Gowanus Canal tour provides educational opportunity for environmental science and policy students
In the past few years, michael mussoLecturer in Environmental Health Sciences and International and Public Affairs, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health Steven ChirludResearch Professor of Geochemistry Columbia Climate Schoolof Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatoryorganizes the annual Gowanus Canal Field Trip During the Master of Public Administration Environmental Science and Policy Summer term of the program.
This visit is at Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus Community Group (FROGG)which provides students with insight into the effects of environmental pollution, the resulting community struggles, and the actions or inactions of local and federal authorities in cleaning up the canal and its surrounding areas.
Environmental science and policy students visit the Gowanus Canal as part of their annual educational field trip.
gowanus canal is 100 feet wide and 1.8 miles long The Canal in Brooklyn, New York, was designated a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010.Constructed in the mid-1800s, the Gowanus Canal was once part of a major industrial transport route and served as a waste dump for operating gas and chemical plants and other heavy industrial operations throughout the late 19th century Clean Water Act of 1972. Effluent from New York’s outdated combined sewer system also released raw sewage and pollutants from stormwater runoff into the Gowanus Canal. Despite numerous attempts to clean the canal over the years, pollution persists, affecting the lives of local residents and businesses.
This year, students were divided into four groups, each led by a different member of FROGG, who shared the history behind Gowanus’ historic pollution and their experiences fighting it. Throughout the day, professors, students, and tour guides discussed the complexities of the situation at the community, regional, and federal levels, as well as considerations for pollution cleanup. The guides also shared their first-hand experiences of the changes and infrastructure developments they have witnessed over the years, such as the many industrial complexes along the canal that have been converted into art museums, residential buildings and other land uses.
For the students, many of whom were seeing and learning about the Gowanus Canal for the first time, the field trip was also a welcome break from their intense summer class schedule. Incoming environmental science and policy student Christina Morano said, “I really enjoyed meeting the guides and getting a chance to hear their perspective on the development of the Gowanus community. , really helps us understand more about what we learn in class.”
Saiarchana Darira, another student, said, “I found the importance of considering the needs of the community when building canals adjacent to community living spaces to be very influential. The Gowanus Canal is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. However, there is still insufficient public understanding of its environmental health impacts, especially for non-English-speaking residents living in the area. Intercultural ways must be found to communicate with residents beyond language boundaries so that communities living near contaminated sites Informed consent was previously obtained.”
The Environmental Science and Policy Program aims to prepare the next generation of environmental policy makers and communicators of environmental science. The annual trip to the Gowanus Canal, along with other field trips organized by the program, plays a key role in exposing students to issues and injustices and the communities they will advocate for in their careers. Columbia’s partnership with FROGG allows students to gain a first-person perspective on how environmental issues such as water pollution and unregulated development affect local communities.
