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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 14, 2008
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In this issue:
** UPCOMING ES PROGRAM EVENTS: The Guide to Finding an Environmental Internship (Wednesday)
** ALSO ON CAMPUS: 20th Anniversary Celebration of Science, Technology and Society at Colby College (Friday), Operation Wallacea (Thursday)
** BEYOND CAMPUS: Greenbuild Conference and Expo, Paddle on the Sebasticook River with Maine Rivers
** CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: Sustainability month continues!!
** JOBS & INTERNSHIPS: Editorial Intern Position Orion Magazine, Environment America, Defending Water for Life in Maine, Herman’s House Intern, National Council for Science and the Environment
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In this issue:
** UPCOMING ES PROGRAM EVENTS:
The Guide to Finding an Environmental Internship
The ES Program is working with Career Services to expand the environmentally focused Jan plan opportunities. Jillian LaCroix, Colby’s Internship Coordinator, will hold a workshop, “Guide to Finding an Environmental Internship” Wednesday, October 15 from 4:00 – 5:00 in Diamond 146. Please join us for advice from Jillian as well as reports from three ES students on their recent internship experiences. To sign up for the workshop, please go to: <http://www.colby.edu/careercenter> and choose “Colby Connect” on the left menu. Sign into Colby Connect using your full email address and student ID number. You will then be prompted to complete the student profile. After doing so you will be able to RSVP for workshops and events. If you have any trouble with this process please visit the Career Center in Eustis 107 or call x4140.
** ALSO ON CAMPUS:
20th Anniversary Celebration of Science, Technology and Society at Colby College
Friday, October 17th, 2008
4:30 seminar, Lovejoy 100 (cookies at 4:00)
You Can Argue with the Facts: A political history of climate change
Naomi Oreskes, Departments of History and Science Studies and Provost of Sixth College, UCSD
Scientists believe in facts. They believe that evidence is “evident,” and that by and large “truth wins out.” Scientists also generally subscribe to a supply-side model of knowledge: supply the knowledge, and it will trickle down to whomever needs to know it. Experience shows these presumptions are incorrect. Among other things, if people have deep reasons to resist the knowledge being presented, they can and will argue with the facts, often quite effectively. This is very clear in the case of climate science. In recent years there has been considerable resistance to the conclusions of climate scientists that global warming is upon us, but few people know that this resistance has a long history-one almost as long as the scientific study of global warming itself. In 1979, climate scientists had a consensus that anthropogenic greenhouse gases would lead to global warming---it was simply a matter of time-and that this warming would have serious deleterious consequences. Almost immediately, resistance developed. It began by arguing with the interpretation of the significance of facts, but it soon transmogrified into arguing with the very facts themselves-a situation that in the United States, continues to this day, despite the overwhelming efforts of scientists (and others) to remedy it.
Naomi Oreskes (Ph.D., Stanford) works on the historical development of scientific knowledge, methods, and practices in the earth and environmental sciences. Her 2004 essay The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change (Science 306: 1686), led to a number of op-ed pieces and has been widely cited. She is the author of Science on a Mission: American Oceanography in the Cold War and Beyond, forthcoming from the University of Chicago Press, and Fighting Facts, forthcoming from Bloomsbury. Her testimony to the United States Senate on the history of climate science may be accessed at http://epw.senate.gov/epwmultimedia/epw120606.ram.
Operation Wallacea Presentation at Colby
Thurs Oct 16th 4:30-5:30pm Diamond Bldg. Rm 145
Academics! When was the last time you discovered a new species? In fact! When was the last time your research had a direct impact on the protection of a species? If your research interest is related to zoology, environmental conservation or ecology call us to learn more about our visiting academic program.
Students! Tired of hearing about the same boring BSc, MSc, or PhD projects? Why not make up your own and join us in the jungles of Indonesia? the depths of the Red Sea? or the South African bush? for the study of your dreams and the envy of your lecturers!
Operation Wallacea is the newest, safest, most educational, and exciting way for US students and academics to conduct their own research in some of the most remote and threatened habitats of the world. Over the last ten years, multidisciplinary academics from as far as Tasmania to as near as Connecticut, have helped us with the necessary research to establish protected areas of international importance in Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, Honduras and Mozambique, while supervising enthusiastic and motivated undergraduate and post-graduate students from the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and more recently the USA.
The initiative of the student in their project design, and the novelty and importance of their research at our field sites, generally leads to top grades in independent research projects, and more importantly, incites a passion for their field through hands on experience and direct contribution to science. Many are left with a yearning to come back and get more involved on graduation, but don’t just take our word for it! Here’s what some students had to say:
Operation Wallacea is currently signing students up for next summers programs! Places are limited so call us today (Ph: 732-746-3140) or email us at usa@opwall.com to learn more about how you could join us on expedition and maybe even earn credit for an internship, independent study or a senior thesis.
** CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY:
Sustainability month continues, don’t miss these great events!
- Weekly bike trip to the Downtown Waterville Farmers’ Market
Meet Thursday, 4.15pm at the iBike stand
Friday 17th October, Foss Dining Hall
Sit down and discuss environmental issues with the President Bro Adams this Friday, 12 noon in the Foss Dining Hall. Share your ideas about sustainability with the President and listen to what he has to say about Colby’s future plans for sustainability and our Campus Climate Commitment.
Please email lychan@colby.edu to RSVP or if you have any questions.
** BEYOND CAMPUS:
Greenbuild Conference and Expo is being held in Boston, MA this November 19-21st, 2008. Volunteer opportunities will be available from November 18th- 22nd, 2008.
Spread the word to your students, friends and colleagues! All full-time students and/or professionals age 25 and under are eligible to attend for FREE…
In exchange for an 8-hour volunteer shift and attendance at a volunteer orientation, eligible volunteers will receive a free pass to the conference. This is a great value and a fantastic learning and networking opportunity.
Please forward this email and attached flyer NOW to all full-time students, school environmental organizations, or professionals age 25 and under; and display the flyer in student common areas, if allowed. We will be filling volunteer slots on a first come, first serve basis, and encourage students to register now. Individual volunteer shifts will be available for enrollment immediately after Labor Day. People who sign up should be serious about their commitment since their help at the conference will be crucial to its success.
We are counting on professors, administrators, school faculty, professional organizations and you to help spread the word about the event and the benefits of volunteering. In addition, this year the USGBC has changed the eligibility requirements of volunteers to include not only full time students, but also professionals age 25 and under.
If you would like more information, feel free to contact the Boston Volunteers Host Committee at greenbuildboston@gmail.com. Eligible volunteers may go to http://usgbc.volunteerhub.com and register TODAY. For more information about the conference in general and the exhibitors and educational sessions available to you when you volunteer, please go to http://www.greenbuildexpo.com.
We look forward to welcoming all volunteers to Boston in 2008! Thank you for assistance.
This message is brought to by the Volunteer Sub-Committee, Greenbuild Boston 2008
Maine Rivers and Sebasticook River Watershed Association invite you to a river paddle
Join us on Sunday, October 19th for an informal paddle on the Sebasticook River, departing from the Benton Falls dam at 11:00 am and continuing to the former site of the Fort Halifax dam. We expect the 5 ½ mile trip will take about two hours.
Please share this with friends, and let us know by Thursday, October 16th if you are planning to come-- with or without a canoe-- and we’ll follow up with logistics for carpooling
For more information:
Landis Hudson, Maine Rivers, landis@mainerivers.org, phone 623-2157
** JOBS & INTERNSHIPS:
Editorial Intern Position Orion Magazine, Great Barrington, MA
Orion magazine is accepting applications for Editorial Internship for 2009. This is a twelve-month position, commencing in January 2009. The Editorial Intern will be exposed to all aspects of producing a high-quality, bimonthly publication at an award-winning nonprofit publication. The Intern is expected to work a forty-hour week. The position pays an after-tax stipend of $1,000/month, or $1,500 if the intern holds a relevant post-graduate degree (this may include natural sciences as well as literature and journalism).
The Orion staff is small and functions in a collaborative manner. The Editorial Intern will assist in basic administrative tasks such as mail management, correspondence with readers and contributors, photocopying, the taking of meeting minutes, fact checking, evaluating unsolicited submissions, proofreading, and tracking down information. The intern may be given responsibility for elements of the magazine’s content if, in the judgment of senior staff, such responsibility is appropriate. Recent Orion interns have gone on to jobs in media (including Orion), in social activism, and to graduate school.
Please become familiar with the magazine before you apply. Submit in hard copy a résumé, letter of interest, three unedited writing samples, and three references (with contact information and annotation regarding their relationship to the applicant), to be received at Orion no later than November 15, 2008. A selection will be made by December 15. Address applications to:
Harlan C. Clifford
Executive Editor
Orion Magazine
187 Main Street
Great Barrington, MA 01230
Promising candidates will be contacted by phone and may be asked to come to Orion for an interview at their own expense. Please, no phone calls or emails
Environmental Fellowship, Environment America, Nationwide
ENVIRONMENT AMERICA hiring college grads for upcoming campaigns. Also hiring for environmental organizations in other states.
We all want clean air, clean water and open spaces. But it takes independent research and tough-minded advocacy to win concrete results for our environment, especially when powerful interests stand in the way of environmental progress. That's the idea behind Environment America. We focus on protecting America’s air, water and open spaces. We speak out and take action at the local, state and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.
Environment America is hiring for our Fellowship Program. We're part of a nationwide network of similar state-based environmental organizations that are also hiring. If you're interested in a position in another state, you can apply through Environment America.
Fellowship Program: Job Description
We're hiring recent college graduates and graduating college seniors to help win campaigns with Environment America or one of our partner organizations. By working together, our network's efforts to pass renewable energy standards in the states have already resulted in decreasing global warming pollution - the equivalent of taking 1.5 million cars off the road. We have preserved our natural heritage by securing permanent protection for 58.5 million acres of pristine wilderness areas in 39 states. We protected countless waterways in the states, including the passage of 7 ocean protection bills in California.
Environment America Fellows will get a chance to work with some of the top environmental advocates and organizers in the country, and will have an immediate impact on a critical environmental issue. The Fellowship Program gives recent college graduates the training and experience to assume leadership roles in the environmental movement for the long term.
The Fellowship Program positions include, but are not limited to:
* Issue Associate: As an issue associate, you'll master your issue area and build the kind of powerful support it takes to make your voice heard and change public policy. Responsibilities include: researching and writing reports, developing and coordinating campaigns, preparing legislative testimony, building statewide and national coalitions, organizing media events, raising funds, and meeting with elected officials.
* Field Associate: As a field associate, you'll build and demonstrate support for proposals at the state or federal level to ensure that decision-makers hear from and pay attention to the public. You must quickly master the basics of a variety of issues, and then reach out to individuals, media outlets and organizations to build visibility and gain their support.
Issue associates and field associates may work on any of the following issues: global warming, energy policy, clean air and water, preserving our open spaces, and more. Each associate takes on the critical role of building the organization by canvassing at various times during the year and running a citizen outreach office during the summer.
Qualifications
We are looking for recent college graduates who care about the environment and are driven to preserve it for the future. We look for strong leadership skills, academic excellence, problem solving ability, and top-notch written and verbal skills. We value experience with campus and activist groups.
Training and Experience
A key part of the Environment America mission is to train leaders who are capable of organizing and winning results for the environment. Immediately following an intensive training, fellows are trusted with significant responsibilities in their jobs. The initial training lasts 10 days and is fully paid. Four additional trainings take place during the rest of the year. Training topics include skills and political strategy, and topics are covered in a mix of lectures, classroom briefings and discussions, role-plays, and in-the-field training. Throughout the year, you gain valuable skills and experience in both making your voice heard on the issues and in building an organization through grant-writing, canvassing, recruiting and managing staff, and directing campaigns.
Placement
Fellowship candidates are considered for positions with Environment America and our network of state-based environmental organizations across the country. If you are interested only in particular locations, you will be asked to identify those locations during the interview process. If you are offered a fellowship position, you are guaranteed placement in one of your desired locations. In most cases, final placement, including location and position, occurs during the initial training.
Salary & Benefits*
As a recent graduate, you will earn $23,750 in your first year and $24,250 in your second year. Salary for experienced candidates is commensurate with relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees. You will be eligible to opt in to our group health plan, and will accrue two weeks paid vacation over the course of your first year, three weeks in your second year and will be eligible to apply for college loan assistance. In your second year, you will also be eligible to participate in our 401(k) plan.
Locations
Our network of environmental organizations is currently hiring for positions in: Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Tallahassee, FL; Atlanta, GA; Des Moines, IA; Chicago, IL; Portland, ME; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor, MI; Concord, NH; Trenton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Raleigh, NC; Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Harrisburg, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Madison, WI
How to apply:
Click here to apply online, www.environmentamerica.org/jobs/environmental-fellowship, and make sure you include the following ad code 'efor-tem-df' in the application.
We’ll carefully consider your application, and if we think you’re a good fit we’ll get in touch.
For more information, visit www.EnvironmentAmerica.org/jobs/.
*Salary and Benefits vary in California and New York.
This is a Work for Progress recruitment campaign conducted on behalf of Environment America.
Defending Water for Life in Maine seeks a Jan-Plan Research-Activist Intern
The Defending Water for Life Campaign focuses on educating Maine communities about the global water crisis and its local implications. Our work is grounded in the following goals:
● to preserve and expand local democratic control of water and water services;
● to ensure an open democratic process with regard to decisions relating to the use of local water resources, the cost of water services, and any proposals to shift operation or ownership of public systems to private corporations;
● to ensure safe and affordable water for all people now and in the future;
● to protect water-related environmental resources; and
● to counter corporate marketing of water as a commodity by advocating that water be treated as a public
resource to be held in the public trust as a commons to be protected for people and nature for all time.
● To change water from being treated as an economic commodity, and instead managed within a framework that water is a fundamental right to people and nature.
Today, the Defending Water for Life campaign is working to unify rural communities that would otherwise be isolated in their efforts to defend their groundwater. We believe that by developing statewide power in this way that both local and state initiatives will emerge that create comprehensive and democratic solutions that will protect Maine's groundwater for generations to come. For more info, please check out www.defendingwaterinmaine.org
We are looking for an intern that can devote 30 hours a week during their short-semester to help Defending Water for Life develop a Maine Water Reader. The intern must be self-motivated and able to work independently. Other research experience is helpful. The internship will take place in Maine.
Topics of research include:
1. Rights Based Organizing. Defending Water for Life works within a rights based framework. In the same vain that abolitionists advocated for the rights of African-Americans and suffragists advocated for the rights of women, we work to advocate the rights of nature. Research assistant will look into effective strategies used by passed rights-based movements (ie abolition, women's rights, civil rights, etc) and help develop our future strategy within this framework.
2. Agricultural, industrial, and utility water use in Maine.
3. environmental and labor violations by bottle water industry in Maine.
4. environmental health of Maine's surface waters.
5. Impacts of developing green-jobs in Maine
6. Challenges faced by Penobscot and Passamaquoddy in their efforts to protect their water resource.
If you are interested please contact
Emily Posner.
Organizer for Defending Water for Life
info@defendingwaterinmaine.org
www.defendingwaterinmaine.org
207-930-5232
Herman House
For over thirty-six years Herman Joshua Wallace has been in solitary confinement in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Solitary Confinement, or Closed Cell Restriction (CCR) at Angola consists of spending a minimum of 23 hours a day in a six-foot-by-nine-foot cell. In 2003 the activist/artist Jackie Sumell asked Herman a very simple question: "What kind of house does a man who has lived in a 6' x9' box for over thirty years dream of?" The answer to this question has manifested in a remarkable project called THE HOUSE THAT HERMAN BUILT. The House that Herman Built seeks an independent, self-motivated artist-activist intern for the month of January
for more info contact: Jackie Sumell jackie@sumell.org www.hermanshouse.orgThe internship takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana. the intern will work directly with artist-activist Jackie Sumell, taking on administrative and organizational responsibilities for the month. other responsibilities will include looking for property to build Herman’s House, updating the website and Herman’s House supporters, and potentially traveling to Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.
NCSC Internships
The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) offers internships for students and recent graduates throughout the year. Preference is given to students or graduates of the NCSE's University Affiliate institutions. “Semester in Washington” students are encouraged to apply but they will not receive a stipend but will earn credit. Please find application instructions at the bottom of the page. We look forward to hearing from you.
Application Calendar for Internships with NCSE:
Internship Period Start Date End Date Application Deadline
Spring January mid-May Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Summer mid-May August Friday, February 27, 2009
Fall September December Friday, June 26, 2009
All interns will gain a diverse experience during their tenure at NCSE, engaging in a variety of programs, projects and general office tasks. Interns may assist in outreach to the academic, governmental, business, and civil communities. Opportunities made available to interns include attending briefings, seminars and conferences -- all important networking opportunities in DC and on Capitol Hill.
Rewards
* Hands on learning about political processes, science and the environment
* Participation in significant national initiatives
* Washington, DC experience
* Connections with environmental scientists and decisionmakers
* Small stipend ($1,400/month)
* Social activities
Responsibilities may include working on any number of our programs:
Education and Careers, Science Solutions, Annual Conference, Earth Portal , Science Policy . Additionally, interns will work with general management of the NCSE to maintain website design, electronic outreach, databases management, LAN support, web research, and content evaluation. Strong candidates will be particularly interested in working on fundraising and development issues.
Duration:
Internships usually last for 3 months with an opportunity for extension and promotion.
40 hours per week; Monday – Friday.
To apply:
Review " About NCSE." http://ncseonline.org/01about/cms.cfm?id=1144
1. Application, download and complete our form
2. Resume, include service and volunteer activities
3. Cover Letter, what intersest you most about the internship
4. Writing Sample, 1-3 pages, relevant to the environment or policy
5. Two References, with names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
All applications should be submitted to:
internships@ncseonline.org (email submissions preferred)
or
Internship
National Council for Science and the Environment
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
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