By DELANEY MCCARTY I recently attended an Environmental Career Panel put on by Students for an Environmentally Active Campus (SEAC) as one of their events for the celebration of Earth Week. The panel highlighted five professionals who dealt with environmental studies in their career in different ways, and they responded to questions asked by us about what they do, how they got to their position today, and their advice to us. As someone who is considering going into a career dealing with the environment, one thing that worries me is the practicality of an environmental studies profession to the real world, but this panel put my worries to rest. Jaime Cano Lopez, a Visitor Services Specialist at the Urban Ecology Center, describes his job by giving tours, speaking with visitors, and educating children about the environment. Being a native of Spain, speaking Spanish gives him the opportunity to communicate with the Latino community in Milwaukee. Although he isn’t a CEO or top of the totem pole, he enjoys his position because he stays in touch with the community and is able to give visitors a fun yet informative experience of the Urban Ecology Center.
Gretchen Mead is the executive director and founder of the Victory Garden’s Initiative. Her non-profit focuses on urban agriculture and teaching residents of Milwaukee how to grow their own food in city gardens. She has found that growing your own food improves your mental and physical health because of the satisfaction of producing it and the freshness of the produce. Gretchen feels strongly about eating locally because she finds it ridiculous that in the Midwest, with the most fertile soils and the Great Lakes, food is shipped to Wisconsin all the way from drought-suffering California. Her goal is to educate Milwaukee’s community about the benefits of growing local food and to erect more urban gardens. Travis Blomberg, executive director at WasteCap, focuses on how to reduce waste during the demolition of buildings and homes. His company goes into buildings and salvages what they can to be reused, rather than all the materials being brought to the dump. At first, the company focused mainly on the deconstruction of large scale buildings, but now they have broadened to include old homes and salvage their ornate woodwork and furniture to sell in their refurbishing stores. Travis values the art of repairing, rather than throwing away. American consumerism is all about make, break, and replace, and he and his company are looking to minimize that. Erick Shambarger is the City of Milwaukee’s sustainability director for the Environmental Collaboration Office. His goal is to reinvent Milwaukee and transform the concrete city into an ecologically friendly metropolis with green space, renewable energy, and cleaner water. Erick explained that the emergence of suburbs really hurt cities when people wanted their own slice of nature, so they moved out of the city, but in the process made the city worse off by the large amount of cars congesting the highways and streets. His idea is to bring nature to the city and to reinvent what a city looks like. Dave Strifling is the director of Water Law and Policy Initiative at Marquette’s Law School. He teaches Environmental Law and helps law students with research and practices on how to reform environmental laws. When introduced, he started out his introduction by using an Indiana Jones reference, where Indiana Jones steps onto a wooden bridge even though he couldn’t see it through the fog. His message was to take the first step and always be confident about it. The panelists really opened my eyes on a number of things. They advised that we as students should try and volunteer, so we can learn as many skills as possible to put on our resumes. They also recommended that we pursue something that we’re passionate about and excel at it, which will open up opportunities when employers see our enthusiasm. They stressed the importance of communication and how important it is to express your thoughts and ideas in a coherent way. One thing when looking for a job in environmental studies is to not focus on the title too much. You can pretty much put an environmental spin on any job, as long as you express your interest and ability to pursue it. Towards the end of the panel, Jaime brought up a very good point that resonated with me. People ask him a lot, ‘why do you love the environment?’ His reply is always, ‘why shouldn’t I?’ He realizes that without the environment, he would not exist. The environment is the reason we are all here and gives us the abilities to do all the things that we do. The environment loves us, and we need to show our love for the environment in return. Jaime Cano Lopez: https://urbanecologycenter.org/blog/Jaime-Cano.html Gretchen Mead: https://victorygardeninitiative.org/staff Travis Blomberg: http://wastecap.org/press/blog/general/wastecap-welcomes-new-executive-director Erick Shambarger: http://city.milwaukee.gov/eco#.WuEoqIjwbIU Dave Strifling: https://law.marquette.edu/faculty-and-staff-directory/detail/1739739
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By ANNIE DYSART Environmental racism is defined as the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on minority and poor communities. Most of the time, environmental racism is perpetuated unintentionally. Major factors that play into environmental racism are land use, housing segregation, and racialized employment patterns and financial practices. For example, an industrial facility could be built on cheap land for economic reasons but end up having social consequences. In the United States, ethnicity and class are highly correlated. Land is cheapest in poor, rural areas - places commonly called home by communities of color. Building a facility that pollutes the environment could also negatively impact nearby communities disadvantaged by systemic racism who cannot afford to live elsewhere. Environmental justice is defined as "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." The EPA claims the goal of environmental justice will be reached when “everyone has the same amount of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work.” In 2017, racial and environmental justice groups joined forces to block the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) efforts to expand and rebuild the I-94 between 16th and 70th Streets. WisDOT also refused to include expansion of public transit in the project which would hinder Milwaukee residents’ - minorities lacking vehicles in particular - ability to access employment, education, health care and other activities. Overall, the project would increase racial segregation, intensify suburban sprawl, and worsen air quality. A noise barrier is a solid structure built between highways and homes to mitigate the effects of noise pollution from traffic. Sound barriers are disproportionately distributed in Milwaukee. They are mainly constructed in areas with predominantly white populations, higher incomes, and less poverty. Areas where noise barriers were constructed, called noise barrier tracts, have race compositions made up of approximately 88.9% white, 1.6% black, and 4.9% Hispanic. The averages for all tracts is 61.2% white, 24.0% black, and 9.9% Hispanic. These statistics show how low-income, minority populations in Milwaukee are more subjected to the ill effects of noise pollution. Another instance of environmental racism is the disproportionate risk of exposure to toxins in fish among minority and low-income communities in the Great Lakes region. Several minority populations were found to consume a higher amount of fish and were more likely to consume contaminated species of fish. Native American populations in the Great Lakes region consume about 4.5 times more fish than the average US citizen in the Great Lakes region. Native American women are exposed to over ten times the EPA’s recommended amount of methylmercury. Additionally, 75% of women under 26 years of age had been eating lake fish for over 15 years. These populations facing greater risk of toxin exposure are also more likely to be unaware or unresponsive to fish consumption advisories. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health has taken steps towards environmental justice regarding this issue through a communications campaign publicizing fishing advisories, PCB and mercury warnings, and advice on dietary intake of fish for adults, women of childbearing age and children. This campaign was carried out in multiple languages, posted in multiple areas, and reached fishing spots frequented by minorities, clinics, and schools. Lead poisoning is a prominent example of environmental racism in Milwaukee. Children in Milwaukee are afflicted by lead poisoning at a frequency six times greater than the national average. Within Milwaukee County, 20,000 housing units have high risk for lead hazards - the majority of them located on the north and south side where many minorities live. Just living in the 53206 zip code increases the likelihood of getting lead poisoning: 18% of Milwaukee’s total lead poisoning cases are accounted for within this area where 39% of the people are living at or below the poverty level. High exposure to lead can potentially cause lowered IQ, learning disabilities, ADHD, and other physical and mental problems. Although parks are pretty evenly distributed throughout Milwaukee County, there is a disproportionate amount of resources available at the parks in low-income and minority communities in comparison to predominantly white communities. Parks are valuable because they provide a place for exercise, community connection, and ecosystem services like preservation of biodiversity and green space to absorb heat and help regulate urban temperatures. Before 1999, Menominee Valley was afflicted by environmental racism - about 60% of the surrounding neighborhoods were minority groups who were exposed to a range of environmental hazards.Industrial activity polluted the region, decreased its water quality, and increased the amount of impervious surfaces and brownfields. The government had been aware of these issues yet left them unattended for many years. In 1999, a $20 million clean-up project commenced and transformed the area - a significant example of environmental justice and hope for the future well being of Milwaukee’s environment and all of its residents.
References https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice http://greenaction.org/?page_id=420 http://www.foodispower.org/environmental-racism/ http://www.inee.mu.edu/capstone_2003/CapstoneProject2006.htm http://botw.dnr.state.wi.us/botw/Welcome.do http://factfinder.census.gov. https://urbanmilwaukee.com/pressrelease/three-environmental-justice-groups-ask-court-to-block-i-94-expansion/ By DELANEY McCARTY The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, or more commonly referred to as “The Domes,” is an oasis among the concrete desert of Milwaukee. You may be able to see their blue lights glowing at night from Marquette’s campus just beyond Valley Field. The Domes consist of three separate acres of land each covered by an 85-foot-tall glass dome, housing thousands of different plant species. Each dome contains a specific theme that is unique from its city surroundings. The Show Dome, first established in December 1964, transforms into a new theme five times a year. The current theme, Railroad to Wonderland, models the famous story of Alice in Wonderland, with giant mushrooms and a tea party mixed in among colorful flowers. A fun bonus is following four garden-sized trains as you accompany Alice during her journey through Wonderland! This show, just like every theme that is cycled in and out in the Show Dome, takes careful planning and designing to put together a magnificent work of natural art. Hundreds of colorful flowers, like lilies, tulips, poinsettias, and roses are featured depending on the time of year and featured theme. Next, the Tropical Dome, finished February 1966, feels like stepping into a rainforest – birds are calling, toads are croaking, and the air inside is kept humid through an elaborate sprinkler system on the dome’s ceiling. Tropical fruit trees bear star fruit, guava, and plantains. The forest canopy overhead is filled with epiphytes, which are plants that use other plants for physical support. These plants, like bromeliads and vanilla, attach and vine to the tree branches above, creating a sky of green. A koi pond can be found surrounded by orchids, ferns, and a unique flower called Birds of Paradise. The smells inside this dome are simply amazing. You’ll almost forget you’re in Wisconsin! Lastly, the Desert Dome completed the trio in October 1967. The most stunning part of this dome is the number of cacti and succulents thriving throughout the entire area. The Desert Dome contains one of the largest collections native plant species from Madagascar, such as Catharanthus roseus, a pretty little pink flower among the sea of dusty greens and browns. Other featured plants come from Africa, Canary Islands, and South and North America. This dome also contains a pond, called The Oasis, with aquatic papyrus plants sprouting out of the water. By the shore, chili peppers grow and thrive in the hot, arid climate. A winter coat is not needed in this dome. The Mitchell Park Domes are an amazing way to escape the cold while also learning about many different plant species that come from around the world. Just being able to walk around on the trails and enjoy the different climates is a fun getaway from Milwaukee’s snowy streets. Admission is $8 per person, so get some friends together and take a trip to The Domes the next time the snowy blues are getting you down! References: https://milwaukeedomes.org/ Friends of the Domes. “Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory.” Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Domes, Waterford Design Technologies, 2018, milwaukeedomes.org. By ANGEL RIVERA I was a senior in high school when I came across an advertisement on Facebook for a program called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). To participate in WWOOF, all you have to do is sign up online and pay a one-time application fee of $40. Once that is taken care of, you can select an organic farm where you would work in exchange for room and board, meals, and a fulfilling educational and cultural experience. With a passion for the environment and learning new things, becoming a WWOOFer seemed like the perfect opportunity to pursue my interests on a budget. I have WWOOFed twice now - each time left me wishing I could do it another ten times. My first visit was to a small town near Grand Rapids, Michigan, where a friend and I shared a room in the host's house for a week. It was a dairy farm, so I got a hands-on experience learning about cows and the milking process. I also helped build a chicken coop and sold eggs and milk at the local farmers' market on Sunday mornings. For my second trip, I bought an Amtrak ticket for a little less than $100 and rode solo to a small town near Hannibal, MN for two weeks. This farm was mainly an apiary and vegetable garden. Here I stayed in a log cabin type structure that was cozy. I helped build an electric fence for pigs, worked extensively on a vegetable farm, and messed with a few honeybee hives they had at their location.
Working as a WWOOFer is not your typical farming experience. On these organic farms, we learn about sustainable living, and use natural fertilizers and never use hormones to expedite the process for profit. The whole point of working on an organic farm is to be self-conscious about what you put in your body and what you do to the land you farm on. Sustainable farming really allows natural habitats and all its life to be less threatened. Green farming is no easy task, and the work can push you to your limits at times, but it is truly rewarding work. WWOOFing helped me grow as a person. I learned many valuable lessons that I really cannot summarize into words. I made relationships with other people in different states, played some awesomely weird local games such as street bowling, blew glass, tried different foods, and went on runs and hikes whenever possible. People are different everywhere you go, and immersing yourself in something like that is truly a once in a lifetime thing. If this at all calls your attention in the slightest way, do it. It’s the best way to learn about farming while having an amazing time for an amazing price. Check out their link to learn more > https://wwoofusa.org By ANNIE DYSART The Great Lakes Environmental Film Festival (GLEFF) was showcased by the Diederich College of Communication last Wednesday in Weasler Auditorium. GLEFF is a student-run, annual event directed by Dr. Joe Brown - a professor of Digitial Media and Performing Arts here at Marquette. The festival aims to "inspire, educate, and motivate audiences on environmental topics" through thought-provoking films and discussion. Five carefully selected films were presented. The first was "Lost in Light," directed by Dr. Sriram Murali. Three wordless minutes of footage progressing from highly polluted skies to the most vivid starry nights spoke to the effects light pollution all across the globe. The second film, "Being Hear," presented a perceptive commentary about noise pollution. Acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton discusses what it means to listen: to take "all sounds in with equal value." Our opportunity to fully witness nature's soundscapes is diminishing - even Earth's most isolated ecosystems are not unscathed by noise pollution. Next up was "Back Forty," by Mark Doremus. It reported on the protest against The Back Forty Mine project that would be installed near the Menominee River in Lake Township, Michigan. The film highlights the cultural and environmental conflicts that could arise from the mine's installation, in particular, the destruction of Menominee Tribe burial grounds and sacred sites along the riverbank. Presented by Lush Cosmetics, "Trophy" asks us to evaluate the fear often associated with grizzly bears and the morality of killing them for sport. Captivating and heartbreaking, it is difficult walk away from this film without wanting to protect such beautiful animals. The last film of the festival was "The Canoe" by Goh Iromoto. Five empowering stories illuminate the vessel's unique place in Canadian identity. Possessing a rich historic and cultural value, the canoe serves to bring Canadians together and increase their appreciation for the nature surrounding them.
References: www.gleff.org/ By ANNIE DYSART Last Wednesday, a group of students and staff gathered in the AMU Ballrooms for the first ever Marquette Sustainability Town Hall meeting. Capturing the group's attention with a few "dad jokes," Brent Ribble - Marquette's Sustainability Coordinator since last year - set the tone for a setting he hoped would be a warm and trustworthy place where "all ideas are good ideas." What is sustainability? Ribble defined sustainability as "meeting our social, environmental, and economic needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." Occurring at an intersection of the interests of "people, planet, and profit," sustainable solutions are most effective when they acknowledge and cooperate with the cultural and socioeconomic systems shaping communities.
Discover, dream, design, deploy: these words represent the four phases of Marquette's Campus Sustainability Plan. The plan is to discover what Marquette is doing well right now, dream and set goals to improve sustainability efforts, design specific courses of action to actualize those dreams, and then deploy the designs to make goals a reality. These goals will fuel sustainable change in the operations, academics, and engagement at Marquette. Ribble hopes to implement concrete sustainability goals by first quarter of the 2018 spring semester. Meeting attendees broke out in small groups to discuss each of the four phases. Many agreed that one of Marquette's most impressive sustainability efforts is the composting system in the dining halls. Engineering Hall's gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating was also acknowledged as a standard that should be met and exceeded by future buildings on campus. Numerous proposals were made to make Marquette a more environmentally friendly place: increasing the presence of compost and recycling systems off campus, making limos more energy efficient, decreasing plastic consumption and waste production, and incorporating sustainability into the curriculum were just a few of the aspirations expressed by the group. Marquette Sustainability's first Town Hall meeting was a success. It created a community of environmental ambassadors that could speak comfortably and confidently about their ideas regarding how to create a greener campus for both present and future students. It was apparent that the room was full of people eager to make a difference, their enthusiasm embodying the passionate undercurrents that will drive the sustainability movement for years to come. |