As we enter the 21st century, the challenges facing our world may often seem overwhelming. We are bombarded daily with images and information about serious problems including poverty, inequality, malnutrition, disease, violence, racism and cultural imperialism. In the face of such urgent issues, what relevance can be ascribed to the celebration of Earth Day and Earth Week at Macalester? Is it not a luxury to be able to reflect upon environmental issues when so many people in the world are struggling to survive?

A superficial analysis of current circumstances may suggest that Earth Day is of little relevance when compared to pressing social issues. Some people believe that environmentalism is an elitist movement led by privileged individuals in wealthy nations. These ideas could not be farther from the truth. Environmental issues are inextricably linked to racism, sexism, cultural imperialism and economic exploitation (to name but a few relevant issues).

In the United States and all around the world, minority communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental problems associated with industrial pollution. Studies have shown that toxic waste facilities are more likely to be located in minority communities than in other areas. Other studies have documented related problems such as a higher rate of exposure by people of color to air pollution and a higher incidence of lead poisoning among African American children.

The exploitation of environmental resources has a disproportionate negative impact on minority groups, indigenous communities and lower income groups. Many large-scale development projects exert profound and lasting negative influences on indigenous groups and other subsistence communities. The benefits of coal mining, oil exploration, uranium mining and many other forms of resource use and extraction generally benefit wealthy nations or to the elite classes in poorer nations, while low income and minority communities frequently bear the social and environmental costs associated with such projects. Over 1,100 abandoned uranium mines litter the territory of the Navajo people in New Mexico and Arizona. As a result of the testing of nuclear weapons, the Western Shoshone Nation in Nevada qualifies as the most bombed nation on earth. In Minnesota, the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant has devastated the Lakota community.

Environmental problems are the result of a complex interplay between social, political and economic issues. The ideological imperative dictating excessive material consumption in many Western nations (particularly the United States) plays an important role in the creation of environmental problems. Although the United States contains only 4.5 percent of the world's population and 3.5 of the total oil supply, 26 percent of the world's oil is consumed by the US. The United States also accounts for 21 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Although such statistics are alarming, the shattered lives of communities and individuals who bear the cost of these policies are even more disturbing. The unquenchable thirst of the United States for oil has facilitated extreme violence and social upheaval in Nigeria, Columbia, Ecuador and elsewhere in the world.

The policies which have led to a worldwide transformation and restructuring of economies have also played an important role in the creation of interconnected environmental and social problems. The United States and international development banks have been key supporters of these policies. Because of these policies, many third world nations have been plunged into a vicious cycle of debt and resource exploitation. In Ecuador, the foreign debt increased from 3.5 to 13.7 billion between 1979 and 2000 despite efforts to increase oil production and cut spending on health care and education.

How does this pertain to Earth Day and to the many exiting events planned for Earth Week 2003 at Macalester? Earth Day was created not just to plant trees but to address a wide array of interconnected issues. The founder of the April 22 Earth Day, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, was inspired by the civil rights movement and by anti-war teach-ins across the country during the Vietnam War. Senator Nelson recognized the interconnected nature of environmental and social issues and sought to remedy misunderstandings which have led many to view human issues as unrelated to the environment. He asserted that the goal of Earth Day should be to create "an environment of decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human creatures and for all living creatures." International Earth Day also seeks to restore balance in the ecological community (of which humans are a part) and within the human community by addressing issues relating to the environmental, global peace and justice.

The events planned in celebration of Earth Week 2003 at Macalester seek to explore a diverse array of issues relating to the environment and society. Each day will feature a different environmental theme. Daily themes will include: war, energy, the environment, sustainable agriculture, alternative energy production, environmental justice (with an emphasis upon energy production and indigenous peoples) and recycling. During the week, many notable speakers will come to campus to share their knowledge regarding some of these themes. Some of the exciting events planned for the week include an outdoor movie on Shaw Field, a performance by a hip-hop group (dealing with social and environmental issues), an outdoor potluck and a Coffee House evening sponsored by Amnesty International.

Look for more information regarding Earth Week in the near future. To participate in the planning of Earth Week events, come to the next planning session on Tuesday, April 8th at noon in the basement of Kagin commons.