So it’s already week six and my have we come a long way! I really enjoyed the environmental theme of the readings this week. It was nice to see that side of the non-profit world. Originally I was an environmental studies’ major but changed it to PPPM. So I do love seeing the overlap of the two fields, a very big over lap at that. I found the article “A Guide to Environmental Non-Profits” to be extremely beneficial. It did a great job of laying out all the non-profits in an easy concise manner. Although on a side note, it seemed like most if it was about marine environmental issues. It is wonderful to see how established and impactful these organizations are. It seems that the more established you are the more credibility you have. It’s amazing that there is still so much controversy around environmental issues, especially in this country. With that being said it is nice that organizations like the ones listed in that particular article have the credibility they deserve and need to accomplish their goals. It also listed agencies that participated in other ways such as law firms. I went on the Earth Justice website, which is a law firm dedicated to the defense of the environment. Their slogan was so catchy I had to check them out. One of their legal victories I found most interesting was one discussing the Tahoe Regional Planning Agencies duty to restore and protect the lake. They have a great list of all their monumental victories at http://earthjustice.org/our_work/victory. I bet the Mackenzie Watershed Council could use some great lawyers like these! But they have victories all their own. It was great to read about how the Upper Willamette Basin is the only tributary to sustain levels of the endangered Chinook salmon. That is a fete worth mentioning. In one of my environmental studies classes we spend weeks talking about Salmon. I will never look at Salmon as simply my favorite fish again. The “Saving The Environment Article for Profit” was equally riveting.
We love to bash on the for profit world but after reading this article I can put some good knowledge under my belt about their activity concerning environmentalism. For example, the Costa Rican system for compensation of environmental services seems like a win-win for all. Its innovation and creativity that may not cure the underlying issue but I think these things are important if we want to get more people on board the environmental awareness train. Just think, a person who was possibly against environmental change or awareness might become a believer through programs, like the ones in Costa Rica, that make environmental responsibility work for them.
I wanted to finish off my blog for this week with the Paul Hawkens commencement speech. I don’t know if I was cold when I read it but it certainly gain me chills. I love speeches and I especially love when people go their own way with them. Its tough not to be too cheesy but I think Mr. Hawkens does a great job of that. We see hints of the need for environmental awareness all the time now, whether it’s the organic food aisle or all the reusable water bottles on campus, it’s tough to ignore. But it is not as often that we are sitting for a long period of time willing listen to a subject that most people claim to get the main points of. Whether you understand global warming or endangered species is beside the point. Whether you appreciate the magnitude of life and all its beauty seems to be at the root of the issue. Paul Hawken drives this home.
I also thought that the portion about the Upper Willamate Basin propagating Chinook Salmon was really interesting. Over winter break I went to a fish hatchery in Lake Sonoma, it was really fun and I learned a lot about fish propagation and its importance. You are from the Sonoma area if I recall correctly, so you have probably been but if not here is the website you should go when you are home next time it sounds nerdy but it is really fun. http://www.parks.sonoma.net/laktrls.html
ReplyDeleteNo that sounds so awesome! thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou cannot drive around California without seeing a Keep Tahoe Blue sticker on a bumper, so it was interesting to read about the work that Earth Justice played such a big role in pushing for protection of such a beautiful lake like Lake Tahoe. Its great when you can see the results of someone's hard work especially when you can reap the benefits as well. We only have one earth, and when all of its resources are used up and abused there is not going to be anything we can do about it. I like what you took away from the Paul Hawken speech, I can tell that you care and appreciate all that is around you on this earth, and who knows you once were an environmental studies major and now you are a PPPM major you might one day end up working to save this beautiful planet we live on!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your statement about there being a need for innovation and creativity in working against these environmental issues. We talked about this in class and whether it would be a good idea for profits to get involved in this process. The charts that he showed in class, I also thought were interesting about how some orgs were extremely involved with corporations and were successful and yet there are other successful orgs that are involved very few if no corps at all.
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