Environmentalism on campus, why?

I asked several of my sources about the budding environmental trend on campus. I couldn't fit it into my larger story in The Nevada Sagebrush, but I think it's definitely some really interesting information. Below are some responses I received

Associate Director of the Academy for the Environment, Jen Huntleysmith:
"In my work, general public interest in environmental activism is a pretty recent phenomena here in Reno generally and UNR particularly, compared to a lot of other communities such as Boulder, CO, or Portland Oregon. However, I would add that the energy toward environmental topics is really expanding and intensifying of late, and I think this is attributable to a multitude of factors, both national and local. National attention has really turned to environmental topics—it’s no longer seen as a “fringe” concern of aging hippies, and I think our community is reflecting those national trends. At the same time, however, Reno has become much more conscious of the attractiveness of its own environment—the Reno Sparks Convention Authority has taken “America’s Adventure Place” as Reno’s tagline, a recognition of the unique qualities of our outdoor attractions. Finally, here on campus, I think the growing visibility of students’ interest in environmental concerns results from both of these factors as well as the emerging sense of community with fellow environmentalists—both faculty and other students. For that, I think you and we (UNAE) can take at least partial credit."

Executive Director of the Academy for the Environment, Michael Collopy:
"I think there may be many answers to your question, but from my perspective, I believe this focus on the environment has developed at UNR because of types of faculty it attracts. Sor many, this attraction is the result of a number of factors, including our strong environmental programs, scenic location (aka quality of life), and ready access to the outdoors (both the Sierras and the Great Basin). In my case, all of these characteristics had an important part in my decision to relocate to Reno and UNR seven years ago. I suspect I am not alone in this regard."

Dr. Scott Slovic, professor for Literature and the Environment in the English department:
"This is an interesting question. I’ve sometimes wondered about this myself. Actually, I believe there is a lot of environmental interest and activity just about everywhere these days, from coast to coast. Even unexpected places like Columbia University in New York City are leading institutions for environmental research and teaching! But here in Reno we have a particularly beautiful location with particularly quick access to wonderful mountains and lakes and desert areas, so students and faculty with strong outdoor interests really enjoy living here. Over the years, UNR has developed a critical mass of faculty members with strong environmental interests, and this includes people across the entire range of colleges and departments—perhaps because this is simply a great place for people with environmental interests to live. That’s not to say that northern Nevada and the Sierra are without environmental problems—but for environmental thinkers, this place has both beauty to enjoy fascinating social/ecological phenomena for us to observe, contemplate, and work on."

3 Comments

$Samy\$ Comment by Samy\ on March 17, 2008 at 11:54pm: SEEDS Essay Contest is on... Win $250 cash for your essay, the deadline is april 11th, see the SEEDS group page for contest rules...