Sierra Club

Michelle Martinez worked with the Sierra Club Environmental Justice Chapter in Detroit to investigate the cumulative health impacts of industrial pollution on human health.

She learned that institutional responses fall short of addressing dire matters that include chronic lung disease, cancers, and other adverse health impacts. While community benefit agreements may help to alleviate some of the burdens caused by constant pollution, it can never balance the cost of entire communities dying from pollution. Community organizing is paramount to communication and negotiation in the face of continued exposure.

Internship Details

Organization	Sierra Club, Mackinac Chapter - Detroit, MI
Employment Sector	Non-Governmental Organization/Non-Profit
Student's Field of Study	Environmental Policy and Planning
Topic Areas of Internship	Air Pollution, Citizen Participation, and Environmental Health
Duration & Dates	13 weeks, starting 5/1/2008
Skills Gained	Coalition Building, Grassroots Organizing, People Management, Analytical Skills, and Strong Interpersonal Skills
Duties Performed	Community Development and Environmental Health Organizing
How Student Obtained Internship	Student Initiated
Paid or Unpaid?	Funded by Marshall Weinberg Fellowship Program

SNRE Events

Thursday, October 24th

Chicago Alumni Reception
- Start time: 05:30pm
- End time: 07:30pm
- Thursday, October 24
  5:30-7:30
  Location to be determined (check back soon!)
- View this event in Google Calendar

Friday, November 8th

SS Forum - Chris Kennedy & John Crittenden
- Start time: 02:00pm
- End time: 05:00pm
- SS FORUM: Sustainable and Resilient Urban Infrastructure for the Next 100 Years
  
  Abstract:
  Two renowned scholars on urban systems share their perspectives on how we may foster more resilient and sustainable urban infrastructures for the 21st Century. Professor Christopher Kennedy (Civil Engineering, University of Toronto) presents cities as an urban metabolism, composed of material and energy stocks and flows, and discusses how infrastructure is a fundamental determinant of the metabolism. Professor John Crittenden (Director, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Georgia Tech University) introduces the audience to infrastructure ecology, which conceptualizes and models traditional infrastructures (e.g., water, energy, transportation) and socio-economic-ecological infrastructures (e.g., community design, land use planning) as an intertwined, complex, emergent urban nexus.
  
  Each presenter will speak for approximately twenty minutes, followed by questions from University of Michigan assistant professors, Joshua Newell (SNRE) and Ming Xu (SNRE), and from the audience. The event will produce a lively, interactive discussion and reflection on what we must do to forge sustainable, resilient cities in an era of climate change, unprecedented urbanization, and ecological crises. A reception follows this special event.
  
  Bios:
  Chris Kennedy, Professor of Civil Engineering at University of Toronto
  
  His research focus includes: Economic and environmental aspects of sustainable urban infrastructure including transportation, buildings and water systems; Design of sustainable streets and neighbourhoods; Urban metabolism.
  
  John Crittenden, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech and Director, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems
  
  His research focus includes: Infrastructure Ecology, Pollution Prevention; Physical Chemical Treatment Processes; Transport of Organics in Saturated and Unsaturated Groundwater; Mass Transfer; Modeling of Wastewater and Water Treatment Processes.
- View this event in Google Calendar

Monday, November 11th

Talk by Monica Ellis, CEO of Global Water Challenge
- Start time: 05:00pm
- End time: 06:30pm
- View this event in Google Calendar

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Internship Details