some of us who are now Midwesterners, when we think of environmental concerns, we think of things like great lakes and forests," he said. "We do not think about the cities."
Majora Carter's keynote address, "Green the Ghetto," not only focused on efforts to make the South Bronx more environmentally sound, but also focused on the larger issue of incorporating the human component into environmental advocacy.
Carter said she likes to think about environmental justice "in terms of the human stories that are told. [Stories] that need to be told so people understand the environment involves more than just the airy green or the land. And in many cases we don't think of people ... and that is the main tenant of environmental justice."
Carter is the founder and executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, the organization that has allowed her to focus her environmental activism on helping her hometown. She was the recipient of a 2005 MacArthur "genius grant" and the co-designer of the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program that involves community members in environmental causes.
Her address illustrated the many ways environmental justice could be achieved, even in inner cities. Specifically, Carter explained that environment justice was the idea that "no community should have to bear the brunt of environmental burdens and not enjoy any environmental benefits."
She said, however, that in this country and in the world, the weight is typically carried by those who are less equipped to deal with the burden.
"Race and class are ultimate indicators of where you're going to find the good stuff, like parks and trees and where you're going to find the really crappy stuff, like power plants and waste facilities," she said.
Carter's address described many of the efforts of her community to work toward making their neighborhood a more desirable place to live. Through many small projects, Carter and her community have created healthier and safer spaces where children can play, as well as job opportunities to help combat unemployment.
Carter said these small projects "inspire the whole idea that what we needed to be, was not always reacting against something, but making sure that we had something to work toward."
-Courtney Hime
"Panel Discussion with Environmental Experts"
Monday evening's panel discussion for the symposium featured several environmental activists to discuss sustainability. Darci Thomas '95, Meredith Williams and Cheryl Johnson were among those weighing in on the issue. History professor Glen Kuecker moderated the discussion.
Focusing on the theme of "Grassroots Environmental Activism," the three speakers shared their views on the environment and the importance of education.
Thomas is the senior technical manager at August Mack Environmental, Inc., which is an environmental, health and safety consulting firm in Indianapolis. It focuses on the importance of reconstructing brown fields. She said these abandoned properties are often neglected and become municipal wastelands.
Through her work with an environmental consulting firm, Thomas said she hopes to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability. She said green building techniques were a vital source for helping the environment.
"Existing infrastructure and its redevelopment plays a huge role in sustainability in communities, increases property values, creates jobs and also provides community outreach and education for other industries in the area and for similar operations," she said.
Williams currently focuses her attention on wetland and watershed projects for the San Francisco Estuary Institute. She was not initially drawn to the environment, but after spending several years working with scientific companies, she stumbled upon the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The complex is one of a series of seven wildlife refuges where birds migrate over the summer.
Williams said she immediately became involved with the project and began organizing crews for maintenance of the refuge. Through her participation, Williams grew passionate about environmentalism. She created a "Sustainability Starter Kit," which encouraged its readers to help practice sustainability through provided resources and reading material.
She said she tries to adopt a positive perspective in her influence over nature by "minimizing the possibility of something bad happening."
Kuecker posed many questions to the audience, asking how people can be empowered and enabled to protect the environment. He pointed at restoration, self-examination and education as vital factors for improvement. He also questioned the role of universities in education about the environment.
The panel said the amount of damage done to the environment, as well as the future damage that can be expected, is intense and requires the best of education and understanding.
-
Jessica Adams
Majora Carter stressed the importance of the human touch in enacting environmental change in her keynote address Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Walden Social Center.
Monday's panel discussion featured three environmental experts. The panelists discussed ways they've been able to incorporate environmental work into their lives Monday afternoon in the Watson Forum.
"Green the Ghetto"
When President Robert G. Bottoms introduced the keynote speaker for the Boswell Symposium, he expressed a common environmental mindset.
"Some of us who are now Midwesterners, when we think of environmental concerns, we think of things like great lakes and forests," he said. "We do not think about the cities."
Majora Carter's keynote address, "Green the Ghetto," not only focused on efforts to make the South Bronx more environmentally sound, but also focused on the larger issue of incorporating the human component into environmental advocacy.
Carter said she likes to think about environmental justice "in terms of the human stories that are told. [Stories] that need to be told so people understand the environment involves more than just the airy green or the land. And in many cases we don't think of people ... and that is the main tenant of environmental justice."
Carter is the founder and executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, the organization that has allowed her to focus her environmental activism on helping her hometown. She was the recipient of a 2005 MacArthur "genius grant" and the co-designer of the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program that involves community members in environmental causes.
Her address illustrated the many ways environmental justice could be achieved, even in inner cities. Specifically, Carter explained that environment justice was the idea that "no community should have to bear the brunt of environmental burdens and not enjoy any environmental benefits."
She said, however, that in this country and in the world, the weight is typically carried by those who are less equipped to deal with the burden.
"Race and class are ultimate indicators of where you're going to find the good stuff, like parks and trees and where you're going to find the really crappy stuff, like power plants and waste facilities," she said.
Carter's address described many of the efforts of her community to work toward making their neighborhood a more desirable place to live. Through many small projects, Carter and her community have created healthier and safer spaces where children can play, as well as job opportunities to help combat unemployment.
Carter said these small projects "inspire the whole idea that what we needed to be, was not always reacting against something, but making sure that we had something to work toward."
-Courtney Hime
"Panel Discussion with Environmental Experts"
Monday evening's panel discussion for the symposium featured several environmental activists to discuss sustainability. Darci Thomas '95, Meredith Williams and Cheryl Johnson were among those weighing in on the issue. History professor Glen Kuecker moderated the discussion.
Focusing on the theme of "Grassroots Environmental Activism," the three speakers shared their views on the environment and the importance of education.
Thomas is the senior technical manager at August Mack Environmental, Inc., which is an environmental, health and safety consulting firm in Indianapolis. It focuses on the importance of reconstructing brown fields. She said these abandoned properties are often neglected and become municipal wastelands.
Through her work with an environmental consulting firm, Thomas said she hopes to raise awareness about the importance of sustainability. She said green building techniques were a vital source for helping the environment.
"Existing infrastructure and its redevelopment plays a huge role in sustainability in communities, increases property values, creates jobs and also provides community outreach and education for other industries in the area and for similar operations," she said.
Williams currently focuses her attention on wetland and watershed projects for the San Francisco Estuary Institute. She was not initially drawn to the environment, but after spending several years working with scientific companies, she stumbled upon the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The complex is one of a series of seven wildlife refuges where birds migrate over the summer.
Williams said she immediately became involved with the project and began organizing crews for maintenance of the refuge. Through her participation, Williams grew passionate about environmentalism. She created a "Sustainability Starter Kit," which encouraged its readers to help practice sustainability through provided resources and reading material.
She said she tries to adopt a positive perspective in her influence over nature by "minimizing the possibility of something bad happening."
Kuecker posed many questions to the audience, asking how people can be empowered and enabled to protect the environment. He pointed at restoration, self-examination and education as vital factors for improvement. He also questioned the role of universities in education about the environment.
The panel said the amount of damage done to the environment, as well as the future damage that can be expected, is intense and requires the best of education and understanding.
-
Jessica Adams
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