Profiles Assignments

To demonstrate how environmental history relates to contemporary developments, you will search out a variety of manifestations of environmental issues and write short synopses (1-2 pages each) of them as an expert in environmental history. You will write a short profile of (1) an environmental organization (e.g., the Wilderness Society), (2) a current environmental issue (not a local issue) reported in a mainstream newspaper or magazine (not one dedicated to environmental issues), and (3) a local or regional environmental issue.

1.       Environmental Organization. For this profile, please provide a history of the organization, focusing on its founding (when, why), its major developments or achievements, and its current focus. You might also answer the following question: How has this organization affected (or reflected) American environmental history.

2.       Current Environmental Issues as Reported in Mainstream Media (Not Local). Find a news article in a mainstream newspaper or magazine that does not focus on our local region. In your profile, summarize the environmental issue and the article’s perspective on it. Then, explain how an understanding of environmental history could improve the understanding of the issue and / or provide steps toward a solution for this issue. In effect, you are being asked to see how current environmental issues derive from earlier developments. You may have to either wait or read ahead in Steinberg for this profile. (You may choose a global issue, although it may be more difficult to locate precedents, given our focus on the United States.)

3.       Local or Regional Environmental Issue. For this profile, you need to locate a local or regional (defined as Pacific Northwest) environmental issue. Summarize the environmental issue and the various perspectives involved. Then, explain how an understanding of environmental history could improve the understanding of the issue and / or provide steps toward a solution for this issue. Also, explain the importance of this issue to our region.

Specifications for all assignments: