------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ENVIRONMENTAL STUDI

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM

NEWSLETTER

October 2, 2006

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In this issue:

** Upcoming ES Program Events: ES Colloquia: "Climate Change; More Than Inconvenient"

Tuesday 7:00 pm Olin 1, Dr. Jose Molinas, World Bank, "Social Capital, Millennium Goals,

and Local Development: The Development Initiative in Crapegua, Paraguay."

** Also on Campus: Economics Alum returns for lecture: "Does Restructuring the Electric

Industry have Environmental Consequences?"

** Campus Sustainability: The ES Club kicks off Sustainability Month with showing of An

Inconvenient Truth!,

** In the News: Greg LaShoto, '07J contributes data for major NRCM study on climate change

** Beyond Colby: Have you been to Professor Tatelbaum's house? Now is your chance! She's

on the National Solar Tour, Environment Mane event

** Jobs and Internships: Green Corps is interviewing '07 grads, Department of Justice,

Death Valley Interpretation Center, & more

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** UPCOMING ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM EVENTS:

Tuesday, October 3

7:00 Olin 1

"Climate Change; More Than Inconvenient"

Sherry Huber, Mainewatch Institute

Sherry has been the Executive Director of the Maine TREE Foundation since 1996. Prior to

that she served as the Executive Director of the Maine Waste Management Agency

(1989-1995) and as a consultant to private, non-profit organizations for fundraising and

development. Sherry chairs the Board of Directors of the Mainewatch Institute and is

President of the Forest Society of Maine. She recently was elected to the Board of

Directors of the Land Trust Alliance. Sherry is a graduate of Smith College and the

recipient of the Down East Magazine Environmental Award in 2002

She will discuss recent developments in the global warming debate, in particular former

Vice President Al Gore's "missing reel" from the end of An Inconvenient Truth, a major

speech calling for a series of actions from freezing carbon dioxide emissions to

revamping the auto industry, factories and farms. Maine and other states could play a

major role until more politicians are willing to step into the "no politician zone," she

says.

Friday, October 6

12:00 in the Robins Room on the second floor of Roberts. (Grab a tray and join us!)

"Social Capital, Millennium Goals, and Local Development: The Development Initiative in

Crapegua, Paraguay"

Dr. Jose Molinas, Senior Economist, World Bank

Poverty Reduction and Economic Management

Latin America and the Caribbean Region

Looking ahead:

On October 24, Gary Gardner, Director of Research, WorldWatch Institute, will be deliver

this semester's Hollis lecture, "Inspiring Progress: Religions' Contributions to

Sustainable Development"

His book (same title) is on sale now at the bookstore, if you would like a head start.

** ALSO ON CAMPUS: Erin Mansur '95

Sponsored by the ES Club:

An Inconvenient Truth, Monday October 2, 8pm

Al Gore's recent film, An Inconvenient Truth, will be shown on Monday, October 2nd, at

8:00pm in Olin 1. This film is an accessible introduction to the scientific, cultural,

economic, and ethical dimensions of global climate change, one of the most significant

moral issues of our time. Surprisingly, An Inconvenient Truth is also riveting cinema;

it is an entertaining movie that ends on a very hopeful note.

** IN THE NEWS

During last semester, as a part of Professor Nyhus’ Global Information Systems (GIS)

course,Greg LaShoto was a part of a final project group that did a small amount of

research for the NRCM related to the impact of rising sea levels associated with global

climate change. This research led to hire Greg as as a part time summer intern at NRCM

to produce a more detailed final product for a press conference and awareness raising

event.

The article:

Maine Coast Could Be Devastated by Global Warming

Analysis Shows Major Impacts to Homes, Economy, and Environment

PORTLAND, MAINE - Today, the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) released one of

the most complete depictions ever done of the potential impacts on Maine’s coastline

from rising sea levels due to global warming. Using the latest available science,

NRCM’s analysis shows that coastal businesses, homes, wildlife habitat, transportation

systems, and some of the state’s most treasured places are highly vulnerable to

sea-level rise.

NRCM identified 20 “Most at Risk” communities along Maine’s entire coastline – from

York and Kennebunkport to Jonesport and Beals – where rising sea level could result in

the loss of up to 30% of a town’s land and cause millions of dollars worth of damage to

property and infrastructure [See chart]. NRCM today placed flagging tape along several

blocks in downtown Portland to indicate where the new coastline would lie if major

sea-level rise occurs.

“If sea-level rise continues as currently projected, then many coastal Maine communities

will be hit hard, harming Maine people, businesses and natural resources,” said NRCM’s

energy project director Dylan Voorhees.

“Our analysis has produced potential snapshots of Maine’s future, when parts of

Portland could be submerged, coastal beach communities could be devastated, even portions

of President Bush’s family compound at Walker’s Point may be under water,” added

Voorhees. The NRCM analysis estimates that a one-meter rise would submerge more than

20,000 acres of coastal real estate in Maine; the six-meter rise would inundate more than

128,000 acres. The two scenarios would destroy 53 and 380 miles of roads, respectively.

“If global warming continues unabated, then portions of Maine’s coastline will be

forever changed. That is why we are calling for increased efforts at every level to

reduce global warming pollution. The most dangerous impacts of sea-level rise can still

be avoided, but widespread action is needed now. According to scientists, we have a

shrinking window of opportunity to change our course—measured in years not decades,”

said Voorhees.

For the full story visit: http://www.maineenvironment.org/news_detail.asp?news=936

A selection of the maps: http://www.maineenvironment.org/sea_level_rise_maps.asp

Back ground from Greg: Using GIS, I was able to produce a table of area, roads, and

municipal buildings that would be lost if sea levels rose 1 meter (a moderate estimate)

and 6 meters (an extreme, long term estimate). Using this town-by-town data, we created

a list of towns that would benefit most from a visualization of potential sea level

changed. Satellite photos were then overlain with the one- and six-meter elevation

zones, producing an estimate of what the coast of these towns would look like in the

future if global temperatures and sea levels continue to rise. These maps can be found

on the NRCM’s website, and also at various events across the state.

The one- and six-meter sea level rise were long term estimates, and did not take into

account features like coastal bluffs and brackish marshes. Higher sea levels would erode

bluffs more rapidly and there would be less of the protective buffer now provided in many

areas by coastal wetlands. While this study was far from exact in pinpointing areas that

would be damaged by changes in sea levels, it was hopefully effective in raising

awareness about the threat this problem could potentially pose to the state of Maine.

** BEYOND COLBY: National Solar Tour

Alternatives TO HIGH ENERGY COSTS & SAFER METHODS OF POWER TO BE SHOWCASED AT 11th ANNUAL

NATIONAL SOLAR TOUR

SATURDAY OCTOBER 7 2006

THE CENTRAL MAINE TOUR INCLUDES 30 HOMES & BUSINESSES

Open 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. (note 2 homes differ) Free, no registration.

To access full details of the Central Maine Tour including directions, plus links to

other MESEA Tours in Maine, & ones across the country, go to

http://www.midcoast.com/~jgs/#

Check the website for details on all the homes and businesses.

Highlighted below, Professor Linda Tatelbaum has opened her home for the tour:

Tour IV (B) APPLETON, HOPE, UNION 3 houses/businesses

Home 6: Appleton. OPEN ONLY 10-4 Owners: Kal Winer & Linda TatelbaumAddress: 1050 Guinea

Ridge Road, Appleton ME 04862

Phone: 207-785-4634 Description: They began to use solar electricity to power their home

in 1981. Built their passive solar home in 1977, later adding 2 additions. Electrical

system provides power for a high efficiency refrigerator, a computer, & most of the

comforts of a grid-connected home. Large battery bank gives 10 days of backup power for

extended cloudy periods; a propane generator is used a few times a year to recharge the

batteries. Most of home runs on 12 & 24 volt DC, but inverter is used to pump water & run

power tools & home appliances. They use a composting toilet to minimize water

consumption, & grow most of their own food in their large garden, & use canning & a root

cellar to keep their food year round.

Visit your neighbors & discover the relief, comfort, & savings that Renewable Energy &

sustainability bring.

Large wind turbine powers, small wind turbines, PV panels, solar hot water systems and

radiant floor heat, passive solar gain, along with re-used building materials. All

demonstrating what can be environmentally friendly. You will find an assortment of

systems, each one rewarding to the owners, many of whom produce their own food, have

livestock, keep honey bees.

Soaring energy and fuel costs are affecting millions of Americans. But for a fast growing

segment of the population, energy efficiency and solar and wind power are helping to beat

the increases in energy prices. Tours will be offered in 43 states, all are part of the

American Solar Energy Societies 11th National Solar Tour, They will showcase long used

systems and continuing advances in energy efficient construction, new products and

renewable energy technologies, (food products, too!)

Environment Maine, Frontier Café, Cinema and Gallery and Patagonia

What: Patagonia's Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival - reception, 7 film

screenings, and light dinner. Tickets are $15.00. Buy at the door or at Environment Maine

When: Thursday, October 5th - 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Where: Frontier Café, Cinema and Gallery, Fort Andross (Maine St./Route 1), Main

Entrance, Brunswic

Join Environment Maine staff, members and the general public for the Grand Opening of

Frontier Café, Cinema and Gallery and Patagonia's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film

Festival. Proceeds to benefit Environment Maine! For more information call Jennifer

Andersen at Environment Maine, 253-1965.

** JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS

Intern Position Available:U.S. Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources Division

Law and Policy Section

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, LPS coordinates

the Environment and Natural Resources Division's legislative program. LPS also

represents the

Department of Justice on interagency groups of a variety of issues that relate to the

mission of the Division. LPS also litigates amicus cases and undertakes other specially

assigned litigation projects at the trial and appellate levels. Other duties include

monitoring 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: attending congressional

hearings and reporting on environmental legislation; researching legal and policy issues;

and providing support for the section's amicus litigation. Applicants must be U.S.

citizens, pass a mandatory drug test, and be willing to commit for a period of at least

ten weeks.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis but must be received no later than the

following application deadlines:

- For Winter internships (January through March/April, dates flexible):

October 20, 2006;

- For Spring internships (March/April through June, dates flexible):

January 1, 2006.

To apply, please fax a cover letter, resume, unofficial transcript, and 3-5 page writing

sample (may be an excerpt from a longer paper on any topic) to Georgina Anton at (202)

514-4231, or mail the above to:

Georgina Anton

Environment and Natural Resources Division / LPS

P.O. Box 4390

Ben Franklin Station

Washington, DC 20044-4390

Green Corps 2007-2008 Environmental Leadership Program

Green Corps: our full-time, paid Environmental Leadership Training Program gives you a

year of in-depth training and experience with

leading environmental groups like the Sierra Club, and League of Conservation Voters and

Greenpeace.

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 year-long 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 Ross Gelbspan,

climate change expert and author of The Heat is On and Boiling Point.Our field training

puts you on the front lines of today's most urgent environmental campaigns.

Locations & Dates: Our campaigns take place nationwide. The program begins in August

2007, with the Introductory Classroom Training in Boston, and concludes with graduation

in August 2008.

Responsibilities. Plan and implement a series of critical environmental campaigns with

groups like Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club and Greenpeace. 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

2007-2008. 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.

Application Process. To apply for Green Corps' 2007-2008 Environmental

Leadership Training Program, fill out our online application. Regional

deadlines, campus interview dates, and online application are at www.greencorps.org.

Contact: Ashley Schaeffer, Green Corps ?07, at ashley@greencorps.org

Dexter National Fish Hatchery

Dates: Fall 2006 through September 2007

This position will focus on applied aspects of fish culture. The successful applicants

will gain experience with husbandry of up to 17 species of endangered fish, including

Desert pupfish, Colorado pikeminnow, and razorback sucker. Duties will include feeding,

cleaning and maintenance of facilities. Culture methods include intensive and extensive

culture, indoor aquaria, raceways, and tanks and 77 outdoor ponds.

The Dexter National Fish Hatchery & Technology Center is dedicated to advancing fish

culture techniques for imperiled fishes of the American Southwest. This position will

focus on applied aspects of fish culture while allowing you to gain experience with

husbandry of up to 17 species of endangered fish, including Desert pupfish, Colorado

pikeminnow and razorback sucker. Carlsbad Caverns is 100 miles away, Sierra Blance ski

resort is located apprx 100 miles away. Dexter is 18 miles south of Roswell, NM of UFO

fame.

Feed, clean and maintain facilities using culture techniques include intensive and

extensive culture, indoor aquaria, raceways, tanks and 77 outdoor ponds; work in the

molecular ecology program (fish genetics) and the regional fish health unit.

Stipend & housing provided.

Send cover letter and resume to: admissions@thesca.org. Please view

http://www.thesca.org/staffpicks/ for many more exciting internships.

DEATH VALLEY N.P. INTERPRETATION INTERN

Looking for enthusiastic, outgoing individual with good speaking and organizational

skills. Someone who has a love of our national parks and wants to be a part of a great

team whose goal is the preservation of the resources for future generations. This

position will be working in one of our nation's greatest natural wonders assisting

visitors who want to learn more about our great deserts and how to do it safely.

Death Valley National Park is the largest national park outside of Alaska. 95% of the

park is designated wilderness (3 million acres!) We also boast to be the hottest, driest

and lowest spot in North America. Though extremes of weather in summer can produce

temperatures above 120 degrees, fall through spring temperatures are mild and make for

great hiking and exploring opportunities. Our geology is world class with some of the

rarest species of plants and animals found anywhere in our nation. Striking panaramic

vistas can be found from any vantage point. Death Valley is truly the Yellowstone of the

desert parks. It is one of the least understood, and at times, least visited jewels in

our national park system. We are also rich in cultural history that goes back over 10,000

years. Desendents of the ancient Native Americans still live on the land while ghostly

remains of the park's mining past still dot the landscape.

Provide valuable park and safety information: introduce the public to the features and

life of Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert; work a busy information desk;

research, prepare and present guided walks and talks on subjects ranging from the park's

geology, to its rarest species of wildlife - the Devils Hole pupfish.

Stipend and shared housing provided.

Send cover letter and resume to: admissions@thesca.org.

Please view http://www.thesca.org/staffpicks/ for many more exciting internships.

................................................................................................................................................................

Beth Kopp

Coordinator, Environmental Studies Program

Colby College

4846 Mayflower Hill

Waterville, Maine 04901-8848

207.859.4846

fax 207.872.3474

Office: 221 Lunder House

bkkopp@colby.edu