REFLECTIVE ESSAY
Why a Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Global Environmental Science?
Fred T. Mackenzie
Professor of Oceanography and Geology & Geophysics
Program Coordinator, Global Environmental Science
December 2002
Interdisciplinary environmental science has become in recent years an important part of
the scientific endeavor. We are also currently living in a world where development has
become irrevocably linked with the environment. Human activities have been
recognized as strong agents and forcings within the Earth system, and as a result, the
concept of sustainable development has emerged as an important theme in the national
and international arena (witness the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro and the World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg in 2002). To the extent that natural science is objective,
sustainability is an objective concept, and it is feasible to establish scientifically the
environmental burden that is “admissible” on the basis of the objectives of sustainability.
To some extent based on the recognition that sustainability is an objective concept, the
"greening" of industry and business has become an important goal in some countries. In
addition, there has developed a strong need for explicit interactions across the physical
(including chemical) and biological (including human) sciences that would improve our
ability to understand environmental effects from human activities and natural causes
and their potential feedbacks, and to develop appropriate environmental regulation and
protection policies, as well as the technological means to implement them. Regardless,
environmental problems are increasing worldwide as the developing countries rapidly
industrialize.
Looking at the whole of the global environmental crisis, there are numerous parts of the
problem that demand policy development, analysis, and planning at all levels of
governance. However, the world’s governmental, industrial, and academic structures
have been slow to develop an effective response to this situation. Part of the reason for
the lack of an effective response has been an extreme ignorance on the part of society,
including its policy makers, for the complexities of problems of the environment and the
concepts of sustainability. To some degree, this ignorance stems from a woefully
inadequate rigorous education in earth, ocean, ecological, and atmospheric sciences. In
particular, while various parts of the scientific community have developed monitoring,
modeling, and experimental approaches to articulation of the basic scientific research
questions related to global environmental issues, educational programs at the
undergraduate level in global environmental and Earth system science (including
concepts of sustainability) have generally been part of another established curriculum.
Recognizing this situation, in 1995 I proposed to the faculty of the Department of
Oceanography that we develop an interdisciplinary undergraduate B.S. degree
program. As a result of our discussions, a planning document was written up, endorsed
by the oceanography faculty, and submitted to the University of Hawai‘i at Mänoa
(UHM) administration in the fall of 1996. After complete and thorough review of the
proposed program by the UHM Faculty Senate and the administration, the Board of
Regents granted provisional academic status to the Bachelor of Science Degree
