On this week’s show, our hostsRebecca Hardin, Whitney Smith and Nicholas Bruscato discussed Growing Authentic Leaders from Communities Most Impacted by Environmental Injustice and Climate Changewith the distinguished Dr. Robert Bullard– “The Father of Environmental Justice” and current Dean of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University.
What is Environmental Justice?
Environmental Justice is 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 (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). The Principles of Environmental Justice can be viewed here
Today’s show features Jimmy Chin, renowned North Face team Climber and Photographer, Will Weber, Founder of Journeys International and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and Benjamin Morse, SNRE MSc. student (2016) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
It is 2015 and we are back! To kick off the new year on It’s Hot in Here, our hosts Rebecca Hardin and Sam Molnar discussed Agroecology with Dr. Marney Isaac, Assisant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Agroecosystems & Development at the University of Toronto.
Bio:Dr. Marney Isaac, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Agroecosystems & Development, conducts interdisciplinary research on plant strategies and the nutrient economy of agroecological systems while concurrently charting the human dimension of agroecosystem management. Her research provides mechanistic insights into the ecological principles, nutrient cycles, and plant-soil interactions that govern the structure and function of agricultural landscapes, with particular attention on identification of strategies for environmental services, system resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Her research approach makes use of a diverse set of technical tools and employs various temporal and spatial scales: from mechanistic manipulative trials at the rhizosphere scale to large agroecosystem dynamics. She also supervises an international research program investigating agrarian management networks and environmental governance, with an emphasis on understanding innovation in large social-agroecological systems. She has published widely in environmental science, agronomic and multi-disciplinary journals including Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, Agronomy for Sustainable Development and Ecology and Society.
In addition to agroecology, we followed up with the SNRE MS students after their trip to Peru for the international climate negotiations at the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP20) in Lima, Peru. The SNRE students that we had on the show included second-year graduate students from the School of Natural Resources and Environment COP20 student delegation. We discussed their exciting experiences at one of the most prominent climate talks in the world.
Our show this week maintained a theme of innovation and taking new approaches to protect the environment and manage land. This segment was a wonderful start to the new year and we are excited for all that 2015 has to offer.
In September of 2013 (just as the ’13-’14 season of It’s Hot In Here was kicking off) Traverse City-based oil and gas company West Bay Exploration performed seismic tests west of Ann Arbor to map out potential sites for oil extraction. Eight months later, 300 people stood side by side to partake in an informational forum on oil exploration in Scio Township. As West Bay actively seeks out the necessary mineral leases from Scio homeowners in order to drill, concerned residents are uniting to learn about oil leasing and empower fellow homeowners to fully explore their options before turning over drilling rights to the company. Continue reading Michigan Black Gold (Season Finale)→
In November of 2013, SNRE students Jenny Cooper, Rachel Jacobson, and Chris Wolff joined the throngs of international delegates at the COP19 UN climate talks in Warsaw, Poland. In this episode of IHIH, they share some of their most memorable experiences. Listen in and let their stories transport you to the hectic, yet hopeful, scenes in Warsaw’s National Stadium, where over 10,000 participants from 89 countries came together to negotiate how to best safeguard present and future generations from climate change.
We kick off the show looking at what the most sustainable Christmas tree options are (with one of our hosts even citing some insight she gained from a life cycle assessment she ran!). Then we set our sights on Delray, one of Detroit’s most impoverished neighborhoods. It is a long-time victim to city planning efforts, sits in the most polluted zip code in the state of Michigan, and is the future home of the bridge plaza for the proposed International Trade Crossing to Canada – that is all to say, it is a HOT-BED for environmental injustice. Listen in asUrban Planning Professor Larissa Larsen joins us in the studio to discuss the muddy terrain of urban sustainability in Delray. We will also have recent UM gradChris Detjen in the studio to share his experiences living in Detroit and working on sustainability issues. The whole radio hour is punctuated by some catchy Detroit tunes. Do tune in!
Tune in to get a sense of the mood in DC — hear from the Michigan League of Conservation Voters on who’s greenest on your ballot — from Emily/Judy about the role of business in sustainability and from who we hope will be America’s next top political pundit Colin Warren.
