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Community Perspectives: Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainability
Last week, we asked several alumni and students to share their thoughts on the following question: “What challenges and opportunities do you anticipate for environmental sustainability over the next four years?" Check out their responses below, and contribute yours in this month's version of Dean Dan's poll, linked here.
Ben Bunker (Alum, MS ’12)
CEO, Global BrightLight Foundation
LinkedIn
“Business and sustainability are coming together now in ways that will change our understanding of how we fight global issues like energy poverty (lack of access to electricity). Government agencies, NGOs, and others in the development space are increasingly incorporating traditional business approaches and entrepreneurship into their programs to maximize benefits for people and the environment. These “social business” models have the potential to scale and become financially self-sustaining, two components critical to solving a 1 billion-person problem like energy poverty. The line between business and sustainability will continue to blur as the benefits of integrating the two become clear to policymakers.”
Shoshannah M. Lenski (Alum, MS ’11)
Director of Strategy and Planning for DTE Gas, DTE Energy
LinkedIn
“I would say it’s probably a ‘people’ challenge. There are certainly technical challenges. Though technology has come a long way, there are still gaps in it. But I feel that those are being worked on, and twenty years down the line—or whatever it takes—we’re going to keep improving that technology. I think the ability of people to work with folks with different views, a different understanding or appreciation of the magnitude of the challenges we face from an environmental sustainability standpoint is the big challenge.”
Diane MacEachern (Alum, BA ’74, MS ’77)
Founder & CEO, Big Green Purse
LinkedIn
“The Trump Administration and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt are unreservedly hostile to laws and regulations designed to protect people and the planet. They also deny the threat climate change poses. We’ll probably have to file a lot of lawsuits to protect EPA’s operating budget if not its very existence, safeguard laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, and keep polluters from running amok. Hopefully, we can enlist the support of businesses and help mobilize international pressure to ensure that the U.S. honors the Paris Climate Agreement. There will be opportunities to build new coalitions with groups like Veterans and religious institutions; to elect more pro-environment candidates to state and federal office during the 2018 elections; and to mobilize consumer clout to pressure companies to reduce pollution and use energy more efficiently.”
Brooke McWherter (Student, MS ’19, Environmental Justice)
LinkedIn
"Over the next four years we will face a combination of challenges and opportunities in environmental sustainability. Challenges may occur in the form of deregulation of existing environmental laws and regulations but also in the general public as people question the science they hear and the people attached to it. This will also provide us with the opportunity to critically think about how we as environmentalists, scientists, and policy makers can improve our communication and work to help others understand the importance of sustainability and what that means both for ourselves and for the larger planet."
Yousef Rabhi (Alum, BS ’10)
State Representative (District 53), State of Michigan
LinkedIn
“While there are many challenges to achieving environmental progress, I am optimistic because more people than ever before are awakened and ready to fight. However, we can no longer afford to ignore the millions of working class Americans who have carbon-based careers such as autoworkers, steelworkers and coal miners. It is not just about creating 'green jobs,' it is about marching on picket lines and fighting to defend collective bargaining rights. If we can embrace the economic struggle of the working class as part of the environmental movement and fight for our shared economic future as hard as we fight for a cleaner planet, we will win.”
Rocky Rohwedder, Ph.D. (Alum, MS ’79)
Professor Emeritus, Sonoma State University
LinkedIn
"Sustainability isn't just refried environmentalism. Social equity and a green economy are key components that too often take a back seat. Your question about 'environmental' sustainability is a case in point. Our challenge going forward, in the next four years and beyond, is to fully articulate, implement and highlight the powerful synergy of equity, economy and environment."
Kaitlyn Teppert (Student, MS ’19, Behavior, Education & Communication)
LinkedIn
“I believe we’re going to have to work harder than we had anticipated. I particularly believe this is true within the field of environmental communication. It’s now even more important for us to reach out to as many people as we can, help them understand the issues, and motivate them to take action with us. I truly believe that we can turn this into an opportunity to get more people inspired about saving the environment than ever before. And that means while the next four years may be tough, we could be on the road to a much brighter future.”
Alexa Wutt (Alum, BS/BMA ’16)
Educator, Leslie Science and Nature Center
Development & Alumni Relations Intern, SNRE
LinkedIn
“With its controversial and unjust policies, the Trump administration has prompted a rapid shift from passive to active citizenship on the part of many Americans. This activism has taken many forms - running for political office, reaching out to elected officials about critical issues, protesting, volunteering with a nonprofit that is actively making a difference in policy - but, whatever each individual’s level of involvement, there is great power in a passionate and indignant populace. As dire as the next four years may look, this unity presents immense promise.”