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| "Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships," by Eldon Enger and Bradley Smith |
BELLINGHAM – The evolution through the years of a widely respected textbook by Western Washington University’s Brad Smith, dean of WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment, mirrors changes in environmental education from an exciting new field to acceptance of its importance throughout the world.
Smith has for many years been at the forefront of environmental education, which was most recently highlighted by the 12th edition of “Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships.”
Smith and Eldon Enger, emeritus professor of biology at Delta College in Michigan, first authored the book, which was recently translated into Chinese and Korean, nearly 30 years ago, when environmental education was in its infancy.
Through the years, Smith and Enger have continuously updated and improved the book, one of the first of its kind in what once was a new and emerging discipline.
“This is a field that has changed rapidly over the years. If you look at the environmental issues of today, many of those were not on the radar even 10 years ago,” said Smith, who before coming to Western in 1994 was the first director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Environmental Education in Washington, D.C.
When Smith signed his first contract for the book, published by McGraw-Hill, the word “environmental” was not in common usage, even on college campuses. And concepts like “environmental ethics,” which takes up the second chapter in the current edition, were not yet part of the lexicon.
And while the field has undergone dramatic changes, Smith said that the central theme of the book remains interrelationships. The book’s preface sums this up as: “Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field. Because environmental problems occur as a result of the interaction between humans and the natural world, we must include both scientific and social aspects when we seek solutions to environmental problems.”
In the 12th edition, the book again both shapes and responds to pressing environmental issues. Unlike the inaugural black and white edition, this edition brims with colorful photos and charts. It focuses on new and exciting concepts, and includes throughout vignettes on “water connections,” from plans to restore the Elwha, a once thriving salmon-spawning river on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, to the challenges of water as a limited resource that must be cooperatively shared across borders.
And achievements at college campuses – birthplace of so many innovations in sustainability – are highlighted throughout the book, including Western’s nationally recognized green power program.
Smith earned his doctorate in 1981 from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. He has been a Fulbright Scholar to England and a NATO Fellow. He served as a senior environmental advisor to several major corporations and as an external evaluator for the U.S. Department of Energy. Formerly Smith served as an appointed member of President Clinton’s Council for Sustainable Development (Education Task Force).
In 2007, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson appointed Smith to the EPA’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT), which advises the EPA on domestic and international policy issues. He also was appointed to the Commission on Education and Communication Steering Committee of the prestigious, Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Smith’s research projects have included waterfowl, shorebird and wetland research for Environment Canada and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife Service and watershed management in the Great Lakes region. Of particular interest to him is the creation of multi-disciplinary environmental program partnerships.
WWU's Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College's academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.
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