Welcome to PoE China

 Program on the Environment (PoE) China is a unique program where students study abroad for ten days in Beijing, China to culminate an environmental studies course exploring sustainability and personal choices. During the UW Autumn Quarter, fifteen undergraduate students from a variety of majors have worked with me to explore sustainability through lecture, reading, discussion and writing. During this time, we’ve collaborated online with students and faculty from Tsinghua University in Beijing. Students at both universities are learning about environmental, economic, and social components of sustainability.

And now we are here in Beijing!  I am delighted to be in this beautiful city with wonderful, engaged, thoughtful students. We are learning about Chinese culture, Chinese environmental challenges, global environmental challenges, and China’s approach to sustainability.  We have ten days here in which to examine Beijing through the lens of sustainability. How does this city feed itself, take care of its waste, and provide energy and water to its residents? How does this compare to Seattle and what does this suggest about the ability of each city, each country, and the globe to continue to meet its needs in future generations? As China and the U.S. are key contributors to planetary unsustainability, understanding the sustainability challenges in these two countries is particularly necessary. During this trip, We hope to  understand more deeply the global nature of environmental challenges and the way that culture affects our perspectives on those challenges and the array of possible solutions considered.

We will each take turns posting here! Welcome to our blog and thank you for reading.

 Here is our class in front of the School of the Environment at Tsinghua University. It was freezing cold and we walked over eight miles that day!