Face the challenges of the world — from air quality to biological diversity — and discuss solutions without ever leaving your seat in an interactive series at Medford Leas.
Tait Chirenje, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Stockton University, will lead the discussions and encourage participants to contribute their own life experiences to Environmental Challenges and Opportunities.
“People should come to these discussions if they have an interest in how the fate of our survival is linked to these problems that confront us,” said Chirenje. “These are serious challenges, but the opportunities to solve them present exciting possibilities for careers and investment opportunities for future generations.”
Each class will cover one specific topic: air quality, biological diversity, water quality, and additional challenges posed by chemical, thermal, biological, and physical pollutants. The college-level course will be held every Tuesday from Sept. 20 through Oct. 11, from 3:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. in the Medford Campus Theater.
“This program is going to be very interactive,” said Chirenje, who will start each week with a short presentation that offers specific examples. “The attendees will be asked for their input on the challenges and potential solutions, and I will rely on my own experience. I got interested in the topics during graduate school and over the last 13 years as I taught at Stockton. I travel extensively with students to different parts of the United States — 10 states at a time — and internationally, where we witness these issues in-person.”
Chirenje noted that the course will cover urbanization’s effect on water recharge, traffic and commuting times, and water and air quality; smart growth principles as a way to counter haphazard urban development; major indoor air pollutants and the air quality standards regulations; local and national impacts of greenhouse gases and innovative solutions on all levels to decrease their effects; slow food and genetic modification; common pollutants in drinking water; and the challenges of watershed management in an increasingly urbanized environment.
“Environmental Challenges and Opportunities” is part of a series of programs being offered by Medford Leas this fall. The program costs $30 total and participants should register by Sept. 16 to secure their spot. For a full listing of Pathways to Learning at Medford Leas programs, or to register for a program, visit www.medfordleas.org or call (609) 654–3588.
Medford Leas is a nationally accredited not-for-profit community, guided by Quaker principles, for those who are aged 55 and older, with two campuses. The Medford Campus is located at 1 Medford Leas Way.
