Because I'm an environmental studies major, I've actually had a few different experiences with the McKenzie River Watershed Council. Over the summer, I was in a class that went to the Cedar Creek site and did some water quality monitoring with one of the MWC employees. It was a good experience and the MWC is an awesome organization that serves a good purpose. It's interesting to think about what would happen if this entity wasn't in place. I've also applied for an internship through the McKenzie River Trust, a sister organization of the MWC. They purchase land and restore it to a natural state along the McKenzie River.
The commencement speech by Mr. Hawken at the University of Portland was intended to be inspirational and motivational, a "calling of action". It was those things, but it was also quite the enviro-rant. I feel like this is the stereotypical stuff you hear in speeches of this nature. However, it doesn't make it any less valid. The things he said are true and accurate in my opinion. It's really up to our creativity and innovation to fix contemporary problems.
The idea that the business sector could play an increasingly important role in environmental services seems totally true. A professor I had one term (Michael Hibbard) lectured about the "restoration economy". There seems to be significant room for growth potential for businesses that do environmental services, such as restoring ecosystems or habitats for specific species. Also, maintenance and monitoring are becoming more important. People get paid to do all of these things, and as the environmental movement continues to evolve, there will be more money allocated to do them. It doesn't just have to be a non-profit mission.
The list of environmental non-profits put together by Mother Jones was fun to look through. They make a good point: it's difficult to figure out what's what among the broad range of non-profits out there. When I was an intern with Cascadia Wildlands, I was surprised by the number of connections they had to other groups similar to them. On some lawsuits they were a part of, there were as many 20-25 groups involved, or filed jointly. I wonder, as environmental awareness spreads, if it would take complete ecological failure before people payed money other then taxes to restore it.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteHawkens speech was the first of its kinds that I had really read, so I didn't get the same response that you did. Looking back it was a little rant-ish, but I really thought it was funny and gave those that work with to create a sustainable environment a really good name, so all and all I think he got his point across. I, like you, found for profit businesses coming into the environmental sector to be a good thing, as long as the sector continues to grow, businesses will see opportunity, which overall will benefit society.
Greg-
ReplyDeleteI am finding out about more and more environmental nonprofits who strive to return the conditions of land back to their original state, the Mackenzie River Trust is now another one I know about, I hope you get that internship it would be an awesome experience I'm sure. Definitely agree with the for profit environmental opportunities, I don't see why this could pose problems, and there is plenty of work to be done.
Greg-
ReplyDeleteI like how you said the article on the MWC made you think about what it would be like if they didn't have organizations like this one around. That's something that I never really thought about before but it scares me to think about what it would be like. I agree with you when you said that the commencement speech was also part-rant. I thought a lot of the things he said were amazing and super valid, I just couldn't see how it worked into a college graduation ceremony.