I know that all of my American supremacist readers have been looking forward to this post. (Just kidding.) Believe it or not, one target on the MDGs is one that Americans are significantly worse at practicing as compared to other nations. Yes, we are great at conducting research and development, but in practice, we can be a lot better at achieving Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability.
How often have you heard that it’s important to recycle… that you should take shorter showers… that cycling and public transit are better than driving your own car? The list goes on and on for behaviors that we know we should adopt but do not, for lack of convenience or caring. The list also extends to policies that the United States failed to adopt, from the Stockholm Convention on eliminating extremely dangerous chemicals to the Kyoto Protocol on fighting global warming to the Convention on Biology Diversity for reducing the decline of biological diversity and on and on.
Believe it or not, there are consequences of not achieving MDG 7. Continued greenhouse gas emissions will accelerate polar ice cap melting – which will cascade into increased flooding and displacement of water. (There is no coincidence that we are now experiencing record flooding around the world.) Climate change will create refugees as larger cities are flooded, and conflict over resources could create a new world war.
But – enough fearmongering. That’s not what the Periclean Scholars are about. Let’s answer this question: what are the Pericleans doing about this issue?
The Periclean program’s newly minted alumni, the Class of 2011 Sri Lanka group, made environmental sustainability their primary focus – both in Sri Lanka and in community outreach in the United States. They worked with the Sri Lanka Rangers program and developed a website for collaboration between their Sri Lanka school of focus and their Graham, NC school of focus. They built a partnership with Rainforest Rescue International, a valuable resource for their documentary. They painted a mural at Panangala Junior School, where they painted a mural with the theme of environmental sustainability. The list goes on, as this class accomplished much for environmental awareness for Sri Lanka and in its American partner school.
We can do a lot to clean up our own spaces and live our lives sustainably, but we must also be concerned about the common areas. Discussion and education are paramount to cleaning up the commons. Because of this, the Class of 2011 found a conference to be an ideal vehicle to make progress on environmental sustainability. The Leaders in Environmental Advocacy Forum (LEAF) brought together Elon University, the University of Colombo, the United States Embassy – Colombo, the National Science Foundation – Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Environment, and Rainforest Rescue International. The conference was covered by ETV, Business Times, Shree FM, and E FM Radio 100.4. The Periclean Scholars placed the need to sustain our environment into the context of living as global citizens, as they facilitated forums to achieve sustainability on all fronts.
To close, one of the final projects of the undergraduate Class of 2011 tied into the theme from this year’s convocation, “We Can Do Better”, moderated by journalist and Elon parent Brian Williams. The convocation encourages ongoing conversation about how we can confront America’s greatest challenge and continue to be a leader on issues closest to our national values. Scholar Molly Schriber reflected on her shortcomings and opportunities for growth after a visit to the Alamance County landfill with Periclean-in-Residence Dr. Ajantha Perera. I am impressed by her honesty in her exposure. Please watch her video below.
As with other MDGs, the United States is expected to be a leader on this front. If we continue to be irresponsible and not practice the tenets in Goal 7, this goal will never be fully attained. An innovative American program with global feel and outreach on the university level can make positive strides, and the Periclean Scholars Class of 2011 has done just that. I am confident that they will continue to make strides within and beyond their partnerships, long after their graduations one month ago.
The program's strides on improving environmental awareness are reason #16 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7, ensure environmental sustainability.
What do you think of this? Our Mayor has taken it upon himself to direct our DPW to search residents' garbage for recyclables. If cardboard, cans, bottles, plastic, newspapers, or anything that can be recycled is found in your garbage, then the DPW goons will issue you a fine/citation for more than $1,200.00, Furthermore, he's directing them to go house to house and knock on doors, to see if your dog barks, and look through into your windows if you fail to answer the door. They will count how many dogs are barking, look in your window to do an animal "census." If you have undocumented pets (cats, dogs) living with you, you will be fined. This is the kind of world we live in on the local level, where environmental planners (which our Mayor is in the town of Wayne), think they answer to a higher calling. Are these actions are justified? What do you think?
ReplyDeleteOn the recycling issue: your question is not a moral dilemma, but it is a political one that deals with human behavior. I am not going to debate whether I think recycling is right or wrong – because it is right. I think that you will find answer to the question you asked through this question: Will people automatically start recycling on their own, without any reinforcement or punishment?
ReplyDeleteIf you believe that residents will start recycling on their own, as a means to express their freedom as Americans, then you lean toward libertarianism. On the other hand, if you believe that an outside force is necessary to enact a change in behavior, then you lean populist. It appears that Oakland is leaning populist, and (before reading my comments) you are leaning libertarian.
The Oakland recycling issue reminds me of another dispute that was recently resolved in New Jersey – smoke-free dining. Consider the logic below:
--All people deserve to have a dining experience that is smoke free – yes? However, smokers are not going to stop smoking in restaurants – right? This is in spite of the fact that years of research and advertising have reached the smokers; yet, they have continued their filthy habit. The only thing that has made smokers stop smoking in restaurants has been the law.
--All people deserve a planet that is as free from litter as possible – yes? However, habitual litterers and people who throw recyclables in the trash are not going to stop those habits – right? As with the smokers, people will not change their habits unless acted on by an outside force. That force just happens to be the law and fines.
However, the new law itself is not enough to improve Oakland’s recycling. Residents need to be educated on what types of materials must be recycled and how to do so (whether commingled or separated). This way, you have nothing to fear. If you are recycling everything that you can and doing it correctly, then you will never receive a fine.
Our landfills will have fewer recyclables, the town gets educated on what and how to recycle, and offenders get fined… I’d say this is a net win.
On the pets issue: I love dogs and cats but I also think they should be documented. They need to be up-to-date on vaccines and be licensed. I think Oakland has the three dogs rule, so until they change that, you would be breaking the law if you violate it. I guess this is to prevent hoarding, but it hurts people who want to foster rescued animals. With this issue, I think we need to look at intent - because having more dogs and cats is a very different issue from not recycling. Does Oakland want to increase its revenue stream through fines, or does the town want to ensure that all animals are accounted for and up-to-date on vaccines? I can’t answer that, but there are two legitimate sides to this issue - more so than the recycling one.