Mount Faculty Encourage Students to Fight for Environmental Justice
5/5/2017
Riverdale, N.Y.—On a cool spring afternoon, Mount faculty gathered to discuss environmental justice—a topic they described as one of the most defining issues of our time—with fellow faculty, students, and staff. The April 26 event featured panelists Nina Aversano, Chair and Assistant Professor of Management; Sr. Carol DeAngelo, Director of the Sisters of Charity of New York’s Office of Peace, Justice, and Integrity of Creation; Omar Nagi, Associate Professor of Sociology; and Ioanna Visviki, Associate Professor of Biology.
Dr. Aversano, a former IBM executive and vice president of global operations at AT&T, tackled the complex issue of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Conflict minerals extracted from war zones could finance an insurgency, an invading army’s war efforts, or a warlord’s activity, always at the expense of the safety and well-being of the area’s citizens. A relatively well-known example of a conflict mineral are diamonds, sometimes dubbed “blood diamonds.”
A less prominent example is a far more insidious one. These minerals are essential in the manufacturing of products most consider essential to everyday life: cell phones and laptops. Minerals including cassiterite (for tin), wolframite (for tungsten), coltan (for tantalum), and gold ore are extracted from areas such as the eastern Congo and passed through a variety of intermediaries before being purchased by international electronics companies. Profiteers include rebel groups and various armies whose presence contribute to violence and exploitation in the region.
Dr. Aversano said that while companies like Intel are working toward conflict-free policies, others—like Apple—have not done enough. Intel, meanwhile, is creating a responsible supply chain by committing to only using conflict-free mineral resources.
“I never knew that something like a cell phone could come at the expense of so much,” said Kelly Oliver ’19. “It definitely raises your awareness.”
Omar Nagi, Associate Professor of Sociology, rhetorically questioned who was to blame for environmental concerns: the poor, the wealthy, or the average citizen. “One hundred years ago, there was a belief that cars were superior to horses because of everything they offered,” he said. “We didn’t know enough [about emissions], about the environmental impact they would have.” With consideration to the long-term impact of today’s rapid growth in technology, Dr. Nagi said, “So, are we asking the right questions?”
Dr. Visviki discussed climate change in the context of sociopolitical upheaval, culminating in the current refugee crisis worldwide. “In areas where there are ‘persons of concern,’ that is, the United Nations’ designation for refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons, climate change acts as a ‘threat multiplier,’ increasing economic and political instability.” She used Syria and Sahel countries, such as Chad and Nigeria, as examples.
“An examination of data from the historical record shows a decrease in precipitation, an increase in average temperatures, and a more frequent incidence of drought,” Dr. Visviki said. In the last major drought, from 2007-2010, livestock perished, approximately 800,000 farms were abandoned, and malnutrition dramatically increased in children. About 1.5 million Syrians subsequently migrated from the countryside to urban centers. These urban areas had previously received 1.5 million Iraqis fleeing war. Political corruption abounded. “Climate change was a contributing factor, along with resistance to the authoritarian government, sectarian differences, and the struggle for local influence between Iran and Saudi Arabia,” Dr. Visviki said. “As a result, we are in the sixth year of civil war with high civilian casualties and millions of refugees settling in neighboring countries or seeking asylum in Europe.”
Sr. Carol discussed the importance of environmental justice as a spiritual concern, citing the importance of Pope Francis’s encyclical On Care For Our Common Home (Laudato Si’), which calls for universal care of our common home, Earth, as well as compassion toward all living creatures. “He calls us to a new spirituality, an eco-spirituality, a transformation that does not separate issues but sees all life as interconnected,” Sr. Carol said. She invited attendees to explore the Charism of Charity through the idea of love as an ecological vocation, a concept addressed in Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s book, Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological and Economic Transformation.
Sr. Eileen Fagan, Chair and Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, moderated the discussion. The event was hosted by the Department of Accounting, Business, and Economics; the Department of History; the Division of Natural Sciences; the Minor program in Political Science; the Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy; the Department of Sociology; the Women’s Studies program; and the Sisters of Charity of New York’s Office of Peace, Justice, and Integrity of Creation.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.