Posted 9-1-00
CLEVELAND -- Environmentalists span the spectrum from the lab scientist to the public gadfly. Case Western Reserve University geologist Peter Whiting searches for his place on that spectrum as an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow, learning how to communicate his research to the public.
Whiting, associate professor of geological sciences, is among 20 scientists, with interests from marine biology to global warming, who have been selected to attend two, one-week sessions this year to hone communication skills. He will learn how the print and electronic media work; cover and research environmental stories; learn more about the effectiveness of letters to the editor, editorials, and op-eds; and make connections with policy makers, non-governmental organizations, and corporate leaders.
The Leopold Program, named after the conservationist and author of The Sand County Almanac, is sponsored by the Ecological Society of America and administered by Oregon State University. The program has the support of a $1.5 million, five-year grant from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
Whiting is in the second of three classes of scientists to undergo this training.
"The general level of knowledge about many critical environmental issues is woefully inadequate and often reflects outdated information that may be 20 years old," says Judith Vergun, director of the Leopold Program.
She adds, "We're at a time when our global ecosystems are really at risk."
"Many of us are trying to figure out at what point we take our expertise to the public and feel it's appropriate to become advocates," says Whiting, who first met the other Leopold Fellows in June.
Whiting says many scientists struggle with this dilemma. "When do you as an environmental scientist continue to monitor environmental problems, and when do you raise the red flag, picket, or work with organizations to develop programs to protect the environment?"
He grapples with how he can make a contribution in the long term and how his research benefits society.
Whiting will meet with the environmental scientists in Washington, D.C., in September to learn how to navigate through the executive and legislative branches of government, engage in a practice hearing, and gather information about other groups interested in promoting the environment and how to work with those groups.
Whiting's research focuses on rivers. He deals with several important environmental questions -- how far sediment and pollutants travel, how much sediment from runoff reaches Lake Erie, and how much sediment is problematic. He has conducted extensive research in Idaho to estimate the amount of water necessary to preserve streams on forest land.
"These scientific questions often become policy questions, too," he says. "So when and how does one comfortably straddle what is often viewed as a major ideological divide between science and policy?"
In the past, he has used his knowledge for the public good. He has served as an expert for the U.S. Forest Service and Department of Justice in legal case involving water rights in Idaho.
Support for his research has come from the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Forestry Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the American Chemical Society, and the Lake Erie Protection Fund.
He currently speculates on how he can best use his new communication skills to inform the public about important issues on rivers. He will continue his research, but also stay abreast of new legislation and regulations.
When appropriate, Whiting says, he will write articles and opinion pieces about new developments that impact the health of Ohio rivers. He also plans to develop a Web site with connections to his University pages in order to provide a resource for the media, other scientists, and the public interested in rivers.
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