Essay 1

Hi all -- here (below) are your options for Essay 1, due February 13. Please respond to just one of the questions. Further instructions for the assignment are contained in the course syllabus.

Question 1

I'd like you to choose an item that you're in regular contact with -- eg a food or beverage item, an article of clothing, an electronic device, etc. Your task is to produce a thorough "lifecycle assessment" of your chosen item. We'll talk about what this means in class. As a guide, see the excerpt from John Ryan and Alan Durning, "Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things," available in the Content section of our Blackboard site.

Question 2

I’d like you to revisit the Ecological Footprints exercise that you completed for class. Try three things for me. First, recalculate your footprint based on the life you lead in Washington DC. Next, calculate your Washington DC footprint as though you have adopted every environmentally-friendly lifestyle change that the calculator allows. Finally, complete the same exercise in one of the calculator’s other countries. 

What do you learn? What does this exercise suggest about the possibilities and / or the limitations of individual action as a response to unsustainable patterns of social organization?

Discussion Question 2

We here in the United States tend to see technology as a generally positive (or at worst a benign) force in our lives. And for a variety of reasons, there seems to be a widely-held belief that technology holds the key to a resolution of the world's environmental challenges. I wonder what you make of this. For this week I’d like you to consider the following:

Where does technology ultimately fit in to our conversations about how best to respond to a deteriorating environmental condition? More generally, should we consider technology a positive or a negative force in our lives? 

Spring/Summer Internship with International Rivers

Policy Program Intern – Spring/Summer 2013
http://www.internationalrivers.org/node/7809

International Rivers is a non-profit research and advocacy organization headquartered in Berkeley, California, with staff and consultants currently working in Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Thailand. International Rivers supports communities around the world in protecting their rivers and rights. We work to halt destructive dams and encourage better methods of meeting needs for water, energy and protection from floods.

International Rivers' Policy Program works to strengthen the social and environmental policies of dam builders and financiers, and to build the capacity of civil society and dam-affected communities to defend their rights. We are seeking a part-time (16-20 hours/week) intern for 3 months during Spring and Summer 2013 (with possibility of extension) to assist with the creation of a major report on the current state of the world's rivers. The report will include an in-depth research component on indicators of river basin health, and will analyze our experiences and lessons with specific dam projects, developers, and cross-cutting issues over the past decade. The Policy Program Intern will play a critical role in the project team by supporting the research, production, and outreach components of this report.

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Support for research and data collection
• Production of graphics, maps, and other visuals
• Coordination of publication review team
• Support for outreach and communications activities
• Some administrative and logistical tasks

Required qualifications and experiences:

• Commitment to environmental integrity, social justice and the mission of International Rivers
• A background in freshwater ecology, hydrology, fluvial geomorphology, or environmental science
• A background in geographical information science (GIS)
• Strong research skills in English and one other language
• Written and spoken fluency in English
• Strong data management skills
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment

Preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of global water institutions
• An understanding of the social and environmental impacts of dams and hydropower
• Experience producing infographics and visuals
• Flexible self-starter. Strong ability to set priorities, respond to shifting priorities, and manage a variety of time-sensitive activities simultaneously
• Excellent organizational, planning and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work both independently and within a team

Compensation includes a stipend of USD $2500 for a three-month period; an additional three-month extension is possible. This position is based in our Berkeley, California office.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to send your cover letter, resume, and a 3-page writing sample to the Intern & Volunteer Coordinator, internship@internationalrivers.org, with “Policy Program Intern” in the subject line. NO CALLS PLEASE. This position will be open until filled.

China Internship Program for Spring/Summer 2013

China Program Internship Part-time, Spring/Summer 2013

http://www.internationalrivers.org/node/4602

International Rivers is a non-profit research and advocacy organization headquartered in Berkeley, California, with staff and consultants currently working in Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Thailand. International Rivers supports communities around the world in protecting their rivers and rights. We work to halt destructive dams and encourage better methods of meeting needs for water, energy and protection from floods.

International Rivers’ China Program investigates China’s domestic and global environmental footprint through the lens of dam building. We are seeking a part-time China Program Intern for 16-20 hours per week for six months (with the possibility of extension) starting in March/April to assist with program activities in Beijing, China. The ideal candidate for this position is bilingual, web savvy, possesses solid communication, writing and editing skills, and is committed to our mission. The intern will be an integral part of the China team, will communicate with International Rivers’ global staff and partners, and will contribute to print and web publications. There may be opportunities to travel within China. 

Specific responsibilities may include:

• Program support to our China team around the issues of river protection in China
• Support for Chinese environmental NGOs within the river network
• Monitoring China’s global role in dam-building
• Providing capacity building support at events for civil society actors in China and abroad
• Some administrative and logistical tasks
• Short translation assignments

Required qualifications and experiences:

• Commitment to environmental integrity, social justice and the mission of International Rivers
• Written and spoken fluency in English and Chinese
• Strong research skills in English and Chinese
• Communication skills: experience in Chinese social media communications, written publications and basic website maintenance
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment
• Willing to travel to visit partner organizations or conduct site visits

Preferred qualifications:

• A background in hydrology, environmental science, environmental law or engineering
• Completed bachelors degree or on track to complete studies by summer 2013
• Experience interacting with Chinese environmental NGOs
• Experience translating between Chinese and English
• Flexible self-starter. Strong ability to set priorities, respond to shifting priorities, and manage a variety of time-sensitive activities simultaneously
• Excellent organizational, planning and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work both independently and within a team

The level of remuneration for the internship will depend on experience.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to send your cover letter, resume, and a 3-page writing sample to the Intern & Volunteer Coordinator, internship@internationalrivers.org, with “China Program Intern” in the subject line. NO CALLS PLEASE. This position will be open until filled, review of applications will begin on February 18th.

Panel: Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing

The School of Public Affairs and Center for Environmental Policy

Invite You to Attend

Risks and Benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing:

Boom or Bane?

Monday, January 28th

4:00-5:30 p.m.

McDowell Formal

Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) is being debated across the country with experts disagreeing on the risks and the benefits at stake. Many debates center on differing opinions policymakers have on how best to protect human health and the environment. The panel will discuss issues and challenges faced by the different levels of government (federal, state, local) in setting and implementing environmental policy for “fracking.” It will highlight the complexity of the environmental and health risks that must be addressed, and the difficulty inherent in working out a governance framework that is protective and fits very different environmental/geological as well as economic and social conditions. Panelists will include experts from federal, state and local government organizations who will discuss the governance issues from their differing perspectives.

Kindly rsvp to cep@american.edu.

The Center for Environmental Policy, led by Dan Fiorino, aims to improve the nation's ability to address environmental challenges through effective governance. For more information, please visit http://www.american.edu/spa/cep.

Discussion Question 1

Hi all -- welcome to the SIS-388 blog for Spring 2013.

This week, I'd like to pick up on the tail end of our conversation in class today by having you read and comment on this piece, which appeared in the Washington Post on Thanksgiving Day back in 2007. The article was written by Michael Maniates of Allegheny College. We'll be reading more of his work later in the semester. Simple question this first time around: what do you make of Professor Maniates' argument?

Apply Today to be a Part of Green Corps!

Early Winter Application Deadline January 22, 2013

Click here to find out more about Green Corps' paid training program in environmental organizing

Green Corps is looking for college graduates who are ready to take on the biggest environmental challenges of our day.

In Green Corps’ year-long paid program, you’ll get intensive training in the skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. You’ll get hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems — global warming, deforestation, water pollution, factory farming and many others — with groups such as Sierra Club and Food & Water Watch. And, when you graduate from Green Corps, we’ll help you find a career with one of the nation’s leading environmental and social change groups.

For more information, read below or visit our web site: http://www.greencorps.org/findoutmore.

In your year with Green Corps:

You’ll get great training with some of the most experienced organizers in the field: Green Corps organizers take part in trainings with leading figures in the environmental and social change movements: people such as Adam Ruben, political director of MoveOn.org, and Bill McKibben, author and founder of "350.org".

You’ll get amazing experience working on environmental issues across the country: Green Corps sends organizers to jumpstart campaigns for groups such as Rainforest Action Network and Environment America in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston and dozens of other places in between.

You’ll have a real impact on some of the biggest environmental problems we’re facing today: Green Corps organizers have built the campaigns that helped keep the Arctic safe from drilling, that led to new laws that support clean, renewable energy, that convinced major corporations to stop dumping in our oceans and much, much more.

You’ll even get paid: Green Corps Organizers earn a salary of $23,750. Organizers also have a chance to opt into our health care program with a pre-tax monthly salary deferral. We offer paid sick days and holidays, two weeks paid vacation and a student loan repayment program for those who qualify.

And when you graduate from the program, you’ll be ready for what comes next: Green Corps will help connect you to environmental and progressive groups that are looking for full-time staff to build their organizations and help them create social change and protect our environment.

In the next few months, we‘ll invite 35 college graduates to join Green Corps in 2013 -2014. We’re looking for people who are serious about saving the planet, people who have taken initiative on their campus or community, and people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and work for change over the long haul.

If you think you’re one of those people, visit www.greencorps.org to apply to join the 2013-2014 class of Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental Organizing.

Green Corps’ year-long program begins in August 2013 with Introductory Classroom Training in Boston, and continues with field placements in multiple locations across the U.S. Candidates must be willing to relocate.

For more information, visit www.greencorps.org or contact Aaron Myran, Recruitment Director, at jobs@greencorps.org.