Human Dimensions of Environmental Systems

Professor Jennifer Monson, from UIUC's Department of Dance, discussed her works that incorporate environment and environmental issues. Our conversations ranged from why and how bird migrations and whale migrations can be included in dance and other arts to the intellectual and discovery processes that led her to begin to incorporate nature, the environment, and site specific characteristics into her work.

She also talked about iLandArt, her nonprofit group, and about recognizing nature in New York.

See her web sites at:

www.birdbraindance.org

www.ilandart.org

PODCAST: jennifer monson.mp3

Andy Bloeser (Political Science) and Chuck Allen (Urban Planning) discuss their work in the Fifth and Hill Neighborhood of Champaign, the site of a Coal Gas plant dating from the 1850's. Owned by the local gas and electric company, now called Ameren, the site has numerous toxic and carcinogenic materials.

Andy and Chuck discuss the lack of information among residents and the issues involved in remediation, from the recalcitrance of the city, which has development plans for the neighborhood that might be hurt if it became widely known that the area was toxic, to Ameren, who wants to avoid liability for any toxic materials that may have leaked from the site, to the residents themselves, some of whom fear that remediation might include driving them from their homes.

Andy and Chuck also talk about the intellectual, academic, and research possibilities (and difficulties) posed by their work.

PODCAST: champaign's most toxic neighborhood.mp3

This entry holds the powerpoint to accompany Amy Ritter's presentation to the HDES Community.

PODCAST: ritter proposal pres.ppt

Amy Ritter of the University of Illinois Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences department talked with us about her study of how children with AD/HD react to natural settings. Specifically she seeks to learn whether natural environments offer therapeutic, behavioral, and psychological benefits for children with AD/HD that the built environment does not. She uses a generous definition of "natural environments" and tries to identify which features of natural environments offer benefit.

PODCAST: amy ritter, natural environments and children with adhd.mp3

Entomology professor Andrew Suarez gave a presentation on the roles of humans in facilitating and hindering invasive species. Beginning with a definition of invasive species (not a simple task in itself), he then discussed how and why we so often see new species appearing in one locale or another, and talked about the roles that humans have played in allowing that to happen. We also discussed the impact of invasions on humans.

PODCAST: envstu595.ppt

James Barkley, from the University of Illinois Department of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism and former HDES Scholar presented information on how different experiences influence the perceptions and views of different stake holders in the Grand Canyon National Park and environs. Much of his talk focused on how one might elicit a discussion of perceptions and values from people. He also talked about how the different stake holders views of "work" in the park influence perception.

This talk was not recorded.

Today, the HDES Seminar will attend Professor Michael Northcott's talk entitled "Clouds of Witness: Religion, Ethics and Global Warming" at the Illini Union Bookstore's Author's Corner. Michael Northcott is is a professor at the University of Edinburgh and an internationally renown author on religion and the environment.

He is author of

The Church and Secularisation: Urban Industrial Mission in North East England. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1989

'"An Angel Directs the Storm": The Religious Politics of American Neoconservatism' Political Theology (April 2004), pp. 137 - 158.

'The Parable of the Talents and the Economy of the Gift', Theology, (June 2004), pp. 241 249

'The Market, the Multitude and Metaphysics: Ronald Prestons Middle Way and the Theological Critique of Economic Reason', Studies in Christian Ethics (September, 2004)

'Wilderness, Religion, and Ecological Restoration in the Scottish Highlands', Ecotheology (January, 2005)

'Concept Art, Clones and Co-Creators: The Theology of Making' Modern Theology (April, 2005)

Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming, Darton Longman and Todd (London) and Orbis Books (New York) (forthcoming)

The Environment and Christian Ethics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996; reprinted 1999

Urban Theology: A Reader. London: Cassell, 1998

Life After Debt: Christianity and Global Justice. London: SPCK, 1999

Unfortunately the sound quality of the file below is not very good.

PODCAST: michael northcott, clouds of witness- religion and global warming.mp3

Here is the powerpoint file to accompany Prof. Krassa's presentation.

PODCAST: hdes talk.ppt

Today's presentation was UI Professor Michael Krassa's work on the role that public spaces and third places play in shaping our civic life. He finds that our civic engagement and civic life are influenced as much by the physical context as by the social context.

The audio file is first. The powerpoint presentation is in the next entry.

PODCAST: public spaces, third places, and civic life.mp3

On September 6 the HDES Community will gather in the Heritage Room for our annual Welcome Reception. Come, meet new people and get reacquainted with old friends. Meet the new students and see the work done by our Summer Scholars. Enjoy some good food and conversation.

Today, Rebecca McBride, Executive Director of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, led a discussion on the arts and the environment. Discussion ranged from incorporating the environment into the performing arts to how the arts can and sometimes do inform us about the environment.

Rebecca is our last visitor for the academic year. Nest week we meet in small research groups to finalize presentations and answer questions about the 2007 Environmental Horizons Conference, summer funding for current HDES Scholars, and the organization of the seminar for next year.

Remember, the following week we attend the Environmental Horizons Conference(25 April, from 12-4 in the Illini Union, rooms B and C)instead of having the seminar. Poster presenters should set up between 9:30-11:30. The conference sponsors ask that poster presenters attend 12-3:30 if possible. We realize, however, that you may have obligations to other classes, but please try to be there to talk about your work.

Links:
Environmental Horizons 2007
Instructions for Poster Presenters

PODCAST: rebecca mcbride.mp3

This entry holds the powerpoint presentation that accompanied Professor Mincyte's presentation to the HDES community (below).

PODCAST: diana mincyte presentation 4_5.ppt

This week, Professor Diana Mincyte from the University of Illinois Communications Department presented a part of her in-progress study of golf courses. Her work examines the designs of golf courses, environmental practices of golf courses, and the ways that golf courses are marketed to the public and to communities.

PODCAST: diana mincyte april 5 2007.mp3

Randall Dills, a HDES Scholar from the UIUC Department of History presented his work on the St Petersburg flood of 1824. Using archival and historical materials he compares the citizen and governmental responses to the flood and its aftermath. He shows how the flood develops in myth as a result of the official responses.

PODCAST: randy dills.mp3

This entry contains the powerpoint presentation that accompanied Michael Lehman's talk at HDES.

PODCAST: two useful theories for environmental studies.ppt