Environmental justice issues discussed in next Geek Speak Lecture at BHSU
25 March 2019
Interested in environmental issues? Join Black Hills State University adjunct professor Petrika Peters at the next Geek Speak Lecture. Peters will present “Global Dumping: Achieving Transnational Justice for the Toxic Waste Trade” Thursday, April 4 at 4 p.m. The lecture will be held in Jonas 110 and is open to the public.
Global dumping refers to a process of moving hazardous waste across national borders. In her lecture, Peters plans on giving a brief history of the overall movement but will focus on the waste moving from north of the equator to the southern parts of the globe.
The toxic waste trade unevenly inflicts social harm and currently shows no signs of slowing, according to Peters.
Individuals can help prevent further damage by decreasing personal consumption. It can be as simple as declining the latest version of a new gadget of electronic, she adds.
Peters says, “The Basel Action Network is a non-profit working to mitigate this issue and is a great resource for individuals wanting to make sure their waste is disposed of in the safest way possible.”
With less sovereignty in the Global South, these countries suffer more implications from global dumping. Electronic waste is full of hazardous materials that when disposed of improperly, poison the land and water which adversely harms the human population.
As an avid outdoors person, activist and advocate, Peters has always been interested academically in sustainability and environmental justice issues on a global scale.
Locally, Peters served as sustainability coordinator at BHSU for two years. During her time in this position, she was heavily involved with many initiatives and programs such as Bike Spearfish, Spearfish Local, and the Black Hills Food Hub. Peters also aided in developing the current sustainability master plan for BHSU.
The Geek Speak Lecture Series is sponsored by the University Honors program.
About BHSU Sustainability Efforts BHSU was the first South Dakota University to join the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, a consortium of 400 universities across the nation dedicated to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.
The University has many “green” initiatives including a campus garden, wind turbine, a recycling program, solar panels and utilizes many other energy efficiencies. BHSU students are actively embracing sustainability in their classrooms with a national grant funded solar cell research project, business plans for an innovative mobile recycling business, and art projects and lesson plans that incorporate sustainability aspects.
About the BHSU Sustainability program BHSU is proud to offer a Master of Science in Sustainability that is entirely online. The program informs students about theoretical and practical issues relevant to sustainability – great preparation for communicating problems with stakeholders and implementing real-world solutions to work towards a sustainable society.
This inter-disciplinary and innovative program provides students with knowledge that enables understanding of the complex relationship between environmental factors, natural systems, economic structures, legal framework, socio-political forces and policy options. The challenges and solutions relating to a sustainable future lean on these comprehensive ideas. For more information visit www.BHSU.edu/Sustainability or contact program coordinators: