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Environmental Policy SupportThe University: Experience and Qualifications Since its founding in 1855 as the first land grant university in the U.S., Michigan State University has adhered to its original mission: to “strive to discover practical uses for theoretical knowledge, and to speed the diffusion of information to residents of the state, the nation, and the world.” In operational terms, MSU has concentrated on building its strengths in educating and training succeeding generations of researchers both from the U.S. and the world at large. It has sought to establish collaborative links with people and institutions worldwide, broadening its research, academic and service outreach. MSU is recognized as a center of excellence in international development. The academic and professional community at Michigan State is highly diverse and responsive and augments the University’s international goals with a broad array of globally relevant skills and expertise. People from every county in Michigan, every state in the U.S. and 134 countries around the world contribute to the University’s success. Annually, more than 3500 international students and scholars enroll in MSU’s graduate and undergraduate and certificate programs. MSU plays host to hundreds of international visitors every year who come to view campus research facilities, participate in campus life as visiting scholars and specialists, or to meet with MSU colleagues. Hundreds of MSU faculty members are engaged in critical outreach programs in many countries throughout the world, teaching, conducting research or providing technical assistance. For more than 50 years, Michigan State University has been a leader among U.S. universities in international development programs. MSU has had a broad and deepening involvement in conducting technical assistance and research in developing countries, assisting the development of new institutions, and providing training for development tasks. MSU, through its Departments and Institutes and Centers, has also managed projects throughout the world, providing short- and long-term in-country technical assistance, degree and non-degree training programs, and extensive backstopping support from the main campus. The Office of the Dean of International Studies and Programs has overall responsibility for the university’s international initiatives. While historically a majority of MSU’s international development and technical assistance projects have been conducted by faculty in various departments of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, international expertise is increasingly incorporated into all aspects of university life marking MSU as a global university. The Office of Contract and Grant Administration (CGA) holds fiscal audit authority and responsibility for the MSU contractual portfolio with both domestic and international external donors. In fiscal 2006-2007 awards for sponsored projects reached $308 million. To ensure that MSU is aware of, and can comply with the various agency regulations, CGA is organized by funding agency. CGA has a separate group dedicated to administration of international projects. Environmental Policy Support: Michigan State University is recognized internationally as a leader in technical assistance and training programs in environmental research and natural resource development. Faculty in the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Natural Sciences, Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Social Sciences, Engineering, Business, Law, and Education, among others, provide expertise to international agencies to develop environmental policies and address resource development issues affecting economic activity, environmental quality, and sustainable development. Faculty members are adept at all stages of the policy process, from working with communities to articulating policy needs to aiding implementation. Working with international organizations, host-governments, USG agencies and multinational corporations, MSU faculty are providing technical assistance and training on environmental policy programs around the world (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America) in ongoing projects related to: Biodiversity Conservation (terrestrial, freshwater, and marine) MSU faculty members examine how species and ecosystems can be conserved, and the interplay of native and invasive species. Examples of projects include:
Preparing economic strategies for controlling the introduction of nuisance species into non-native habitats, as well as approaches for controlling existing populations of nuisance species and also multi-use species (i.e., species that have attributes of both a resource and a nuisance)
Ecologically Sustainable Agriculture
Examples of research projects include:
Provision of Ecosystem Services Faculty members examine economic and natural science processes related to ecosystem services such as water supply protection, and carbon sequestration. They work with diverse ecosystems including wetlands, lakes, and agricultural areas. They look at how these values can be monetized, supported by policies, and adopted by individuals. Examples of such projects include:
Natural Resource Governance and Policy Reform, Resource and Property Rights This area involves diverse natural resources, with common property resources posing a particular challenge. Faculty draw on comparative international analyses and knowledge of specific country contexts in identifying solutions; MSU’s long traditional of participatory involvement means that they also work closely with local stakeholders. Examples of projects include:
The way we distribute population over the landscape affects the environment and the cost to supply public services. Sustainable Forestry MSU’s Department of Forestry is a pioneer in developing and applying sustainable methods. Focal areas include forest conservation, forest resource management, forest sciences, urban and community forestry, and wood products manufacturing and marketing. Examples of projects include:
These include economic analysis tools and consultations regarding community involvement.
Sustainable Tourism Faculty at MSU have a long history of studying recreation and how it can meet local social and environmental needs. Faculty examine these issues within Michigan and internationally, looking at both small-scale outdoor recreation and large-scale resorts. Examples of projects include:
Enterprise Development See agricultural development, above. In addition, faculty members work on the challenge of distributing goods, moving them from developing countries (especially foods) to broader markets. This is about concrete networks and ways of adding value to the products. Faculty also look at how enterprises can develop in socially and environmentally sustainable ways. Extensive work on corporate environmental management looks at what is needed in diverse industries, from packaging to construction to civil infrastructure. Faculty work addresses these issues both domestically and internationally, identifying what’s needed for corporate sustainability in multiple contexts. Faculty also have specific expertise in developing businesses, at large and small scales.
Gender and Strengthening Disadvantaged Groups MSU strength in this area is captured by Gender, Justice and Environment, a new graduate specialization at Michigan State University. It is the first of its kind in the nation explicitly focusing on the intersection of gender, environmental change, and social and environmental justice. Faculty examine, for example, grassroots environmental movements and the role of women; links between environmental change and the processes of globalization; and feminist environmental economics. Sustainable Finance
Multilateral Environmental Agreements: MSU faculty have been intimately involved in formulating and implementing several multilateral environmental agreements and researching and critiquing the subjects of these agreements. Examples of such involvement include: A faculty member in the College of Law has been involved in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) for more than a decade, both as a delegate to annual Conferences of the Parties of CITES, representing the Animal Legal Defense Fund (as recently as 2000), and as a consultant assisting in the drafting of domestic legislation to implement CITES in Ghana, Malawi, and Malta. This faculty member was for 15 years (1985-2000) Chairperson of the Drafting Committee of Committee for the Convention for Protection of Animals. In this capacity, he co-chaired the International Meeting to consider the draft of the Treaty Convention for Protection of Animals in 1986 and, in the next year, presented the draft Treaty to the Board of the World Society for Protection of Animals. He also has spoken and presented papers about these Conventions internationally. He has provided a voice of the legal profession to animal protection advocates – as Chairperson of International Law Committee of the Animal Legal Defense Fund (1985- present) – and has spoken up for concerned of wildlife to the legal profession – as Chairperson of the Wildlife Special Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (1994-1998). Another faculty member in the MSU Geography Department has received support for US federal agencies, private companies, and international organizations such as the World Bank and the United Nations for projects involving global change that are valuable to multilateral policy discussions on these issues. These projects have made important contributions in the fields of (1) measuring tropical deforestation and other land cover changes using satellites, (2) analysis and modeling of the effects of deforestation on biodiversity and biogeochemistry, (3) analysis and modeling of the underlying dynamics and human dimensions of land use and cover change, (4) evaluation and development of new space borne land cover monitoring and measuring technologies and methods, and (5) development of information management systems and technologies for monitoring and mapping land cover change. MSU faculty maintain consultancies with the United Nations Environmental Programme and the Scientific Advisory and Technical Panel of the Global Environment Facility. Working with these international agencies, the University has gained international recognition for its work on issues pertaining to land degradation, carbon sequestration cycling, and global climate change (including having technical input into the text of the Kyoto Treaty). An MSU faculty member in the Sociology Department advised the City of Durban ( South Africa) Environment Department on how to implement the Local Agenda 21 program adopted at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. He prepared a lengthy report on the engagement of community-based organizations in dealing with environmental problems that impacted their communities, including hazardous waste sites, industrial pollution, and environmental impact assessment of new factories. (This research has continued for more than five years.) Institutional Development: MSU faculty members are working with NGOs, Universities, and quasi-and host-governmental agencies to promote increased capacity in environmental research, policy and programs. Our faculty members sit on numerous boards of directors which help to define where resources are allocated in the international development arena. MSU also hosts more than 3,500 international students on campus, and provides training around the globe with more than 1,200 faculty focused on international research projects. Examples of our work include:
This project has been with the Latvia University of Agriculture, with the objectives of assisting LUA to modernize its curriculum, didactic methodology, provisions for student life, and research so that LUA can serve the needs of Latvia in the economic, social, and political context emerging in a democratic, market-driven economy.
This project will provide up to 30 Uruguayans with M.S. degrees and approximately 40 will receive specialized non-degree training, all in fields of agriculture and natural resources. The objective is to strengthen the national system for research and transfer of technology.
This program includes intensive study of surveying environmental problems and responses, field trips to environmentally sensitive sites, and internships with Japanese laboratories, universities, agencies, and businesses involved in environmental science research and applications.
This USAID-funded project provides advanced degree training (MS and PhD) for 19 researchers from Mali's Institute for Rural Economy. A unique component of this activity is the Spousal Training Initiative which provides limited funding to support educational opportunities for spouses of sponsored researchers.
This program is aimed at assisting international PhD students focused on hunger and poverty in the world. The program activities seek to build appreciation of interdisciplinary strategies for understanding these problems, respect for the skill and views of other disciplines, teamwork, and leadership for assisting with policy advice when the scholars return to their home countries.
This program provides short-term training to Chinese administrators and government officials in agriculture, environment, land use, and related areas of rural economic development in a market driven economy.
The program is designed to provide international professionals and scholars with a multi-faceted educational experience emphasizing professional knowledge, language training, and cross-cultural education in response to a world-wide demand for the exchange of ideas and educational training among real-world professionals and for educational training for professionals. Linking Environment and Economic Growth: Gender, Justice and Environment, a new graduate specialization at Michigan State University, is the first of its kind in the nation explicitly focusing on the intersection of gender, environmental change, and social and environmental justice. The program is designed in particular to examine these issues and processes from both local and global perspectives, challenging traditional dichotomies between the First and Third World, the North and the South. Students are expected to do international field research as a component of this program. Researchers, policy-makers, and activists have increasingly recognized the critical importance of these interlocking dimensions for understanding the social relations underlying many environmental problems, from Love Canal in New York to the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Examples of emerging scholarship in this field include how In recent years, watershed development has been promoted as a means to develop the agricultural economy, conserve natural resources, and alleviate poverty in semi-arid tropical areas untouched by the green revolution. While the watershed approach offers the potential for complementary gains in meeting all three of these objectives, in practice it presents challenges due to conflicts between technical optimality and socioeconomic feasibility. Other, more technocratic, projects that ignored issues of social organization have had less success. The Indian government is currently attempting to expand successful approaches to a national scale, but various constraints remain. One of these is the need for better diffusion of project benefits to landless people, who are the poorest members of the community. Ensuring an equitable distribution of benefits may prove critical to achieving production and environmental objectives in watershed development. Policy Program Management and Support: This Program's primary objectives are to expand the base of scientific knowledge, reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances, and ultimately, prevent adverse human health effects. The SARA legislation mandates that the research funded by this Program should include development of (a) methods and technologies to detect hazardous substances in the environment; (b) advanced techniques for the detection, assessment, and evaluation of the effects on human health of hazardous substances; (c) methods to assess the risks to human health presented by hazardous substances; and (d) basic biological, chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of hazardous substances. The Superfund Basic Research Program is unique in its approach of these objectives by supporting coordinated, multicomponent, interdisciplinary research programs. The research sponsored in the fields of ecology, engineering, and hydrogeology (designated collectively as nonbiomedical research) integrated into a biomedical research program core is designed to provide a broader and more detailed body of scientific information to be used by state, local, and federal agencies and by private organizations and industry in making decisions related to the management of hazardous substances. This approach encourages true collaborative efforts among researchers to address the public health concerns associated with hazardous wastes in the environment. The Institute, at Michigan State University in East Lansing, was established to coordinate the response of the MSU scientific community to environmental concerns of Michigan citizens and businesses. As part of its mission, the institute promotes public awareness of environmental issues which impact all of our lives every day in many different ways. Watershed projects are complicated, however, by the fact that watershed boundaries rarely correspond to human-defined boundaries. Also, watershed projects often distribute costs and benefits unevenly, with costs incurred disproportionately upstream, typically among poorer residents, and benefits realized disproportionately downstream, where irrigation is concentrated and the wealthiest farmers own most of the land. Watershed projects take a wide variety of strategies, ranging from those that are more technocratic to those that pay more attention to the social organization of watersheds. By the mid-1990s annual expenditure on watershed development in India approached $500 million, but there was relatively little information available on the success of different project approaches. MSU research has addressed three main research questions: 1) What projects are most successful in promoting the objectives of raising agricultural productivity, improving natural resource management and reducing poverty? 2) What approaches enable them to succeed? 3) What nonproject factors also contribute to achieving these objectives? The major hypotheses are that participatory approaches that devote more attention to social organization yield superior project impact, and that favorable economic conditions and good infrastructure also support better natural resource management and higher productivity. A detailed survey of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh states covered 86 villages under several watershed projects as well as nonproject villages with no project. The projects covered operated under the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Rural Development, various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and in collaboration between NGOs and the Government of Maharashtra. The government projects were more technocratic in focus, whereas the NGO projects focused more on social organization, and the government-nongovernmental collaborative projects tried to draw on the strengths of both approaches. The analysis of the Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh villages compared pre- and post-project conditions in the study villages. Quantitative analysis at the village level addressed performance indicators such as changes in access to water for irrigation and drinking, change in employment opportunities, soil erosion and conservation on uncultivated lands and drainage lines, and change in availability of various products from the common (government revenue) lands. At the plot level, performance indicators included changes in cropping intensity, change in yields, and soil erosion on cultivated lands, farmers' land improvement investments, and annual net returns to cultivation. This analysis was supplemented by qualitative information about the effects of the projects on different interest groups in the villages such as farmers with irrigation, farmers without irrigation, landless people, shepherds, and women. Findings of the empirical study in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh lend support to the hypothesis that more participatory projects perform better than their more technocratic, top-down counterparts, and that a combination of participation and sound technical input may perform the best of all. Evidence about the role of economic conditions and infrastructure is more limited. Despite rhetoric to the contrary, successful participatory projects remain few in number so their impact is limited. In the study area in rain fed areas of Maharashtra's Pune and Ahmednagar districts, for example, the innovative projects operated in only 40 out of over 1000 villages, even though they are particularly highly concentrated in this area compared to the rest of India. Also, the most successful projects enjoyed special treatment that will be difficult to replicate on a large scale. Spreading participatory watershed development throughout the country will not be easy. One continuing challenge for almost all projects is in designing interventions and organizing communities so that benefits are distributed more evenly to landless people, shepherds and women. These are the least influential community members and their needs and interests require special attention. Otherwise watershed projects can actually make them worse off than before by restricting their access to resources that contribute to their livelihoods. Unstructured interviews with these groups suggested that all of the Maharashtra projects have room for improvement in serving their needs. Petro Chemicals are now an integral part of everyday life; in fact, we have become dependent on them for our health, food supply, and lifestyle. Directly or indirectly, these chemicals have greatly increased our lifespan. However, as the chemical industry has grown, synthetic chemicals--especially plastics, drugs, and pesticides--have become increasingly numerous, and in some cases, potentially hazardous. In recent years, the contamination of the environment by toxic chemicals has become an increasing problem. These environmental contaminants differ from most other chemicals to which we are exposed in that we usually do not choose to be exposed to them (as we do with drugs or components of tobacco smoke). Furthermore, we may have little or no control over the amount or frequency of exposure to these contaminants. If a particular toxic substance is present in the environment, we may be exposed to it at work, in our home, or outdoors. |
