MU Environmental Network
News
April 1996
Vol. 2 No. 4
Editor - Jan Weaver
211 Lowry Hall, MU / Columbia MO 65211
Sustainable Development, Environmental Governance and Democracy -
Where Do We Go From Here?
Wednesday April 17 7:30 pm Room 7 Hulston Hall (Law School Auditorium)
Since 1990, the Environmental Awareness Committee of the MU Environmental Affairs
Council has brought a keynote speaker to campus to celebrate awareness of environmental
issues. Past speakers have included Dr. Peter Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, James Enote, a Zuni Chief and Environmental Leader, and Deirdre Hirner,
Executive Director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. This year we are
fortunate to have Dianne Dillon-Ridgley, Board President of Zero Population Growth
(ZPG) and a member of the President's Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD).
As President of ZPG, Ms. Dillon Ridgley has overseen the launching of a "Contract
with the Future" campaign on the U.S. Capitol steps, the release of the Children's
Environmental Index, the production of Population Awareness Campaign Kits for elementary
and secondary school educators, and the initiation of a campus organizing project which
has already established chapters on 300 campuses nationwide. The Children's Environmental
Index, in particular, attracted extensive print and broadcast press and was nominated for a UN Best Practices Award.
During her tenure on the PCSD, Ms. Dillon Ridgley served with 24 other leaders
from industry (Ciba Geigy, Georgia Pacific, Chevron and Johnson and Johnson), government
(Secretaries of the Interior, of Commerce, and the Director of the EPA), environmental(National Wildlife Federation, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy),
labor and civil rights organizations. The PCSD was charged with advising President
Clinton on matters related to sustainable development and with preparing a National
Sustainable Development Action Strategy, including specific recommendations to government,
corporations, non-government organizations and communities, on new ways to foster
economic health and protect our natural and cultural resources. Their report will
be released this spring.
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EARTH DAY FESTIVAL
SUNDAY APRIL 21
Noon to 7 pm
PEACE PARK on the MU CAMPUS
Join us for all the usual Earth Day activities; live music, childrens' games, arts
and crafts, environmental and cultural displays, and local vendors with environmental
wares.
If your group is interested in having a booth at the festival, contact the Peace
Nook, 875-0539.
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March Environmental Issues Seminar - Food and the Environment/Diet and Population
Loretta Hoover began her seminar with the observation that the present world population
is around 5.7 billion. This population will double in 45 years. The kinds of deficiency
diseases already plaguing poor populations; protein and/or energy malnutrition, nutritional anemias (Fe, Folic Acid), Xeropthalmia or dry eye disease (vitamin A
deficiency), and endemic goiter and/or cretinism (Iodine deficiency), could become
more widespread if additional sources of food are not found and if the infrastructure
for storage and transport of food is not developed. People in developed countries suffer
nutritional diseases of excess, and one goal of international initiatives on nutrition
is to help developing countries make the transition to safe and adequate diets while avoiding the pitfalls of the developed world's diet.
Environmental Issues Seminars Spring 1996
First Wednesdays 11:40 235 Brady Commons
Apr 3
Sustainable Landscaping
Denny Schrock - Horticulture
May 1
Throwing Away the Keys to the Kingdom: The Loss of Biological Diversity
Jim Carrel - Biology
BioRegional Quiz: Name at least three species (tree/shrub/herb)
that will bloom
in April (answer on back)
**********Environmental Studies Meeting**********
**********April 11, 3:40 pm Green Chapel**********
We have a new program to get off the ground, students to advise, courses to evaluate,
and plans to make. If you are interested in environmental studies at MU it is very
important that you attend this meeting and participate in the development of this
new area of study.
Student Environmental Habits Survey - Project of the MU Environmental Assessment Class
Thanks to the cooperation of Drs. Buck Buchanan, David McDonald and Don Sievert,
and their students in Biology 1, Psychology 1, and Philosophy 1, we were able to
survey over 1000 students' environmental habits. We analyzed the data from approximately
one third of our sample and hope to have the rest analyzed before the end of the semester.
Keeping in mind it was not a random sample of the student body
, here are some of our preliminary results.
Out of 330 students (about 1/3 from each class), 226 were freshman, 73 were sophomores,
13 were juniors, 18 were seniors, 199 were female and 131 were male. Of the 109
not living on campus, 54% walked or biked to campus and 37% drove a single occupant
vehicle. The remainder car pooled, 5%, or road the bus, 4%. When students living within
a mile from campus were excluded, 73% drove a single occupant vehicle. Fifty five
percent of dorm residents had seven or more appliances, and 46% had air conditioners
(68% of those left them on, even when they were not in the room). Sixty seven percent
of students discarded 12 or more ounces of edible food each day. About half the
students in dorms took showers that were longer than 10 minutes, while only a third
of students living off campus took showers that long. Students off campus produced slightly
more garbage than students on campus, but also recycled slightly more items. Eighty
two percent of students recycled at least one item, in most cases, aluminum cans.
Environmental Displays in the Ellis Library Cases
During the month of April, the Ellis Library Cases will feature displays assembled
by individual students and student groups. The displays will focus on some aspect
of the environment. Check the displays out when you visit Ellis.
Watershed Stewardship in Missouri: Status and Opportunities
April 2-3 Holiday Inn Executive Center, Columbia Missouri
For registration information, contact Joe G. Dillard, 882-9880 or the Holiday Inn
Executive Center 445-8531.
Organization Meeting Times and Events
(call to confirm meeting times and places
)
Environmental Studies Program Committee Meeting
882-7116 Thursday April 11 3:40 Green Chapel MU
MU Environmental Affairs Council
882-0611 Thursday April 4 3:40 call for location
MU Recycling Committee
882-5054 Thursday April 4 8:30 Rollins Dining Hall
Audubon Society
874-3904 third Wednesdays 7:30 Midwest Science Center 4200 New Haven Road
Earth Day Coalition
875-0539 Monday April 1 & 15 6 pm Peace Nook 804C East Broadway
Greenbelt Coalition
443-4401 first Tuesdays 7 pm #1 S. Fourth Street, Ste. A (under Triathletics)
KBXR Green Team
449-1520 Saturday April 6 9-12 cutting brush at Rockbridge bring gloves
(meet KBXR 8:45 am)
Mid MO Greens
449-8465 last Fridays 6 pm Village Wine and Cheese (social gathering)
Native Plant Society
449-1316 second Mondays 7 pm Midwest Science Center 4200 New Haven Road
Sierra Club
443-4401 or 442-7411 third Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Center
Show-Me Clean Streams Coalition
474-4524 third Wednesdays 7 pm MO Dept Conservation (College Ave)
Environmental Studies Courses FALL 1996
EnvStudy 110
Analysis of Environmental Issues - M 2:40 - 3:30, W 2:40 - 4:30 - This writing intensive
course requires students to integrate knowledge from a variety of sources into an
in depth analysis of a particular environmental issue. The analysis will incorporate significant perspectives on an issue and propose a satisfactory solution.
EnvStudy 150
Environmental Internship - This 1-2 hour credit course is a student initiated project
with a business, a government agency, or a non-profit organization. The project
should seek to address an environmental problem directly (like helping a business
start a recycling program) or should increase public awareness of environmental issues.
Special Courses
Stream Invertebrate Identification Class
Saturday May 4th, 9-4 , 39 Ag. Bldg MU, Contact Jim Davis 657-6108
BioRegional Quiz Answer:REDBUD, DOGWOOD, HICKORY, MAYAPPLE, SPRING
BEAUTY, SPIDERWORT, BLOODROOT, SHOOTING
STAR, COLUMBINE to name a few
MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative.
All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor.
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