Weekly Assignment #13

"UM Coffee Shop Seeks to Rebuild Buzz, Sustainably"

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2007/09/27/news/local/znews05.txt

This article, published on 9/27/07 in the Missoulian newspaper, describes the goals and plans of a local college coffee shop to become more sustainable in their operations. On the University of Montana campus in Missoula, the Think Tank has been an incredibly small but busy coffee stand. Now, UM Dining Services wants to expand the Think Tank to address growing demand from students, faculty and community members. As the Think Tank operators began to plan for a bigger restaurant, to be located in a courtyard not presently serving any other purpose, the rest of Dining Services also realized the value in using sustainable plans, and developed the "Guidelines for the University Dining Services Sustainable Future Initiative." This document outlines the sustainability goals of the UM Dining Services as a whole, including purchasing locally grown ingredients, cutting back on energy use, and providing learning opportunities for students.

There seem to be two ways of viewing university systems. First, the university could be seen as a local area similar to a small town or city, since it has its own means of governance and oftentimes its own residents. Additionally, a university could be seen as a neighborhood within the larger town or city in which it resides. Although this particular planning issue could be seen as either at the local or neighborhood level, it seems to fit better in the neighborhood category, since the Think Tank and other university services are utilized by students, faculty and outside community members who are not otherwise connected with the university.

This issue could not have been addressed at the regional or national level, since it is focused so tightly on local resources and residents. However, the university system could be seen as a neighborhood model for local-level sustainability planning. Wheeler states that "Achieving compact and relatively mixed-use neighborhoods is often seen as a goal..." (p. 186) Further, Wheeler describes mixed-use neighborhoods as including a range of resources and economic opportunities within a short distance of residential areas. A university is an ideal example of this concept, since it is usually placed within a larger residential community, but also includes its own residential space, dining, shopping, and employment opportunities.

In short, the efforts that have worked well at the University of Montana could reasonably be replicated by other neighborhoods and local governments. A focus on utilizing local resources, providing responsible alternatives for residents, and encouraging educational opportunities could be implemented in nearly any city, town or smaller neighborhood. However, one possible drawback to implementing these strategies at a larger local level is that government officials represent the entire area, and the sustainability plan would need support from a much broader range of residents.

Weekly Assignment #12

Article 1: "Master plan calls for higher density downtown"

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/03/10/news/mtregional/news07.txt

This article was published on 3/10/09 by the Missoulian newspaper in Missoula, Montana. Missoula is one of the larger towns in Montana, but still has a population fewer than 100,000. Several organizations in Missoula, including the Business Improvement District, the Missoula Downtown Association, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and the Missoula Parking Commission. This article describes the "Downtown Master Plan" being set forth by these agencies. This is a good example of how sustainability planning can be accomplished outside the standard urban environment.

Wheeler describes "The role of institutions" (p. 98) and the importance of collaboration towards the goal of sustainability. Missoula is putting this concept into practice, with many local agencies working together on the Downtown Master Plan. These agencies are hoping to work with Federal agencies to make use of stimulus grants in order to achieve many of the goals in the plan. While the plan seems to be mostly focused on traffic patterns and housing development, there are also some facets that address the need for alternative transportation such as bike lanes.

It seems that the authors of the Downtown Master Plan are also trying to address the need for public involvement in the process, although their efforts may be coming up a bit short. Wheeler (p. 100) states, "Particularly important are structured community processes through which participants can get to know one another over time, build trust, establish a common base of knowledge and data, and develop networks that can bear fruit in the long run." This article shows that the local agencies in Missoula are attempting to educate the public stakeholders about what goals and plans have been set, but it does not appear that they are seeking true involvement from the public. Rod Austin, director of operations for the Business Improvement District, says in the article, "The BID is taking comments on the document, but...the basic ideas are essentially set."

In sum, this is a good example of how collaboration at the local level can produce goals and plans to achieve sustainability, with the least possible level of sacrifice for citizens. However, the process outlined seems to be lacking in the area of communication. From this article, it appears that the public was not involved in the initial stages of planning. The eventual outcomes of this project will show whether there was a cost associated with the choice not to include the public's opinions and values.

Article 2: "Missoula urged to hire sustainability coordinator"

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/07/08/bnews/br66.txt

This article was published on 7/8/08 by the Missoulian newspaper in Missoula, Montana, although it mostly describes a process undertaken by the town of Fayetteville, Arkansas. In Fayetteville, a "sustainability coordinator" is employed to manage the issues related to sustainable energy and development in the town. The Missoula County Conservation Roundtable is using the example of Fayetteville's success to encourage Missoula to follow suit.

In an opposite stance from the first article reviewed in this blog post, it seems here that the community groups are taking an active role in voicing their opinions and making recommendations for local environmental policy. In addition to the Missoula County Conservation Roundtable, the Advisory Board on Climate Change and Sustainability is also encouraging the Mayor to address this issue. Wheeler also supports this building of local coalitions, stating that "a core task of sustainability organizing at any level is to establish a positive and proactive agenda, rather than simply opposing bad projects." (p. 101) The Missoula coalitions described here seem to be doing well at being proactive in their recommendations to local government.

However, in this case, it seems that local government is being somewhat unresponsive to the community's requests. Mayor Engen states, "This just isn't the budget year for it. Otherwise, I would have had it in the executive budget. So we'll be talking about that next year." Even though the article reports that in Fayetteville, the sustainability coordinator was able to save $180,000 on the first energy bill, while his salary is only $57,000. It seems that this would be a positive budgetary decision, especially if Missoula County could mimic the energy savings that Fayetteville had.

Wheeler focuses quite a bit on showing how extensive the sustainability planning and implementation processes can be. This concept is backed up by the number of local organizations and coalitions dedicated to affecting positive change in the community, where sustainability is concerned. Given the many tasks and roles required to achieve these outcomes, it certainly seems that the local agencies in Missoula are on the right track by recommending a sustainability coordinator for the local government.

Weekly Assignment #11

1. How do you believe sustainability should be defined for policy-making?

According to Solow (1991), "The environment needs protection by public policy because each of us knows that by burdening the environment, by damaging it, we can profit and have some of the cost, perhaps most of the cost, borne by others." This sentiment shows that sustainability must play a major role in today's policy-making. However, the specific definition that is used may need to vary based on the types of policies being designed.

I think it is essential that policy-making take into consideration both the current environment and the possible future needs of humanity. For this reason, it seems ideal that sustainability should have multiple definitions for the purpose of policy-making. For example, when considering the needs and overall environment of the current generations, it might be best to have a weaker sustainability definition, allowing for more flexibility as environmental preservation begins to move in the right direction. However, when looking at protecting natural resources for future generations, it would be better to have a strong sustainability perspective, so that no one resource is over-utilized.

2. What are the difficulties associated with making sustainability a policy goal?

It seems that the hardest part about including sustainability in public policy is that there are so many interpretations, definitions and values in existence. Even at the broadest definition possible, sustainability should work toward finding a balance between quality of life, economic development/prosperity, and environmental protection. Trying to define any one of these factors is incredibly difficult, and becomes even more so as they are combined into one overall goal.

There is also the problem of setting individual priorities within the concept of sustainability. For example, one policymaker may perceive sustainability as being a method for current utilization of the available resources. However, another may define sustainability as the preservation of natural resources for future generations, even if it causes the economy or quality of life to suffer today. Box 2.1 on page 24 of Wheeler's book, Planning for Sustainability, gives a great example of the wide variety of definitions and focuses that can be found under the general topic of sustainability. Including sustainability in public policies is a desirable and possible step, as long as policymakers can recognize that there may be differing, and even conflicting, conceptual definitions in use.

3. If you had to design a practical framework to help a state environmental agency achieve ecological, economic and social sustainability, what would that framework look like?

An effective policy framework to address sustainability issues should include political debate, public opinion gathering, and expert advice. As Goodland points out, achieving social sustainability (quality of life, cultural diversity, etc) is an essential step toward achieving environmental sustainability. It seems reasonable to expect that a healthy, happy public is more likely to be willing to spend time and energy engaging in a discussion about both economic and environmental sustainability issues. For this reason, environmental sustainability efforts must go hand-in-hand with policies aimed at improving citizens' quality of life.

Once there is a pool of citizens who are willing and able to be involved in developing environmental sustainability policies, the policymakers must also find a balance between public input and the advice of experts. It may be best to first consult a panel of experts in order to define the areas that need to be addressed by policy. Afterwards, a variety of methods should be used to engage the public in discussion about these areas. It seems likely that the overall outcome may stand a better chance if both citizens and experts have had a chance to give input.

4. Voters and politicians often want short term results, but many argue that sustainable development calls for a long-term policy plan. How do we take the long term view that sustainable development requires in this political environment?

People alive today, including both politicians and voters, stand to benefit the most from short-term policies addressing sustainability. These policies may cover issues such as oil consumption, air quality, etc. However, many people are also concerned about the welfare of future generations, requiring a longer-term approach to sustainability policy. If it was reasonable to assume that the needs and available resources of the future are accurately mirrored by what is present today, it would be a relatively simple task to create long-term policies.

However, it is impossible to know the conditions that humanity will face in the future. There may be discoveries of new natural resources, there will almost certainly be new technologies, and there may also be irreversible consequences as a result of previous resource consumption. Solow gives a good overview of how long-term policies should proceed: "We should choose policies that will be appropriate over as wide a range of possible circumstances as we can imagine." By developing a widely-applicable, flexible set of policies, current generations can take some responsibility for allowing future generations the opportunity to benefit and prosper as well.

Weekly Assignment #10

1. Values Framework

The "Green-Collar Youth Jobs, Education, and Training Stimulus Act" that was introduced in the Senate on January 15, 2009 has two main focuses: protection / preservation of the environment and economic development. Of these issues, it seems that the environmental considerations weigh a bit more heavily on the proposed legislation, since four out of the five Purposes listed are to address environmental issues. These Purposes include increasing "knowledge of the importance of building a green economy," increasing "energy efficiency and renewable energy usage," strengthening "protection of the environment," and decreasing carbon emissions. The fifth Purpose of the bill is focused more on economic development: "to increase the number of well-trained youth workers who can obtain well-paying jobs in a range of green-collar industries and other viable industries." This combination of statements supports Cohen's (2006) statement that "the desire for economic development is an expression of values," along with the more obvious values involved in promoting environmental protection.

An interesting aspect of the Green-Collar Youth Jobs bill is that it seems to aim for balancing the need to consume environmental resources with the need to protect and preserve the environment. This implies a recognition of the environmental damage done by human consumption in the past. However, it is not clear whether the bill supports the concept of changing consumption patterns in order to preserve natural resources during the time while green industries are being developed. This may indicate that the focus is not 100% on protecting the environment.

2. Political Framework

The Green-Collar Youth Jobs bill is currently in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions after being referred on January 15, 2009. This bill in particular is a part of the larger economic stimulus plan being pursued by the Obama administration, which has led to some significant political debates. In general, environmental issues can become politically charged since there has been the perception that support of environmental policy means lowering the priority of economic policies. In this case, though, the purpose of the bill is to balance the importance of both environmental issues and economic development. As the political ramifications of this proposal become more apparent, it will be easier to tell if conservative opposition to environmental legislation is truly based on its relationship to other issues, or if it is a result of the inherent values upon which environmental policies are based.

3. Science & Technology Framework

Along with the "Values" framework, the role of Science and Technology may be the most vital to the success of this legislation. "Green" industries rely upon creative innovation for their advancement, as have almost all industries in the United States. One of the major difficulties facing the green-collar sector right now is that there are so few existing systems for energy sustainability and efficiency. It seems that the goal of this legislation would be to involve youth in the building of these systems, also allowing for a generation of workers that would have knowledge and skills in this new industry. Eventually, there should be good opportunities for formal education in the green industries, but at first, it seems likely that most of the work and innovation will be in the form of on-the-job training.

4. Policy Design Framework

Policy design seems to be the least-defined part of this bill. The proposed legislation would not be aimed at regulating any organizations, beyond the already-existing regulation of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with performance measurement being based on the number of participants who entered employment, completed training, and increased their earnings. The main focus of this bill is to advance the environmental and energy fields closer toward sustainability, while providing job and education opportunities for youth. If these goals can be achieved, the design of the policy will have allowed significant progress to be made toward achieving a balance between environmental protection and economic development.

5. Management Framework

The proposed legislation will be carried out under the guidelines and regulations of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). WIA has been providing workforce development and training to Adult, Dislocated Worker and Youth participants for over ten years. WIA requires that every local area in the United States (usually at the city/town or county level) manage and operate One-Stop Centers to provide job search assistance for job seekers. Included in the partner programs at the One-Stop Centers are: vocational rehabilitation, veteran's services, unemployment benefits advisors, educational programs such as community colleges, and youth programs.

While the issues of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency have received new attention in recent months, the structure for providing vocational training and placement services has been in place for much longer. This existing system for service delivery will greatly ease the difficulties that could become apparent during implementation.

Weekly Assignment #9

General Questions

It seems to me that the nature of having a world with independent nations leads to the resulting condition that all nations have the "right" to act in their own best interest. However, if the world's goal is to attempt reversal of environmental damage done by developed nations and to preserve some level of environmental quality for future generations, then it seems that no nation should have the "right" to abuse resources that would otherwise have been available to other nations or future inhabitants of the planet. These views are at two drastically different ends of the scale, though. When considering the current state of the world's population, economy and political environment, it seems likely that a middle course should be chosen, giving consideration to both allowing developing countries to grow and prosper, while putting in place regulations for all nations in regards to environmental sustainability.

There seems to be an important distinction between (1) the implementation of policies and regulations that aim to protect and preserve the environment in the future and (2) the efforts required to repair damage already done to the environment by now-industrialized nations. When considering the future policies aimed at environmental protection and preservation, I think that equity is a vital part of the process, since all nations will eventually be affected by the global climate. However, if it is the repair of already-existing environmental damage that is being considered, it seems only fair that the industrialized nations that both caused the damage and have the economic resources to take on the majority of the responsibility.

Because industrialized nations have set the example of exploiting the environment's resources in order to gain economic success, it is only reasonable to expect that other developing nations would want to follow that same course. This is the precise reason why equitable standards for all new development and industrialization are needed prior to any more environmental damage being done. It may not be enough to simply encourage developing nations to behave in an environmentally responsible way. Instead, industrialized nations must set the standard by accepting responsibility for past damage and supporting sustainable ways of allowing developing nations to become prosperous. Similarly, developing nations should be able to rely upon industrialized countries for beginning to remedy the existing pollution issues, since they were the root of the problem in the first place.

Final Paper Topic

For my Final Paper, I will examine the Green-Collar Youth Jobs, Education, and Training Stimulus Act (S 268 IS) which was introduced in the US Senate on January 15, 2009. This Act was introduced by Senators Murray (D-WA) and Stabenow (D-MI) as a response to the increasing general unemployment rate as well as the much higher unemployment rate among youth ages 16 - 19. In general, the goals of this Act are to increase environmental protection and awareness, while also building a well-trained workforce to sustain environmental progress achieved in the near future.

This Act will be carried out under the current operating guidelines of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which provides workforce development services to Youth, Dislocated Workers and Adult job seekers. The Green-Collar Youth Jobs, Education, and Training Stimulus Act will specifically dedicate funds to the Green Job Corps Program, Youthbuild Build Green Grants, and Green-Collar Youth Opportunity Grants. All of these programs will focus on giving youth the skills, leadership and work experience to become a productive part of the up-and-coming green industry.

Toxic Turmoil...

The town of Opportunity, MT was built in 1914 by the Anaconda Mining Company, which operated the Washoe copper smelter in Anaconda, MT. The byproducts of the smelter included lead, mercury and arsenic, which affected humans, animals and vegetation alike. As the town of Anaconda became less and less livable, the mining company decided to build a new town where mine workers could feel safe and happy. This town was appropriately named Opportunity. However, the town was also bordered by ponds fed partly by natural sources and also by smelter waste. These ponds eventually became a part of the Upper Clark Fork Superfund Site in 1983.

Another major part of the Superfund site is the Milltown Dam, which for years blocked toxic sediment from flowing down the Clark Fork River toward Missoula, a more populous and affluent community in Western Montana. In 1996, an ice jam caused a huge release of water and sediment over the Milltown Dam, causing a widespread fish kill and the need for major cleanup efforts. While implementing the cleanup, there was a disagreement about where the waste should be located. The residents of the East Missoula area vocally opposed the proposal to store waste in their community, and instead joined with other local stakeholders to suggest that the waste be shipped to Opportunity, since the land there was already contaminated.

The issues that Opportunity is facing clearly fall under the umbrella of environmental justice. University of Montana environmental studies professor Robin Saha points out that some of the people affected by this situation can be considered winners, such as the communities that are being cleaned up and the companies that have won major contracts to conduct the cleanup. However, the residents of Opportunity are definitely the "losers" in this situation, being left with all of the costs and none of the benefits.

The two major issues that are addressed in both the readings and in the case of Opportunity are the unfair treatment of a lower-income community and the lack of adequate political representation to prevent this mistreatment. First, the author quotes the following income figures: "Deer Lodge County, home to Opportunity, is one of Montana's poorer counties. In a state where the average income was $35,574 in 2004, Deer Lodge County residents made an average of $30,155 a year. In Missoula County, the figure was $37,172." This clearly shows the income disparity between Opportunity and Missoula, which coincides with Konisky: "areas with larger numbers of minority and lower-income populations are disproportionately subjected to environmental burdens." (p. 102-103) Additionally, the lack of a large minority population in Opportunity also supports Konisky's assertion that income levels may have a greater effect on environmental justice than race.

Finally, the issue that seems to have the most impact in Opportunity is the lack of organized representation by local government to protect against environmental injustices. Ringquist states that "Political power is a function of wealth, education, group organizational skills, frequent participation in the political process, and so forth. Certain citizens, particularly...the poor, have fewer of these resources." (Vig & Kraft, p. 249) According to University of Montana's Professor Saha, "Opportunity's income level, rural location and lack of local government all translate into less political power, and less ability to ward off what's being dumped on them." Saha eventually helped some residents of Opportunity to form the Opportunity Citizens Protection Association (OCPA) which has taken steps to distance the town from being associated with the waste storage decisions and to advocate for fair treatment of the town's citizens. Although the decision to store hazardous waste at Opportunity has already been made, OCPA hopes to ensure a safe and clean future for the community.