Environmental Sociology course project; students for environmental education efforts on MC campus.
Do you know what to compost? Do you know what can be recycled? What actions can you take to be more environmentally friendly? While barriers to action may exist to us as college students, education on these topics is important – and there is no better time to start learning than today.
As part of the Environmental Sociology course taught by Dr. Andrew Gunnoe this spring, group projects give students a chance to “gain hands-on experience working to address environmental issues at a local level.” By working with the Tennessee Environmental Council, one of these groups is aiming to increase awareness through education efforts on campus.
This group of six were inspired by the “lack of awareness and education surrounding waste in the United States – specifically municipal waste,” said Katie Parnell (‘27).
In order to address this lack of awareness, the group will be tabling outside of Pearson’s on April 16, from 11 a.m. to two p.m., and will have resources available to give students. Pamphlets about what is appropriate to compost and recycle will be provided by the Tennessee Environmental Council, whose mission is “helping people and communities improve our environment for all”.
There are “88 million pieces of trash on our roadways and in our waterways, and intentional littering has increased 18% since 2016,” according to non-profit organization Keep Knoxville Beautiful. These statistics are alarming, and the group wants to encourage students to collect trash and litter from campus, local community, and rivers. They will be passing out trash bags for this cause, as well as plastic gloves on April 16 while tabling.
According to research from the Chongqing University of Science and Technology, many factors influence our attitudes and actions towards the environment, including exposure to nature and experiences within nature as children. By conducting on campus interviews to gauge student awareness about compost and recycling, this group will see where Maryville College stands in regards to “pro-environmental behavior,” “environmental feelings,” and “environmental contacts.”
To learn more about waste disposal of all kinds and help this group reach you with educational materials, stop by Pearsons for lunch next Wednesday, April 16!