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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Duke Environment

There is a real gap in representation of low-income and BIPOC communities in Duke. The UEU is working with our Board Members, the Nicholas School for the Environment, and Sustainable Duke to bring more DEI&J and environmental justice programming to Duke at large. The UEU started the Environmental Justice Campus Committee (EJCC) in the fall of 2020 to better address campus environmental justice. Additionally, an EJ Symposium and other collaborations with different affinity groups were held last spring which aimed to bring career panels and events to Duke's diverse communities. The long term goal of the EJCC is to better incorporate environmental justice into administrative processes at Duke via curriculum changes, anti-racism initiatives, etc. The emphasis is on conversation, on recruitment, and to the creation of infrastructure dedicated to bringing in and supporting diverse individuals who are interested in environmental and EJ themes. 

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Environmental Justice Campus Committee

Year Initiated: 2020-2021

We’re operating at a time of great stress and great social change. The BLM protests in 2020 finally initiated to a new level a dialogue within institutions, business, and communities that is crucial for effectively and equitably supporting communities of color, communities of diverse identity, and society as a whole. 

 

That being said, we feel that this is a moment to also engage in conversations of environmental justice and environmental health. Environmental degradation and the harmful extractive processes that dominate our economies, also perpetuate systems of inequality, inequity, and hazardous health that disproportionately impacts traditionally marginalized communities. 

 

We’ve seen this in North Carolina as we’ve seen it across the country and in countries all over the world. This is a longstanding, global issue of environmental mistreatment of low-income communities and communities of color. And Duke as both a promoter of environmental education and conscientiousness, as well as a globally recognizable brand prided for it’s international opportunities and connections, could do more to engage it’s communities and its students in conversations of environmental and racial justice. 

 

To ensure that conversations and education around environmental justice issues remains a priority at Duke for years, decades even, to come, the UEU has brought together representatives from Duke departments (both environmentally-centered and culturally-centered departments), Duke’s administrative and engagement entities (diversity centers), and environmentally, culturally, and racially-centered student organizations to form a committee on environmental justice. 

 

The purpose of this committee is to discuss what Duke has done/is doing in this space, what Duke could do better, and ensure that topics of racial and environmental justice are pervasive throughout undergraduate academia and programming as well as with conversations with Durham. 

 

The hope is that the Undergraduate Environmental Union could come in as a facilitator and moderator for committee conversations, with all participants acting on equal ground with a democratic system for decision making and sharing. 

 

Starting in the fall of 2020, the UEU began reaching out to faculty, student organizations, and administrators to put together a board for the Environmental Justice Campus Committee. Since then, the EJCC had met periodically throughout the spring semester to develop further environmental goals and benchmarks at Duke. Additionally sub-committees were formed to work on specific tasks relating to environmental justice, such as Duke-Durham relations, curriculum development, and event planning. 

Goals:

  • Collaboration - We see this space as an opportunity for student groups, centers and entities who may not usually work together to come together and find opportunities to collaborate on programs, events, etc. Think of this space, first and foremost, as an opportunity to expand the EJ options within your own community and to share events and opportunities with other section of Duke.

  • Curriculum development - We would like to look into creating additional opportunities for EJ academic engagement. This would mean creating new, interdepartmental coursework centering around environmental justice and utilizing the knowledge and skills of multiple departments or centers, or finding opportunities to incorporate EJ themes into existing coursework and requirements. 

  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Duke’s environmental community could do much better in the way of diversity and representation. We see this committee as a great opportunity to bring environmental opportunity directly to the doorstep of Duke’s diverse student body, and to bring themes of justice, race, and culture to the environmental student body. We hope to put together a series of DEI events in the Spring that will introduce incoming freshmen and students of color and diverse backgrounds or identity to Duke’s environmental and cultural spaces. We hope that this committee can help in that endeavor. 

  • Major programming - EJ events are an important component of this committee. We see the primary event being an EJ symposium hosted in the fall with the help, support, and sponsorship of all the entities here. Something that keeps the community engaged with EJ themes outside of the classroom. 

  • EJ faculty opportunities - There has been talk of bringing in EJ faculty in the Nicholas School, a costly endeavor. We would like to propose a residential lecturer program facilitated by this committee. This program would bring in an EJ advocate from North Carolina to act as a residential lecturer, helping to fill in gaps in current EJ coursework or events. This not only gives those community members working on the front lines in this work the opportunity to share their wisdom with the student body, but it allows all departments or centers to split the cost for such an endeavor. This would be a rotating position. 

  • Duke accountability - We would like this committee to eventually be considered the go to for sustainability and justice based decision making at Duke. If a decision around issues like hog waste, renewable energy, the light rail (just to name old examples) comes up in Duke administration, it should come before this committee to make recommendations on the best ways to limit harmful impact to Durham or North Carolina residents. 

  • Inter-institutional/community accountability - We would eventually like this to take the form of a committee that brings together community members (from Durham) and representatives from other institutions to discuss cross-institutional decision making and accountability. In essence, this would be a space that ensures all local/regional institutions and decision-making bodies are being considerate, deliberate, and inclusive in their programming. 

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Environmental Justice Symposium 2021

This event is a partnership between the UEU, the Office of Sustainability and Green Devils, Duke Conservation Tech, Blue Devils United, and members of the Muslim Student Association, sponsored by the Duke Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health Program.

Environmental justice is a topic of growing importance in the U.S. and around the world. As the environmental movement comes to terms with its racist history and as students, faculty, and staff at Duke work to bring EJ topics to the forefront of campus programming and academic opportunities, we're working to create an annual "showcase" for those interested in the intersection of the environmental and social justice.

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2020 was a large scale virtual gathering in Spring 2021 filled with keynote speakers, guest lecturers, networking sessions and "coffee chats", round robin presentations, and pre-recorded testimonials, all touching on environmental justice issues and solutions in North Carolina, the U.S., and around the world. It will bring together experts in the field and advocates working at the forefront of EJ problems to provide a space for broader discussion of environmental injustice.

Click here to view the EJ symposium website. This includes the bios for all the presenting speakers in addition to recordings of all the talks given during the symposium. We hope to make an environmental justice symposium will be a recurring yearly event.

Goals:

Environmental Justice and Climate Protection – what role do German NGOs play? by Sascha Boden
52:02
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

Environmental Justice and Climate Protection – what role do German NGOs play? by Sascha Boden

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present Sascha Boden. Sascha Boden is a Project Manager at the Energy and Climate Protection Department of Deutsche Umwelthilfe (Environmental Action Germany) in Berlin, Germany. At his work, he campaigns against new fossil infrastructure such as LNG-terminals and pipelines. Thereby, he also works together with affected communities at the proposed sites of the projects both within German and other countries. Other areas of work include policy work on hydrogen and methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. For Sascha, the climate crisis is inherently an issue of justice, as members of minorities are disproportionally affected by the effects of climate breakdown, yet most emissions are caused by only a small, affluent part of the population. By preventing new fossil infrastructure and making sure set climate targets are not missed, he wants to contribute to preventing the worst effects of climate change that would hit the most vulnerable the hardest. In the process, he tries to make sure that communities affected by infrastructure projects are given a voice wherever and whenever possible. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
Perceptions of environmental health risks among residents in the “Toxic Doughnut" by Eric Hall
01:00:39
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

Perceptions of environmental health risks among residents in the “Toxic Doughnut" by Eric Hall

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present Eric Hall. EPA scientist Eric S. Hall earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from Syracuse University. Hall earned a master’s degree in Business from Webster University and a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. Hall is working with EPA Region 6 on one research project to track harmful algal blooms during flooding events for emergency responders in the Gulf of Mexico, and on another research project with the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) to complete a website providing environmental and public health information to 36 Tribal Nations in EPA Regions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
Youth Climate Justice Activism in North Carolina by Madeline Parker
40:18
The Imperative of Colonial and Climate Reparations by Fadhel Kaboub
01:09:01
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

The Imperative of Colonial and Climate Reparations by Fadhel Kaboub

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present Fadhel Kaboub. Fadhel Kaboub is an associate professor of economics at Denison University, and the president of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity. He has held research affiliations with the Levy Economics Institute, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is an expert on Modern Monetary Theory, the Green New Deal, and the Job Guarantee. His work focuses on public policies to enhance monetary and economic sovereignty in the Global South, build resilience, and promote equitable and sustainable prosperity. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
Environmental Justice & the Opportunity to Change the World, Why Not You, Why Not Now? by Ben Wilson
57:55
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

Environmental Justice & the Opportunity to Change the World, Why Not You, Why Not Now? by Ben Wilson

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present Ben Wilson. Benjamin F. Wilson is the Chairman of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., the leading law firm in the United States focused on environmental and natural resource law and litigation. He represents major corporations, developers, and municipalities in complex litigation matters involving Clean Water Act enforcement, wetlands development, Superfund and environmental justice matters. He served as the Deputy Monitor for Emissions & Environmental in the Volkswagen AG emissions proceedings and served as the Court-Appointed Monitor for the Duke Energy coal ash spill remediation project. Mr. Wilson has taught Environmental Justice at the Howard University School of Law since 2006. He has lectured on Environmental Justice at law schools across the country, including: Georgetown University Law Center, Harvard Law School, among others. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
Youth Climate Justice in India by John Paul Jose
50:35
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

Youth Climate Justice in India by John Paul Jose

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present John Paul Jose. Kerala-born John Paul Jose’s journey with environmental activism began when he joined a protest against the Yettinahole project around five years ago. Later, in 2018, John set out to discover what steps India’s politicians were taking to address the climate crisis, as one of the Fridays For Future youth leaders in India. Now 22, he is still a passionate activist, criticising climate action (and the lack of it) from an Indian viewpoint, and especially how global warming affects India’s forests and ecosystems. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
The Ethics of Environmental Justice: How Big Greens Mostly Get It Wrong by Fred Tutman
01:00:44
Duke Undergraduate Environmental Union

The Ethics of Environmental Justice: How Big Greens Mostly Get It Wrong by Fred Tutman

The Environmental Justice Symposium 2021 is happy to present Fred Tutman. Fred Tutman is a grassroots community advocate for clean water in Maryland’s longest and deepest intrastate waterway and holds the title of Patuxent Riverkeeper, an organization that he founded in 2004. He lives and works on an active farm that has been his family’s ancestral home for nearly a century. Fred spent nearly 25 years working as a media producer for international telecommunications, including a long stint working with traditional healers in West Africa and coverage of the Falklands conflict in Argentina on a BBC assignment. Fred also teaches and advises in the Graduate Studies program of Goddard College in Plainfield Vermont, as well as at various colleges in Maryland. He is among the longest-serving Waterkeepers in the Chesapeake region and the sole African-American Waterkeeper in the nation. ----------------- Duke's Environmental Justice Symposium 2021, is the first in what hopes to be many student-led programs centering environmental justice issues, communities, and principles at Duke. The environmental justice movement has been foundational in the longstanding fight for equity and intersectionality in the U.S. Duke University resides not far from what is considered the community that gave name to the environmental justice movement as we know it today. As a community and society, both domestically and internationally, we are at a moment of great awareness concerning environmental injustice and the treatment of historically marginalized, underserved, and under resourced communities. This event is hosted by the Undergraduate Environmental Union (UEU), Duke Conservation Tech (DCT), Muslim Student Association (MSA), and Blue Devils United (BDU).
  • Continuation of conversation - We see this event as the next big staple for student engagement at Duke. The UEU has been working hard to bring EJ topics to the forefront of Duke spaces, and we want this space to act as a catalyst for long lasting EJ conversations and collaborations. Ultimately, this program is a big conversation between people around the world. We see an event like this as a continuation of the discussions we've already started and the potential back bone for EJ at Duke. 

  • Student and alumni engagement - This is not just a communication space but a networking event. Environmental justice opportunities at Duke are not easily accessible or well known. For those students looking to do work at the intersection of environment and social justice, this is an opportunity to speak with people in the field and discuss this issue in-depth. ​

  • International partnerships - The biggest goal of this event is to expand conversations of environmental justice to encompass global environmental degradation and the mistreatment of "extractive" communities around the world and predominantly in the global south and on BIPOC communities. 

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