There are a lot of changes going on in the United States and in Europe regarding environmental policy. Even so, I think that it will be up to my generation to make a lot of the decisions regarding this issue. Because of this, I wanted to see how college seniors, about to enter into the real world, felt about environmental policy and how they would be willing to change in order lower there environmental impact.
I talked with Susanna Guffey and Allie Pinkerton about these issues. Both discussed learning experiences through Furman and how they helped them better understand the depth of environmental policy. For Susanna, it was through interning with a member of the European Parliament in Brussels during a Furman study abroad trip. For Allie, it is through an environmental sociology class.
I believe that education is going to be a part of how the United States deals with environmental issues. The experiences of these two students show that learning opportunities about what we are doing, and what other parts of the world, including Europe are doing, will help to push more environmental policy. This is the only way that we can “catch up to Europe,” as Allie said.
I also spoke with them about what they would be willing to do to help reduce our country’s environmental impact. They said
- Unplug cords
- Use energy efficient light bulbs
- Buy Energy Star products
To listen to more of what they had to say on environmental policy, check out this podcast:
Also check out photos about what we discussed.
Overall, based on the students I talked with, Furman students have good “green” knowledge based on what Furman is teaching students about living a more sustainable lifestyle.
Photo Sources:
