Essay Question from Jennifer Schirmer ¡­

Essay Question from Jennifer Schirmer for SUM Seminar:

You are at a conference of environmentalists and represent a local NGO concerned with local issues and approaches to the environment. In answer to a presentation by a representative of a large, international environmental foundation that offers "conventional" and "essentialist" ideas about environmental issues, you need to provide an argument that illustrates 1)the cultural biases and meanings associated with conventional approaches to environmental issues, and 2)why local culture--its practices and meanings--are critical to any effort whose goal is to develop a successful environmental policy.