Rose Library, 3rd Floor Flex Space

In recent years, conservative Protestant Christians have been the American group that is the most likely to be against environmental protection efforts.  Demographics do not seem to account for this; rather, the opposition appears to stem from religious positions.

When viewed from a broader, comparative religions perspective, it quickly becomes clear that the very concept of ‘nature’ is culturally constructed, and that American Christianity draws on particular interpretations of the biblical depiction of ‘nature.’  Although the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament promotes a clear and consistent ethic of environmental stewardship, some denominations of Christianity interpret the passages differently, stressing humankind’s dominion over the earth.  When combined with apocalyptic theologies that envision an imminent new world that is fast approaching, there may be little interest in, or even strident opposition to, efforts to address problems such as global warming, species decimation, or air or water quality.  However, the influence of apocalyptic theology does not necessarily determine this outcome; within American evangelical Christianity itself, apocalyptic millennarian hopes have sometimes fused with theology that extols and wishes to protect ‘nature.’ Public policy discussions and efforts about environmental issues have at times alienated and at other times invited action from evangelical leaders.

Rose Library, 3rd Floor Flex Space

A lively discussion regarding the origins of consumer culture (food and goods) as symbolic of social status and self identity as well as contemporary implications for health and well-being.

Speakers:

Meg Mulrooney Associate Dean, University Studies and Associate Professor of History

Stephanie Baller, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

Stephanie Baller joined JMU in the Fall of 2010. Her research interests include the impacts of consumer culture and materialism on health and physical activity.

Meg Mulrooney became interested in Americans’ fascination with goods during grad school, when she specialized in material culture and 19^th century social history. Immigrant consumption patterns were central to her first book, Black Powder, White Lace: The du Pont Irish and Cultural Identity in 19thC America (2001). She continues to explore consumerism in her American Studies classes and in her current research project, a study of race relations in Wilmington, NC.

The Marketplace of Revolution: How Consumer Politics Shaped American Independence by T. H. Breen

See below for a recording of the event: Presenters begin just after the 4 minute mark, small group discussion at the 39 minute mark.

Registration is closed.

“Global human population is projected to increase from 7 billion today to more than 9 billion by 2050. To sufficiently feed these people, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN projects that food availability will need to increase by at least 70 percent.” (http://www.worldresourcesreport.org/)

Agricultural ecosystems have become incredibly good at producing food, but these increased yields have environmental costs that cannot be ignored. Agriculture already uses 38% of all land area, 85% of all water consumption, and over one fourth of the Earth’s total primary productivity each year. “The global environmental impact of agriculture on natural ecosystems may be as serious a problem as global climate change.” (Tilman, 1999, PNAS 96:5995). Can the planet feed 9 billion people without ravaging the remaining natural ecosystems? Should it?

Speakers:
Carole Nash, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology
Mary Handley, Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology

Speaker Bios:
Carole Nash, Assistant Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, has taught at JMU for 23 years. She has over 30 years of experience in the archaeology of the Middle Atlantic region and is a specialist in the archaeology of the Appalachians. Her main interests are long-term environmental adaptations of small-scale societies that transitioned from hunting and gathering to a settled, agricultural way of life.

Mary Handley, Associate Professor, Department of Integrated Science and Technology, has been at JMU for 14 years. She has experience in horticulture, plant pathology, plant breeding, and sustainable agriculture and has lived, gardened, and taught in the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Great Plains and California’s Central Valley.

Sources:
National Geographic’s 2011 Year-Long series on ‘The 7 Billion’:  http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/7-billion

United Nations’ World Food Programme Must Reads:  http://www.wfp.org/stories/feeding-7-billion-people-7-must-reads

D. Tilman, 1999, Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: The need for sustainable and efficient practices, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96: 5995-6000.

PlJ. Ericksen, Ingram, S.I., and D.M. Liverman, 2009, Food security and global environmental change: emerging challenges, Environmental Science and Policy 12: 373-377.

Location: Carrier Library

Join us as we host Susan Facknitz of the English Department and her class for an evening of poetry and discussion on sustainability. Beverages and treats will be provided. No registration necessary.

See below for a recording of the event: Presenters begin at 10 minute mark, small group discussion at 40 minute mark.

TMDL/Watershed Field Coordinator Nesha McRae of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation will join JMU Political Science and Public Administration Professor Rob Alexander to discuss the complexities of improving water quality on a regional scale while maintaining a localized farm-based economy. How is the burden of restoring our polluted waterways distributed among watershed stakeholders and is this approach fairly balancing environmental quality and economic growth? If not, what are the costs of failing to do so?

A light buffet will be provided.

Nesha McRae, TMDL/Watershed Field Coordinator, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Rob Alexander, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Public Administration, James Madison University

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We mostly agree on the following statements and questions:

(1) Food is complicated. It is difficult to gather all of the knowledge you need to make the right choices, so research is important. Investigate companies and talk to your farmers about their practices.

(2) Is local always better? How do you go about figuring this out?

Facilitator: Corey Hickerson

Other members:  Abigail Kolvoord, Allison Wickham, Elizabeth Coates, Katherine O’Connell, Kim Sacchi

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We mostly agree on the following statements and questions:

(1) We are concerned with the direction of the food industry in general regarding genetically modified organisms and processed food.

(2) The issues are complicated and interrelated.

(3) Local is hard.

Dissenting statements and unsettled questions:

(1) On an individual level, diet, social and emotional capacity, and community are related.  What can we do?

(2) Is there a monoculture around grass? (Some of us say yes.)

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We mostly agree on the following statements and questions:

(1) the importance of doing something yourself, and as a group or community

(2) Educate the youth! … and families as a whole to pass on healthy traditions.

Dissenting statements and unsettled questions:

(1) Can genetically modified organisms be used safely, sustainably, and ethically to feed the masses?

(2) How to take power from Monsanto, etc?

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We mostly agree on the following statements and questions:

(1) We don’t prioritize our time to buy locally. Also, it’s easier to eat on campus rather than buy and cook food.

(2) It costs more to eat healthy, and people already can’t afford to pay for food, so what happens if it goes up?

(3) We don’t always know where our food is processed/coming from.

(4) convenience over actually trying to figure out where our food comes from

Dissenting statements and unsettled questions:

(1) What can we do locally other than buy from the local market?