Chester, PA

Monday night I had the surreal experience of sitting in a classroom in Belfast during my environmental justice class, while skyping with someone in Hawaii who is an expert on environmental degradation in Chester, Pa. Our class read an academic piece on grassroots activism in Chester in the 1990s. Each student has to give a presentation during the semester, so I decided to interview someone who could update us on what is going on in Chester. My friend (West Chester University Professor) Paul Morgan suggested I contact Mike Ewall, head of the Environmental Justice Network. Although based in Philly, he was in Hawaii on business. It was a fairly depressing conversation. Although Chester has scored quite a few victories in recent years, the odds are stacked against citizen activists when corporations threaten to sue municipalities that don't grant whatever permit they are seeking.

My Tuesday night class is on climate change. Talk about depressing. The outlook for our poor planet is so grim that I actually sit there and think "I'm glad I'm 52 and not 22 and I'm glad I don't have children."
I think that is why environmental activism has been something I've avoided in favor of issues that seem less overwhelming. Next Tuesday, I will play the role of Ban Ki Moon as I chair a climate change simulation designed by MIT to help countries see the effects of their decisions. My job is to help the U.S. and Chinese delegations agree to emissions reductions that will prevent the planet from reaching an overheating tipping point. Wish me luck.
3-5