Michele Morrone

Underserved Audiences and Environmental Education in Ohio

Since the mid-1990s the United States Environmental Protection Agency has been concerned about the lack of environmental education opportunities for underserved audiences. This concern has been shared by environmental educators across the country. Ohio is implementing a strategic plan for environmental education and one of the objectives is to examine which audiences are underserved in the state. A survey of environmental educators in Ohio identifies African-Americans, rural, and southeastern Ohioans as the most underserved audiences in the state. The survey results suggest that the definition of underserved audiences for environmental education is a function of need and access. To be truly underserved, the audience must need environmental education, but not have access to it. Examining need and access should be the subject of future research.

Development of an EcoNutrition Café Series to Increase Awareness and Knowledge of a Sustainable, Local Food System in Appalachian Ohio

The goal of this project was to increase awareness and knowledge of a sustainable, local food system among Appalachian Ohio community members through the development and implementation of an ecological nutrition lecture series entitled “The EcoNutrition Café Series.” This series sought to improve the nutrition-related ecological awareness and knowledge of a rural Appalachian Ohio community in the United States. The EcoNutrition Café Series provided an opportunity for an in-depth, community-wide discussion on development of a sustainable, local food system, including its environmental, health, and economic benefits. The EcoNutrition Café Series consisted of 4 monthly meetings from January to April 2013. Not only did participants have the opportunity to learn about health, economic, and ecological benefits of and sustainable solutions for a sustainable, local food system during each meeting, but they also met local farmers and producers who currently work within the local food system and/or sampled products from farmers/producers.

Public opinion, local pollution havens, and environmental justice: a case study of a community visioning project in Appalachian Ohio

The pollution havens hypothesis argues that developed countries will locate polluting industries in developing countries to avoid costs associated with environmental regulations. This study explores the role of community visioning and public opinion in creating a possible pollution haven in a rural area in Appalachian Ohio. Data from a community-based participatory process that included focus groups, key informants interviews, a regional public opinion survey, and an online voting activity are examined in the context of public acceptability of long-term environmental consequences for short term economic gain. The outcome of the multi-faceted community visioning process indicates that the approach to engaging citizens affects opinions about the future use of a federal uranium enrichment site in southeast Ohio. In addition, local pollution havens are likely to continue to emerge as long as the economy remains weak, and communities are willing to house facilities because they promise jobs even if they will create disparate environmental impacts.