ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER

October 17, 2005


In this issue:

** Upcoming ES Events: ES Graduate School night and  ES Lunchtime Colloquium, and a lunch opportunity with environmental lawyer, Ted Wolff ‘86  

** ES Program news: Professor Tietenberg is looking for a research assistant, Great Jan Plan courses!, Book Seminar: Nature’s Metropolis

** Campus Sustainability:    3-mile loop clean up -- Friday

** Jan Plan Funding Opportunities: Mellon and more

** Beyond Colby:  Opportunity to go to the UN Climate Negotiations!, Columbia University Open House

** Jobs and Internships:   Sea Turtle, Green Corps, EPA opportunities and more

 

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** Upcoming ES Events:

ES Graduate School Night
Professor Liliana Andonova and other ES faculty will be on hand to answer questions you might have as you consider your graduate studies
Tuesday October 18, Olin 234
7:00 p.m.
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“The New Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center: An example of Green Design”

Wednesday October 19

Meet in the lobby of the Alumni Center at noon.

Joe Feely, Colby Architect

What is so “green” about this building?  To the naked eye, the Alumni Center may look like any other building on campus – brick walls, copper roof, and ivory colored trim – however, there are many features of this building that make it sensitive to the local environment, conserve energy and natural resources, and create a healthy and pleasant environment for employees and visitors. 

Come take the tour and hear all about it.

(ES 401 credit)

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Tray Lunch with Environmental Lawyer, Ted Wolff '86
Thinking about environmental law as a career?
Ted Wolff returns to Colby to
talk about practicing law in the environmental field.
Friday October 21, 11:30 pm, Fairchild Room, Dana

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** ES Program news:  

Research Assistant Opportunity

Professor Tietenberg needs a student to work with him on the Colby greenhouse gas inventory. The job involves becoming familiar with the inventory software and conducting some analyses that will provide a foundation for future college actions in energy conservation and greenhouse gas management. It will also involve updating the inventory to include 2005 data and identifying cost-effective energy conservation options the college might pursue. If interested, contact Professor Tietenberg at thtieten@colby.edu.

 

ES113  Women and the Environment  

Three credit hours.  Gail Carlson

TWRF  9:00 – 10:50 am

The diverse and complex ways in which women and the natural environment intersect, using the works and voices of prominent women environmentalists and authors, including Rachel Carson and Terry Tempest Williams. Topics include how women around the globe participate in environmental issues, how women's participation has influenced Western science and environmental policy, and how the physical and chemical environment uniquely impacts women's health. An important theme of the course is that understanding the experiences, messages, and actions of women is critical to our approach to environmental issues today.

 

ES173  Environmental Law and Indian Tribes: The "Rez" and the "Hood"  

Three credit hours.  S. Peter  Sly

M, T, W, R    1:00 – 2:50

Federal environmental law often affects land use decisions. An examination of environmental decision-making in the context of the most regulated lands in the United States--Indian reservations. An overview of Indian law and policy will be followed by a look at layers of government involved in federal environmental regulation. Readings include edited judicial opinions that illustrate the historic threads of national environmental and Indian policies. For the final project students will consider an environmental issue involving a selected tribe and its neighbors.

 

** Both of these courses above will count toward the Humans and the Environment requirements for science majors and Environmental Issues requirements for policy majors.

 

Also in January:

PL197 Environmental Ethics
MTWR
9:00 - 10:50

An introduction to prominent questions and themes in environmental ethics.  We will begin with a study of theoretical approaches to nature, animals, and the place of human beings in the environment, including Social Ecology, Deep Ecology, Ecofeminism, and Ecopsychology.  Then we will consider a number of issues that raise ethical questions in the context of environmental philosophy, such as ecojustice, consumption, globalization, economics, poverty, pollution, biodiversity, education, population, technology, place, activism, and wilderness.

 

198Bj    Ecological Teaching and Learning    In a cooperative learning community, students explore the philosophical foundations of experiential, holistic, and ecological education. Students reflect on their own learning styles, levels of emotional engagement in various contexts, and messages received in school about their place in the web of life. Class sessions include theoretical discussion, observation of model educators, and practice using a variety of teaching techniques. Every student gains experience facilitating group activities, designing hands-on lessons, evaluating peer teachers, and teaching ecological concepts in the outdoors. A variety of learning environments are used for the course, including the dynamic winter ecosystems of riparian zones and forests during a three-day field trip. Nongraded. Three credit hours.    EDELGLASS

 

 

Book Seminar: Nature’s Metropolis

STS Professor Paul Josephson is hosting a book seminar Tuesdays at 5:45 in West Quad on William Cronon's NATURE's METROPOLIS.  They have room for a few more participants.  This would be good for ES majors and minors.  Those interested could contact Meg Smith (mmsmith@colby.edu).

 

 

 

 

 

** Campus Sustainability:  

Don’t forget – It is Campus Sustainability Month. The calendar of events is linked to the ES website: http://www.colby.edu/environ/SustainabilityMonth.htm

 

This week: 3-mile loop clean up. Meet at the Athletic Center at 3:00

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** Jan Plan Funding Opportunities:  ** Jan Plan Funding Opportunities: Mellon and more

 

Mellon Internship Stipend

The Environmental Studies Program has been awarded a grant by the Mellon Foundation to fund several environmental internship stipends. The amount of money available for each stipend will depend on the nature of the internship, the anticipated budget and financial needs of the applicant, and the availability of other resources including the employer's ability to provide partial compensation. Total awards will range from $600 to $3,000. Applications should be submitted to Beth Kopp, 221 Lunder, beth.kopp@colby.edu

Check out this website (or talk to Beth) for application criteria:

http://www.colby.edu/grants/esmellon/stipends.htm

Deadline is November 14

         

The Linda K. Cotter Internship Award Competition

Preference is given to unpaid internships at non-profit, humanitarian, scientific research (non-profit), or government (state, local, federal) organizations. Internships at for-profit organizations will be considered on a case by case basis. Awards for January are open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors; summer awards are open to students completing their first year, sophomore, and junior year. Awards are need based and applicants must have a current year financial aid application at Colby. January awards range from $600-$1000. Summer awards range from $600-$2500.

Deadline is October 21, 2005.

 

 

The David Strage '82 International Internship

Provides a stipend of $1,000 to defray the travel and/or living expenses of one Colby student pursuing an international internship over January term. Applicants must be Juniors in good standing with a minimum gpa of 3.5, with a preference for students who have little international experience.

Deadline is October 21, 2005.

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** Beyond Colby:  This is your final opportunity to apply to attend to the UN Climate Negotiations in Montreal, Nov. 28-Dec.9, as an observer through the Climate Campaign!  If you have not written to me and are interested in being allowed into meeting proceedings, you must send the following information to mboyle@climatecampaign.org

Which day(s) you expect you'll be available to be in Montreal

Your full name, title, position, organization, address, telephone, fax, and email address (this is what the Secretariat asks for, so please submit as much of this information as exists for you!)

(If you have already emailed me you will be receiving a confirmation tomorrow)

We are a delegation of over 40 and counting!  Logistics/activities for our time in Montreal will be organized with the help of our delegation and in collaboration with youth and adult organizations from across the United States and Canada.  We hope that you will  apply to your school or organization for funding support to help offset costs, and are available to help guide you through that process.

Interested in the being a part of the effort but can't make it to Montreal?  Play a key role- check out the December 3  International Day of Action at http://www.globefox.com/cacc/gcc/index-en.shtml, begin thinking about what you and your campus/community can do on Dec. 3 to raise awareness, and help continue the conversation on the International Day of Action- email me at mboyle@climatecampaign.org to let me know you're interested!

 

The Earth Institute at Columbia University is hosting an Environmental Programs Open House next Tuesday, October 18th, providing information and answering questions about the wide and exciting range of programs offered. Along with providing information on a variety of course offerings, representatives of the different environmental programs will be at the Open House to talk to students about research and internship opportunities, and ways of matching the curriculum with students career goals. 

 

        Please encourage those who might be interested to attend the Open House, and find out how they can play an active and important role in the future of this planet.

 

When: Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2005

Time: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Where: Faculty Room, Low Library, Columbia University

Located at 116th and Broadway, New York, NY 10027

Please RSVP to Louise Rosen, 212-854-3142, or students@ei.columbia.edu

Refreshments will be served www.earth.columbia.edu/education

 

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** Jobs and Internships:

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS -

Women for Sustainable Development 2006: A Capacity Building Initiative of the
National Wildlife Federation


The National Wildlife Federation is once again offering a unique opportunity
to undergraduate student women in the United States and Mexico with an
interest in international sustainable development . The Women for Sustainable
Development project is an excellent opportunity for students interested in
entering the environmental field to learn more about global environmental
issues and to meet professionals working in the field, while gaining valuable
skills.

Participants selected for WSD will attend a three-day conference in
Washington, D.C., January 6-8, 2006 , where they will learn about current
global environmental issues, receive skills training such as grassroots
organizing, and meet with professionals working in the sustainable
development field. Upon returning to their campuses, participants will
organize an outreach event aimed at increasing public awareness regarding
international sustainable development.

TO LEARN MORE about the Women for Sustainable Development project, and to
download an application, please visit our website at www.nwf.org/population
or send an email to population@nwf.org .

Deadline for applications is November 3, 2005 . Electronic applications are
preferred. Limited travel scholarships are available.

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Organization: Community Farms Outreach and Waltham Fields Community Farm
Contact: Amanda Cather
Email: farmmanager@communityfarms.org
Description: The education intern will identify, recruit, schedule and lead school and afterschool groups in age-appropriate farm work and seasonal activities, using our 10-acre farm as an outdoor classroom. Curriculum resources, training and mentoring available in our organization. An opportunity to gain experience in outdoor education in a farm setting, working closely with farm staff and volunteers in a small, community-based organization.
Qualifications: Education or experience in outdoor education and program management; experience with organic farming preferred but not required.
Location:
Waltham, MA
Duration: 3 months in spring of 2006, flexible start and end date
This is an unpaid internship. No housing is available. Our staff will work with applicants to ensure that requirements for academic credit are met.

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Earthwatch International

680 Mt. Auburn St., P.O. Box 9104, Watertown, Massachusetts 02272; (800) 776-0188 fax: (617) 926-8532 email: info@earthwatch.org www.earthwatch.org EARTHWATCH Institute is an international nonprofit organization which supports scientific field research worldwide through its volunteers and scientists working together to improve our understanding of the planet. Through public participation in field research, Earthwatch helps scientists gather data and communicate information that will empower people and governments to act wisely as global citizens.Earthwatch offers its members the opportunity to work side by side with distinguished field scientists in their work in seven focused areas of sponsored research: World Oceans; World Forests; Biodiversity; Cultural Diversity; Learning from the Past; Monitoring Global Change; World Health. In 1999, the organization will sponsor 145 projects in 51 countries and 23 states. Projects are divided into roughly one to three-week-long teams to enable members of the public to participate, with successive teams over the research duration.

Turtle Island Earth Stewards

P.O. Box 3308, Salmon Arm, B.C. V1E 4S1, fax: (250) 832-9942, email: ties@jetstream.net, www.landtrust.org/turtlleisland.htm. Turtle Island Earth Stewards (TIES) is a charitable society involved in private conservancy, environmental education and international stewardship projects with Southern partners in developing countries since 1975. TIES is a land trust resource group that helps establish Community Land Trusts in Canada, operates as a Community Land Trust in the Shuswap-North Okanagan region of British Columbia, and assists private property owners to steward their properties or to place their lands and forests in trust.

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Sponsor: Environmental Protection Agency

Workplace: Environmental Protection Agency

Program: ECO/EPA

Description:
The ECO Associate will use GIS to research environmental situations of Superfund sites for the EPA Office of Environmental Justice. The student will learn effective research techniques to experience how the site information is mapped and stored.  The intern will be involved with the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council and Hispanic Environmental Hotline.

The student will gain exposure and experience in Superfund research and research techniques.  He/she will learn environmental laws and policies. He/she will gain knowledge of EPA's ability to understand and solve environmental problems.  

Qualifications:
Undergraduate student from any academic major who are interested in environmental justice research.

The intern candidate must be a citizen of the United States, its territories, or possessions, or lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. They must also be a current undergraduate or graduate student at the start of the internship; or a college graduate who is taking post-graduate courses toward another degree, or a college graduate who will return to school in nine months after starting the internship.
ECO Associates cannot work in the same office as any relative who is an EPA employee. This means they cannot work in the same supervisory (management) chain as their relative, and that they also cannot work for a subordinate of their relative. ECO Associates must work in a totally separate and unrelated project from that of a relative. Interns must disclose information about any relatives employed at the Agency, including their name, office, title, and contact information. Former employees of EPA are not eligible for the program within two years of employment at EPA.

Terms:
Full-time, Part-time; 26 weeks; $15 an hour; Start Date: October 2005; Deadline to Apply: October 16, 2005

 

 

 

Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division ,Law and Policy Section: Intern Position

 

The Law and Policy Section (LPS) advises and assists the Assistant Attorney General on legal and policy issues. Working with the Office of Legislative Affairs, the Section coordinates and oversees the Division's legislative program, including representing the Department on interagency groups that develop the Administration's position on legislation. LPS also litigates amicus cases and undertakes other specially assigned litigation projects at the trial and appellate levels. Other duties include monitoring and participating in citizen suits; responding to citizen mail, congressional and FOIA requests; and serving as the Division's ethics officers. LPS attorneys also coordinate the Division's activities on international environmental matters and environmental justice matters.

 

Duties of the unpaid undergraduate intern position include: responding to citizen correspondence; attending Congressional hearings and reporting on environmental legislation; researching legal and policy issues; and providing support for the section's litigation.

 

The position is available for the fall, spring and summer semesters. Applications for 2006 Winter internships will be considered on a rolling basis, but must be received by the application deadline, November 15, 2005.

To apply, please fax a cover letter, resume, transcript copy, and 3-5 page writing sample to Nadia Rhazi at (202)514-4231, or mail the above to:

Nadia Rhazi

Environment and Natural Resources Division/LPS

P.O. Box 4390

Washington, DC 20044-4390

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 2006-2007 Paid Environmental Leadership Training Program

Green Corps 2006-2007 Environmental Leadership Program

Full-time, paid fellowships to top student leaders to get the training they need to win urgent environmental campaigns.

Whether it’s with Greenpeace, the Sierra Club, MoveOn.org, or the Alaska Wilderness Coalition, behind the top environmental organization’s field campaigns, you’ll find a Green Corps organizer. We give one-year fellowships to top student leaders to receive in-depth training and experience running urgent campaigns.

 

Organization. Green Corps is the non-profit Field School for Environmental Organizing, founded by leading environmentalists in 1992 to identify and train environmental leaders. Our program includes intensive classroom training, hands-on experience running urgent environmental and public health campaigns, and placement in permanent leadership positions with leading environmental and social change groups.

 

Training. Our intensive classroom training features workshops such as Global Warming Strategy, Corporate Accountability Campaigns, Community Organizing Against Toxic Threats and Effective Media: Messaging and Framing. Workshops are lead by the nation’s top environmental and social change leaders, such as Adam Ruben, Political Director of MoveOn.org, Bob Bingaman, National Field Director of Sierra Club, and Dolores Huerta, Co-Founder of United Farm Workers. Our field training puts you on the front lines of today’s most urgent environmental campaigns.

 

Locations & Dates: We have positions open nationwide. The program begins in August 2006, with the Introductory Classroom Training in Boston, and concludes with graduation in August 2007.

 

Responsibilities. Plan and implement a series of critical environmental campaigns with groups like Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club and Defenders of Wildlife. You will secure media coverage, recruit and manage volunteers/interns, train new leaders, and mobilize grassroots pressure.

 

Career Development. Our graduates are in high demand and quickly find jobs working on issues they care about. Upon completion of the training program, Green Corps will connect you to organizations that are seeking full-time professional staff. Green Corps' graduates hold leadership positions with MoveOn.org, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Global Exchange, Rainforest Action Network, Natural Resources Defense Council, Friends of the Earth, ForestEthics, and many other environmental and progressive groups.

 

Qualifications. We will invite 25 recent college graduates to join Green Corps in 2006-2007. We are looking for people who are serious about saving the planet, have demonstrated leadership experience, and want to work for change over the long haul.

 

Salary & Benefits. Salary of $23,750. Optional group health care coverage, paid sick days and holidays, two weeks paid vacation, and a student loan repayment program for qualifying staff.

 

To Apply. To apply for Green Corps' 2006-2007 Environmental Leadership Training Program, fill out our online application by our Early Submission deadline of January 13, 2006. Regional deadlines, campus interview dates, and online application are at www.greencorps.org.

 

Contact. Jesse Littlewood, Recruitment Director, at jobs@greencorps.org, or 617-426-8506.