i aye i L/any imcuiaor\ai i
Proposed environment program
called unique by UNL officials
By Alan Phelps
Staff Reporter
A combination of physical, social
and agricultural sciences would
make tne proposed environmental
studies program at UNL unique,
officials saia.
University of Nebraska- Lincoln
sociology professor J. Allen Wil
liams Jr. said the program, set to
be considered by College of Arts
and Sciences faculty members April
29, would be a joint venture be
tween arts and sciences and the
Institute of Agriculture and Natu
ral Resources.
Under the proposal, students
would be able to earn either a
Bachelor of Science degree in natu
ral resources from the agriculture
college or a Bachelor of Science
degree from the College of Arts
ana Sciences with an emphasis in
a particular field, Williams said.
The emphasis would be like a
minor, he said.
Sam Treves, associate dean of
the College of Arts and Sciences,
was the cnairman of the original
committee to develop the program
proposal. Although planners had
knowledge of other programs
around tj^j country, he said UNL's
i ;•
proposed program is probably
unique because it combines ele
ments of the social sciences, physi
cal sciences and the college of
agriculture.
"I think it gives us a bigger pool
of expertise, he said. ^Tne pro
gram is more diverse ... students
have more opportunity to inter
act."
Williams said he thought such
a mix was important to under
standing environmental issues.
"Environmental studiesclearlv
involves a broad spectrum of dif
ferences," he said. "It's important
to have a balance between things
that social science has learned as
well as understanding the natural
biological principles involved."
Many of the classes needed for
the proposed major are already
being taught at UNL, Treves saia.
"The program iscrafted largely
from programs that already exist.
Very few classes will need to be
added " he said.
Williams said there seems to be
a lot of interest in such a program
at UNL among both students and
faculty. *
"I've been really pleased by the
interest of faculty. There's a lot of
enthusiasm about this program,"
he said. "1 think there's been a real
groundswell of interest... at this
university."
The UNJL group Ecology Now
spearheaded a petition signed by
hundreds of students in support
of such a decree program last year,
Williams added. .
Williams said that the jobs a
student graduating with the pro
posed degree would be qualified
for lie primarily in environmental
fields.
"It depends on what their
emphasis is," he said. "They might
do research in environmental is
sues, or be involved with environ
mental organizations or the gov
ernment."
One environmental course,
Earth in Crisis, is already being
taught on an experimental basis
this semester as Geography 181.
The teacher of the course, Jeanne
Kay, said her class is going well
and she is optimistic about the
proposal's chances.
'It's past the preliminary stage
and will be going to genera! arts
and science faculty," she said. "I
think even though there may be
some disagreement about this and
that, I think thereisbroad support
for a major like this."
We shall never achieve har
mony with land, any more
than we shall achieve justice
or liberty for people. In these
higher aspirations the impor
tant thing is not to achieve,
but to strive.
Aldo Leopold
naturalist and writer of
A Sand County Almanac
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Did You Know That...
... the total solar energy reaching earth's surface is equivalent to the energy produced by 10 million, 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants?
... a baby born in the United States today will use approximately 1,200 barrels of petroleum during his or her lifetime?
... at least eight animal species that appear as official symbols of their native land are in danger of extinction?
... there are more insects in one square mile of rural land than human beings on the entire earth?
... one pound of hamburger requires one third of a gallon of gasoline, three fourths of a pound of fertilizer, seven pounds of grain and beans
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'Green' publications
boost consciousness
By Connie L. Sheehan
Senior Editor
For those looking to grow green
along with the environmental
movement, the variety of related
books has sprouted, according to
Kathryn Kelley, manager of the
General Book Department at the
Nebraska Bookstore.
"Prior to last year's Earth Day
celebration, there wer "
(titles) available,"
Because last year's E< y
so heavily publicized, the residual
interest still remains.
"It was easy in the late '70s and
'80s not to think about (the envi
ronmental issue)," Kelley said, "and
people forgot but the public has
become aware again."
Probably the Dest-selling book
in this resurgence was "50 Simple
Things You Can Do To Save the
Earth" by Earthworks Press, she
said.
The book became a big seller
over lastyear's Earth Day celebra
tion, Kelley explained.
Dayna Macy, publicity director
of Earthworks Press agreed that
their first book, "50 Simple Things
You Can Do to Save tne Earth,"
eventually becameabestsellerbut
said that in the beginning, no one
in New York was interested in
publishing the book.
John Javna, the publisher, de
cided to bring together his own
group of writers and publish the
book himself, she saia.
Macy said that the newly formed
company didn't even have a tele
phone since Javna was working
ou t of his home, bu t the first 25,000
copies of the book were soon
printed.
Then, the Los Angeles Times
did a review on the Book, and it
"took off like gangbusters," she
said.
The book has sold 3.5 million
copies and became the No. 11990
Trade Paperback according to
Publisher's Weekly Survey (a
publishing industry listing), Macy
said.
"That gave the company the
base to start other projects," Macy
explained. Earthworks now has
nine titles in print and two others
to be releasea this summer.
These books aren't glossy illus
trations or technical but just simple
books on steps everyone can take
to help the environment, she added.
"Even if the only thing you
change is using your mug to Buy
coffee in the morning instead of
Styrofoam cups, that will still save
365 cups per year," she explained.
The idea is to just do something
— no matter how small. The act
still makes a difference, she said.
Macy said that one of the books
to be released in June, The Student
Environmental Action Guide,
concentrates on whatstudentscan
do to institute environmental
changes on high school and col
lege campuses.
It was written in conjunction
with the Student Environmental
Action Coalition, a nationwide
organization with the same phi
losophy, she said.
"$0 Simple Things Your Busi
ness Can Do to Save the Earth" is
already in print and Macy antici
pates as more people grow envi
ronmentally aware that businesses
will become the next big group to
go "green."
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