<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>environmentalism Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <atom:link href="https://usustatesman.com/tag/environmentalism/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/environmentalism/</link> <description>USU's Student Newspaper</description> <lastBuildDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2024 02:58:16 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1</generator> <image> <url>https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/cropped-screen-shot-2017-10-19-at-4.33.29-pm-32x32.png</url> <title>environmentalism Archives - The Utah Statesman</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/tag/environmentalism/</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Symposium on economic growth and sustainability launches difficult conversations</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/symposium-on-economic-growth-and-sustainability-launches-difficult-conversations/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Caitlin Keith]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2024 02:58:16 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Highlander]]></category> <category><![CDATA[economic growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[environmentalism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Great Salt Lake]]></category> <category><![CDATA[material resource growth]]></category> <category><![CDATA[policy reform]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sustainable practices]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Symposium on economic growth and sustainability]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22129205</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Meant to stimulate “hard conversations” on two essential topics, the Dialogues on Economic Growth and Sustainability held on Utah State…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/symposium-on-economic-growth-and-sustainability-launches-difficult-conversations/">Symposium on economic growth and sustainability launches difficult conversations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span data-contrast="auto">Meant to stimulate “hard conversations” on two essential topics, the Dialogues on Economic Growth and Sustainability held on Utah State University’s Logan campus was an interdepartmental effort. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The symposium was co-organized by Patrick Belmont, department head of watershed sciences; Frank Caliendo, s</span><span data-contrast="none">enior associate dean and professor of economics and finance; and Ben Blau, department head and professor of economics and finance. Taking place over three days in February, the symposium was held in the Russell-Wanlass Performance Hall. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The event brought together speakers and panelists from a variety of disciplines in order to have a wide spectrum of perspectives. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">According to Belmont, the symposium focused on economic growth and sustainability because those are seen as two conflicting forces. Many things that contribute to environmental issues, such as cutting down forests or the use and consumption of energy sources, are driven by economic growth. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">“</span><span data-contrast="auto">For decades, we’ve recognized that there’s a conflict there of economic growth and sustainability,” Belmont said. “We’ve been kind of saying, ‘Well, let’s just keep growing and it should work out, and there’s ways we can do it a little bit better.’ But we’re really beating around the bush.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The symposium was meant to encourage hard conversations, help people think deeply about the issues presented and explore potential solutions. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Jada Staker, a first-year student pursuing environmental studies, attended the last day of the symposium because she wanted to learn more about how the two topics connect and affect each other. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">“T</span><span data-contrast="auto">here’s a lot of perspectives,” Staker said. “I feel like I kind of hear one perspective a lot, being in certain classes and things. But it’s really interesting to hear an economics perspective and a physicist’s perspective, and just go beyond my own ideas.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Jakob Bell is an art student who painted three different pieces of art representing the conversations and topics covered during each session. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Belmont said they are working on a plan to display the pieces Bell created.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Each day of the symposium had a different focus and purpose. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The first session, held on Feb. 2, was composed mostly of speakers, but most notable were the two keynote speakers who purposefully gave conflicting presentations. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Craig Palsson went first with a presentation titled “Economic Growth Must Continue or We Can’t.” He was followed by Rob Davies with “Economic Growth Will End. Soon. Done Well This Will Be a Good Thing.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“There wasn’t bickering back and forth,” Blau said. “It was just basically stating a position, right, and I thought that was great. Anyway, I thought that there was a lot of passion in the presentations about these things.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">Palsson is an assistant professor of economics at USU and Davies an associate professor of physics. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s important for students to be able to hear those two sides,” Palsson said. “Also important for us to try and wrestle with that and say, like, ‘OK, this seems like pretty contradicting arguments.’ Is there a synthesis that says like, ‘This is the path that we’re going to be able to achieve?’”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The second session of the symposium, held on Feb. 9, was meant to build off the ideas presented during the first. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“The second day was the hardest of the three to manage,” Belmont said. “We were trying to present some case studies that were relevant, that were building on some of the points that were from the first week.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Those who presented case studies that day include Kat Bilicka, an associate professor of economics and statistics, and Ken Snyder, the executive director of the Shingo Institute and a senior lecturer at USU. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The last session of the symposium, held on Feb. 16, was focused on wrapping up the conversations had earlier, then looking forward and asking “What now?”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">After a few individual presentations given by Jeannie Johnson, an associate professor of political science; Jeff Reece, a social entrepreneur; and Darren Parry, Shoshone Nation tribe leader and visiting professor at the University of Utah, there was a panel to conclude the symposium. </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The concluding panel included Courtney Flint, professor of environment and society, and Caitlin McLennan, USU’s sustainability coordinator. The other members of the panel were Davies, Palsson, Reece, Johnson and Parry. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">One question asked to the panel was “If you could choose and highlight one value that society should hold on to, no matter what the future holds, what do you think that one of those values should be?”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="none">The values listed by the panel were the natural environment, healing, empathy, charity, community and collaboration, collectivism and complexity. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“This was a launching pad,” Blau said. “Going forward, we can start talking more about maybe ways to solve these really hard problems.”</span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">A new course will be taught at USU focused on climate change solution pathways. The class will be co-taught by Davies and Bilicka. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“She’ll come at it from a very, very well-prepared mainstream economic perspective,” Davies said. “And I will come at it from a biophysical perspective; I’m a physicist by training. So we’re going to come at it from different perspectives. I think we’re going to learn a lot from each other.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">The new course still has to be approved, but the plan is to have it start in spring 2025. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“There’s this question of whether or not one can decouple economic growth from energy and material resource growth,” Davies said. “Can you continue to grow the economy without continuing to grow your use of energy and material resources?”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Davies said the mainstream economic world believes decoupling is possible, but from his perspective, the data doesn’t show evidence of it.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">There were conversations throughout the sessions about the Great Salt Lake, including a presentation from Great Salt Lake commissioner Brian Steed. The symposium also addressed economic growth in Cache Valley and its impact on the environment with a presentation from Cache County executive David Zook. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">Belmont said he is excited to move forward from the symposium and see what happens now, what conversations will be had and what solutions can be found. He hopes those who attended learned that there can be constructive conversations had with a wide variety of opinions and perspectives involved. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">“I worry about binary thinking,” Blau said. “I worry that we’re bifurcating into tribes and allowing those tribes to think for us, and I don’t think that it’s beneficial. We have to do better at making sure that we understand all sides of every argument before we start making policy recommendations.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{"134245417":false,"201341983":0,"335559740":276}"> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/symposium-on-economic-growth-and-sustainability-launches-difficult-conversations/">Symposium on economic growth and sustainability launches difficult conversations</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Michelle Rossi’s research on non-human marginalized groups</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/michelle-rossis-research-on-non-human-marginalized-groups/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Essence Barnes]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 12 Feb 2024 13:00:33 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lifestyles]]></category> <category><![CDATA[animal research]]></category> <category><![CDATA[animal rights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[animal suffering]]></category> <category><![CDATA[environmentalism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[journalism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[marginalized groups]]></category> <category><![CDATA[media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michelle Rossi]]></category> <category><![CDATA[non-human]]></category> <category><![CDATA[research]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22128122</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Michelle Rossi is an applied media assistant professor at Utah State University, with 17 years of work within the journalism…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/michelle-rossis-research-on-non-human-marginalized-groups/">Michelle Rossi’s research on non-human marginalized groups</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Michelle Rossi is an applied media assistant professor at Utah State University, with 17 years of work within the journalism and PR industries under her belt. Her most recent research has been within the field of environmentalism and media — specifically, animal rights and their representation in the media and her research keyed a unique term: “non-human marginalized groups,” or, animals. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“The question is, what’s the point about having news coverage on human beings and not having animals in the conversation?” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi’s research specializes in the news coverage of farmed animals. She said if there was a “hierarchy of living beings,” farm animals would be on the bottom. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“How does journalism engage with those beings, given that they are at the bottom of the hierarchy?” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi explored a specific instance of how journalism typically engages with non-human marginalized groups in her latest research paper. For this paper, she chose to analyze coverage of animals during the 2020 meatpacking crisis. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>When meatpacking plants had to shut down in 2019 due to the coronavirus, many farmers had to kill and dispose of their animals themselves, often by methods of shooting and gassing. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“Media was not even touching on what was going on in terms of animals and animal suffering,” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>According to her paper, “Provoking Gut-Level Reactions: A Study on Journalistic Framing During the 2020 Meatpacking Crisis,” journalists were somehow not reporting on the treatment of the farmed animals during this time. They instead relied on indirect accounts of the situation from human voices. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“We didn’t have an accurate picture of what was going on,” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>This phenomenon Rossi observed gave rise to her <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>perspective.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>“My point was, we need to understand animals as news sources as well,” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Journalists almost always rely on humans as news sources. But Rossi believes animals can be considered as such too. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi said there are many ways in which humans can interact with animals as sources, without relying on verbal communication. People use facial expressions and body movements and sounds; emotions like pain and suffering could be identified through strained cries or eye movements. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“Why not observe the animals themselves?” Rossi said. “Why constrain communication between reporters and sources just because of this written language that we have?”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>According to Rossi, she has heard accounts of the animals from farmers or advocacy groups, but still she had the same question. Why not just go get the story from the animals themselves? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi said she is aware this kind of idea requires the testing and questioning of journalistic standards, such as objectivity and accuracy; she believes this is a positive thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“I think that this could be a paradigm shift in news production so you can ensure more accuracy to the process,” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>In her dissertation, Rossi furthers her argument and explains why the scope of marginalization should be broadened to include these animals.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“What I tried to do with my interviews and analysis was to understand how journalists dealt with the fact that animals can also be understood as a marginalized group,” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Kai Beattie is a senior majoring in journalism and a student of Rossi’s. A majority of his studies have revolved around representation in journalism, and he argues why he believes the representation of marginalized groups in media is so important.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“Well I believe that media is fundamentally a form of communication and acts to both reflect and influence society,” Beattie wrote in an email to The Utah Statesman. “So when media reflects an angle of society that excludes marginalized groups or reduces them merely to the marginal aspects of their identity, it conveys a feeling that those people similarly should be excluded from society at large.” <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi found most journalists, when asked to define what a marginalized group is, said they are groups of human beings. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“If you see animals as part of marginalized groups, what happens?” Rossi said. “You’re going to start reviewing your procedures on how you can cover animals.” <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi said this is important because it helps people better understand news coverage of marginalized groups as a whole. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi compares it to the era of change the world was experiencing in 2020. It was a time of figuring out how to address certain highlighted issues of the time, such as gender and race. Many businesses and news organizations were rethinking how to more accurately and truthfully represent marginalized groups.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>“If we don’t see animals as part of a marginalized group, how can we review our procedures in terms of news coverage on animals?” Rossi said. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>Rossi said understanding animals as marginalized groups is important to having equal and honest representation in the media, for all marginalized groups. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/michelle-rossis-research-on-non-human-marginalized-groups/">Michelle Rossi’s research on non-human marginalized groups</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Opinion: The journey of a thousand miles</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/opinion-the-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Katelyn Allred]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 24 Jan 2021 18:54:35 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[consumerism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[environment]]></category> <category><![CDATA[environmentalism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[ethical consumerism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[legislation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[regulation]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22113271</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>It’s easy to go to a supermarket or clothing store and not consider where each product came from or how…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/opinion-the-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/">Opinion: The journey of a thousand miles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s easy to go to a supermarket or clothing store and not consider where each product came from or how it was made. Keeping track of global supply chains is a daunting and tiring task. At the same time, though, it’s important to be aware of where our purchases come from and what their impacts are.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, from environmental damage to human rights violations, many common items come with less-than-pleasant histories.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Learning about these issues can be overwhelming. When you discover that many chocolate companies use cacao grown with </span><a href="https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/children-slavery-cocoa"><span style="font-weight: 400;">slave labor</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, that Procter and Gamble creates the same amount of </span><a href="https://www.nrdc.org/experts/josh-axelrod/corporate-honesty-and-climate-change-time-own-and-act"><span style="font-weight: 400;">greenhouse gas emissions</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> as 3.8 million vehicles, or that </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-21/nestl-makes-billions-bottling-water-it-pays-nearly-nothing-for"><span style="font-weight: 400;">a Nestle CEO</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> called the idea that water is a human right “extreme” while the company depleted local water resources to profit off bottled water, it’s tempting to give in to despair and apathy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Corporations are massively powerful, and given the sheer number of brands that fall under a single company (for example, Nestle </span><a href="https://www.nestle.com/brands"><span style="font-weight: 400;">owns</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Cheerios, Stouffer’s, Purina, Gerber and a number of other brands), trying to boycott any given one can feel like fighting the Hydra of Greek myth. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So, for people who want to begin being more conscientious, ethical consumers, it’s important to focus on the things we can control. Individual consumers can’t stop global injustices or halt climate change, and making that your goal is an easy way to burn out before you even get started.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Massive changes require policy solutions, accountability on the part of officials and a shift in how we think about what we buy. Unless you’re a billionaire or a lawmaker, these kinds of things are probably out of your reach.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But you can make concrete, achievable goals for yourself, such as committing to learning about solutions in one industry that you frequently use. Make a goal to buy produce from local farmers, or switch to a </span><a href="https://www.slavefreechocolate.org/ethical-chocolate-companies"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fair-trade chocolate brand</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Look into </span><a href="https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-slow-fashion"><span style="font-weight: 400;">slow fashion</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><a href="https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/health-beauty/problem-mica"><span style="font-weight: 400;">makeup that uses ethical mica</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Maybe you frequently use a product that you could cut out or find an alternative to. You could research current legislation around labor and the environment, and contact your representatives to support progress.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The important thing is to start with small, manageable steps.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s okay if you can’t afford more expensive ethical brands. It’s okay if you have limited access to them, or if you need to use a more common version of a product (for example, many disabled people </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/07/11/627773979/why-people-with-disabilities-want-bans-on-plastic-straws-to-be-more-flexible"><span style="font-weight: 400;">need plastic straws</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">). There are many legitimate obstacles to ethical consumerism, and it’s important to be kind to yourself and others who are facing them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But by focusing on what you can do, you begin to make an impact. You show companies that you care about where your purchases come from. You may inspire others around you to learn more about consumer issues. You also get to know that you are doing your best to make a difference.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">No one is perfect, and it’s impossible to completely cut out every problematic product. But, as the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And if enough people take that first step, and then another, they can create a movement that leads to lasting change.</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-22112974 alignleft" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred.jpg" alt="" width="184" height="184" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred.jpg 512w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred-300x300.jpg 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred-335x335.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred-150x150.jpg 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/katelynallred-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 184px) 100vw, 184px" /></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><em>Katelyn Allred is an opinion writer in her junior year of college. She’s studying English with an emphasis in creative writing and enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and baking.</em></p> <p><em>katelyn.allred@usu.edu</em></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/opinion-the-journey-of-a-thousand-miles/">Opinion: The journey of a thousand miles</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Guest Column: Drilling in Labyrinth Canyon</title> <link>https://usustatesman.com/guest-column-drilling-in-labyrinth-canyon/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Statesman Editor]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2020 20:28:51 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[All]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bureau of Land Management]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cache National Forest]]></category> <category><![CDATA[environmentalism]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Green River]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Labyrinth Canyon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[outdoors]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Utah]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://usustatesman.com/?p=22111872</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Utah is full of magical landscapes – the billowing forests up north to the fiery red rocks of the south.…</p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/guest-column-drilling-in-labyrinth-canyon/">Guest Column: Drilling in Labyrinth Canyon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Utah is full of magical landscapes – the billowing forests up north to the fiery red rocks of the south. This state has one of the most diverse landscapes in the country. During the past year, we both had the opportunity to experience the sheer canyon walls of Labyrinth Canyon near Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah. For Meridian Wappett, this trip was the last piece of normalcy before her world shut down due to COVID-19. It gave her a sense of strength as she rowed her raft for days on end, and a sense of peace watching the first rays of sun bask the steep canyon walls as she cooked breakfast in the morning. For Summer, it was the first piece of backcountry wilderness she got to experience. She spent a week playing in the Green River, hiking along the red cliffs, thriving in a brand new environment that soon started to feel like home. It sparked her love for the outdoors and it ingrained a sense of duty to protect the Utah desert. </span></p> <p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-22111890 alignleft" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-600x432.png" alt="" width="320" height="230" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-600x432.png 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-1000x720.png 1000w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-300x216.png 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-335x241.png 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-1050x756.png 1050w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-150x108.png 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm-500x360.png 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-10-30-at-4.26.11-pm.png 1144w" sizes="(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Labyrinth Canyon is a 45 mile stretch of the Green River that was first explored by adventurer Major John Westley Powell in 1869. He kept a detailed journal of his time in this canyon and coined the name Labyrinth “There is an exquisite charm in our ride to-day down this beautiful canyon…we are all in fine spirits and feel very gay, and the badinage of the men is echoed from wall to wall. Now and then we whistle or shout or discharge a pistol, to listen to the reverberations among the cliffs… we name this Labyrinth Canyon.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Labyrinth Canyon is a designated wilderness. Wilderness areas prohibit the use of motorized vehicles within their boundaries and is the highest level of protection land can receive in the U.S. The surrounding areas of Labyrinth Canyon; which include slot canyons, arches, Native American art, and spectacular sandstone formations; is one month away from being designated as a wilderness. The bill designating this area as wilderness is the largest wilderness bill in the past ten years. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Thursday last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rushed to issue a lease to allow drilling within the soon designated wilderness area. The project will allow extensive construction in the usually quiet Labyrinth wilderness, including road building, well construction, pipelines, infrastructure, and building a 10-acre processing facility on nearby Utah School Trust Lands. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">This drilling would be for helium, which has similar impacts of oil and gas drilling.</span></p> <p><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-22111889 alignright" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-450x600.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="336" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-450x600.jpg 450w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-225x300.jpg 225w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-335x447.jpg 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-150x200.jpg 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39-375x500.jpg 375w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ace9bb86-c5ba-44af-aadc-5c1c3f756a39.jpg 1005w" sizes="(max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px" /></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are writing this Op-Ed to ask you to please reach out and make a comment on or before Wednesday, November 4th. You can make a comment using a premade message, or by writing your own, at <a href="https://p2a.co/V5DN0kO">https://p2a.co/V5DN0kO</a>. This process will take less than five minutes, and we ask you to please take the time to preserve this magical canyon. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This part of the state is considered by many to be the wildest and most untouched area still available. While you may not have personally experienced this particular place, we urge you to think of a place you love. Maybe this is the wilds of Alaska, the backcountry of the Grand Tetons, or even just our backyard of Cache National Forest. Our public land is being threatened. Our public land is at risk of industrialization. It is our duty to protect it, are you willing to do your part? </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">To learn more about this issue and similar issues, check out Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) at </span><a href="https://suwa.org/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://suwa.org/</span></a></em></p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-22111874 alignleft" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-600x592.png" alt="" width="179" height="177" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-600x592.png 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-300x296.png 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-335x330.png 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-50x50.png 50w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-150x148.png 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am-500x493.png 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/screen-shot-2020-11-02-at-7.51.37-am.png 882w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 179px) 100vw, 179px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Meridian Wappett is a junior studying Conservation Restoration Ecology and Natural Resources and Agricultural Pre-Law. She is passionate about politics and policy, and spends her time outside of school lobbying for legislation and working full time for a congressional candidate. Meridian loves spending time in the outdoors, and works as a rafting trip leader at USU’s outdoor programs during the school year and a raft guide in the northwest during the summers.</em></p> <p><em>meridian.wappett@usu.edu</em></p> <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-22111885 alignleft" src="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-600x595.png" alt="" width="180" height="179" srcset="https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-600x595.png 600w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-300x298.png 300w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-335x332.png 335w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-50x50.png 50w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-150x149.png 150w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer-500x496.png 500w, https://usustatesman.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/summer.png 1000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 180px) 100vw, 180px" /></p> <p> </p> <p><em>Summer is the managing editor for The Highlander Magazine. She loves white water rafting and when she isn’t on a river you can find her exploring the desert. She is passionate about protecting the earth, making good memories, and mountain goats. She is involved with the SSO office and is a trip leader with the Outdoor Programs, so say hi if you see her on campus!</em></p> <p><em>summer.vaughn@usu.edu</em></p> <p>The post <a href="https://usustatesman.com/guest-column-drilling-in-labyrinth-canyon/">Guest Column: Drilling in Labyrinth Canyon</a> appeared first on <a href="https://usustatesman.com">The Utah Statesman</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>