Environmental studies explode at BC

Over the past year, there has been a noticeable rise in the amount of students majoring or minoring in environmental studies, according to a report from The New York Times.

At Boston College, there are currently 44 seniors enrolled in the environmental studies minor, with 150 students total enrolled in the program. In 2004, only 13 seniors opted for the minor.

The most notable increase faculty members have observed has been the increasing level of interest among non-majors. The department chair noted that there had been a 45 percent increase in non-majors enrolling in department courses over the past five years.

"The environmental studies minor provides an opportunity to look very broadly across the field," said Eric Strauss, director of the environmental studies program at BC, which was first developed in 1996. "Environmental challenges are not just solved with one set of tools [but] solved with a very broad set of tools."

The program is far from limited to science courses and also includes topics in political science, economics, and even history, Strauss said. Roughly half of those involved in the program are science majors, with the rest coming from various studies and departments.

"What we've seen over the past 12 years has been a growth in the awareness of the environment - energy and sustainability, ecosystems, urban ecology," Strauss said. "I'm delighted because there are student and faculty groups that have formed in the past year and a half - it's wonderful to see these additional programs emerge."

The Times report also cited an increase in environmental and alternative energy-based research at a wide range of universities. At BC, one option for interested students is a yearlong research project called the Environmental Scholars Program. Combining research in the field with work in the classroom, the faculty of the environmental studies department aims to provide students with the background to address issues such as global warming and the problems posed by rapid industrialization.

"Every discipline can contribute to environmental sustainability," Strauss said. "The program provides a way for students to wake up to the opportunity [and] pathway to exploration."

In his speech before Congress, Obama noted that the economic recovery package will double the U.S. supply of renewable energy over the next three years, investing $15 billion a year to develop alternative energy technology such as wind and solar power, advanced biofuels, clean coal, and more efficient automobiles.

Alan Wolfe, director of the Boisi Center for Religious and American Public Life, said that energy and education initiatives typically receive support from both sides of the aisle, but that it remains to be seen how Congress will react to Obama's budget proposal. "Republicans want to give him more support, but if politics become more important than policy they won't," Wolfe said, noting that such was the case in the bailout legislation. "In the budget bill, I hope that policy will matter more."

Before being signed into law, the economic stimulus legislation was hotly debated in both the Senate and House of Representatives before barely passing through Congress. However, while the bailout is designed to provide a jolt to struggling job markets, the budget is more tied to the everyday functions of the government.

"Obama's got some new programs and I'm sure they'll be reflected in the budget as well," Wolfe said. "The budget bill has got to be very practical, but at the same time it's an opportunity to get new things started."

Despite criticism from certain members of Congress, recent polls show that the American public overwhelmingly supports Obama's actions thus far. "So far the public has been amazingly patient given the seriousness of the crisis," Wolfe said. "I think they're prepared to give Obama two to three years. You're not going to see any rush toward disappointment."

In BC's environmental studies department, Strauss said he hopes that increased interest will drive the University to expand the program and its faculty. He is excited to see new programs such as the Undergraduate Government of Boston College's (UGBC) "BCisGreen Week" this past week, as well as the appointment of a director of sustainability at BC, among others.

"I certainly believe we can double the size of the program within the next few years," Strauss said. "We hope that we can partner these programs so that students have as many opportunities as possible … to participate in some aspect of environmental education."