Crisis Confirmed.

While re-vamping the introduction to my thesis, I came across the book Environmentalism: A Global History written by R. Guha.  This book is a great source of information how we arrive at our current environmental state.  A line in this book at really got my attention was: “Environmentalism must be viewed as a social program”.  My research is showing this more and more.  We need to come together as a society and work together to solve the environmental problems that we have created. Below are a few passages, if you like them, go check out the book!  It's at Evans Library and it's really good!

The first wave of environmentalism is a response to industrialization, while the second is an intellectual response that gained “shape and force” by public support and transformed into a movement. 


The “first wave” followed the industrial revolution step by step.  “The industrialization of the world dramatically altered the natural world through new methods of resource extraction, production, and transportation.”  Nature was being use and abused more than ever.  “Simultaneously, advances in medical technology led to a steady increase in human populations.  More humans producing more and consuming more led axiomatically to greater pollution and habitat degradation.  The pace of environmental destruction greatly accelerated.  Nature became a source of cheap raw material as well as a sink for dumping the ever-growing appetite of industry decimated forests and wild-lands.  New and dangerous chemicals were excreted into rivers and the atmosphere.”

“Environmental problems were certainly not unknown in the past, but possibly for the first time in human history there [is] now the perception of an environmental crisis” 

Accountability anyone?

Many of these schools are involved in national organizations that hold them accountable for their sustainabile practices. One of which is the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This organization is dedicated to reducing or neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions at universities and colleges in America. The requirements for commitment are:

-an emissions inventory
-set a date for becoming climate neutral with in 2 years
-take immediate steps to reduce green house gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-termactions
-integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it a part of the educational experience
-make an action plan.

Most relevant to my research is the commitment’s requirement of a university to prepare students to understand and deal with environmental issues in any line of work. The ACUPCC believes that universities are a role model in a community. Although they only make up “2-3% of our carbon footprint...they are 100% of our educational footprint”.