Mangum, Fred A.

English

Research Papers in Economics

ENVIRONMENTAL  EDUCATION-NORTH
CAROLINA'S  APPROACH
Fred  A. Mangum, Jr., Extension Economist
North Carolina  State University
The  objectives  of North  Carolina's  educational  program  in
environmental  quality  are  threefold:  (1) We  continually  seek  to
create  awareness  of  environmental  issues;  (2)  we  assist  our
clientele  with  the  identification  and  consideration  of alternative
problem  solutions;  and  (3)  we  assist  in  developing  legislation  by
making the university's  expertise  available  to  legislative  commit-
tees and then strive to educate  our clientele to adjust to legislative
changes. Our third objective may be somewhat unique in extension
programs  although  we  believe  it  to  be  a  most  important  one.
Educating our clientele  is traditionally an extension approach while
assisting with legislation  is not.
ORGANIZATION
Last  year  we  completed  Impact 76,  the  third  five-year  plan
for  extension  programs  in  North  Carolina.  Five  areas  were
selected  for  emphasis  in  this  plan:  agriculture  and  natural
resources,  family living, youth,  community resource development,
and environmental  quality.  We  added  this  last subject because  of
the  tremendous  interest in it  and our  own  feeling that we  needed
to  get  organized  and  get  our staff committed  to  respond  to  the
need.
In developing Impact 76,  we appointed a committee consisting
of  both  extension  and  non-extension  people.  This  committee
served as the focal point for setting targets and suggesting program
approaches  at  the state  level and  also  served  as  resource  people
for county staffs in preparing the five-year plan.  In addition,  most
counties  appointed  a citizen's  advisory  committee  to suggest  pro-
gram priorities  in environmental  quality  at that  level.
We have followed this initial effort by appointing two additional
committees.  The  first  is  a  committee  of  twenty-one  extension
specialists representing eighteen different departments or sections.
This extension committee  is responsible for coordinating our total
program in environmental quality and serves as the extension focal
point  for  establishing  an  official  position  on  matters  relating  to
it.  We  look  to  this  group  for  agent  training,  publications,  and
statewide  activities and events  in this  area.
The other committee is a task force of our State Rural Develop-
109ment  Committee.  The  State  Committee  had  earlier  appointed  a
Task  Force  on  Rural  Housing  that  worked  so  well  we  thought
we  would  try the  same  approach  again.  The  task force  has  forty
members  and  draws  its  membership  from  lay  organizations,  the
university,  state government, and the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture. We feel that such broad representation  is needed for us to tap
some  of the  resources  needed  in  meeting  environmental  issues.
This task force has participated in a series of four regional planning
workshops  around  the  state  with  the  Rural  Development  Panel.
Subcommittees have been formed to carry out specific subject mat-
ter assignments.
While  these  three  groups  are  our  main  coordinating  thrust  in
environmental  quality, other  organizations  also play an  important
role.  We  have  established  an  Agricultural  Chemical  Advisory
Committee  that  is responsible  for formulating  the university  posi-
tion  on  questions  in  this  area.  We  have  a  similar  Animal  Waste
Disposal  Committee  that coordinates  activities  of several  depart-
ments working  in this area,  sponsors joint activities,  and in general
presents  a united  front  in  speaking  on questions  of animal  waste.
PROGRAMS
To avoid a simple cataloging of programming efforts in environ-
mental  quality,  I  will  return  to  the  three  objectives  listed  for
environmental  education  in  North  Carolina  and  cite  one  or  two
examples  of program  content for each objective.
Beginning  with  the  last objective,  to  assist  in the  preparation
of environmental  legislation  and  the  interpretation  of legislative
changes,  the two committees  on Agricultural  Chemicals  and Ani-
mal Waste have played the major role. The Animal Waste Commit-
tee  has  held  district  and  county  meetings  with  farmers,  agents,
and  Soil  Conservation  Service  and  Farmers  Home  Administra-
tion  personnel.  In  some  cases  these  have  been  workshop-type
meetings  to  discuss  the  latest  research  findings;  in  other  cases,
the public  has been invited to a general  educational  meeting.  The
state legislature  has appointed a legislative  research committee  on
environmental  problems  with  a  subcommittee  on  animal  waste
control.  Members  of the  committee  are  meeting  now  to  make
recommendations  on legislation that will be considered in the  1972
General  Assembly.
The  Agricultural  Chemicals  Advisory  Committee  meets  to
advise  the  School  of Agriculture  administration  on  a  position  in
all matters relating to farm chemicals.  Representatives  of the com-
mittee  met  with  legislative  study  committees  in the  last  General
110Assembly  to help draft  the North Carolina  pesticide  law.  We feel
their participation  not only served as an educational  platform with
some  legislators  but provided  the  state  with  more  palatable  pes-
ticide legislation.
As an example of the second objective,  assistance with problem
solutions  both  technical  and  economic,  we  have  conducted  a
number of training  sessions for our own  agents,  for other agency
personnel,  and  the  general  public.  Typical  was  the Air  Pollution
Workshop  held  at  two  locations  in  the state  for  135  people.  This
was  a joint  effort  of the  Cooperative  Extension  Service  and  the
Environmental  Education  Program  funded  under  Title  I  of the
Higher Education  Act.
Another  activity  just  getting  underway  was  undertaken  in
response  to  a  problem  expressed  by  many  counties.  Those
counties that have already organized  campaigns to remove junked,
or  more  appropriately,  abandoned,  automobiles  have  been  be-
sieged  by  calls.  We  have  offered  a  packet  of materials  that  con-
sists  of:  (1) state  statutes  covering  removal  of automobiles,  (2)  a
sample  contract  between  a  city  and  a  salvage  company  for junk
car removal, (3) a step-by-step how-to-do-it  approach used by one
county  that  has  already  completed  a  successful  job,  and  (4)  a
general information publication  by General Motors on this subject.
While  this is a rather  simple  problem  solution,  it is one that many
people  feel  quite  strongly  about;  it represents  tangible  program
results,  and  it opens many new  doors  for extension  programs.
The remaining objective  of our program  is to create awareness
and  to  increase  understanding  of  environmental  problems.  One
way  of accomplishing  this is  to offer  a canned presentation  in the
form of a  slide-tape  set that can  be used  in a variety  of situations.
Last  summer we  put  together  an 80-slide,  23-minute  presentation
titled "Keeping  North Carolina Livable."  We have sold forty-four
of these sets to  extension  offices,  to  departments on campus,  and
to  the  Water  Resources  Research  Institute,  and  six  have  been
retained  for lending  from  the  film  library  on  campus.  The  three
key  things  we  try to  get  across  are:  (1) the reasons  why  we  have
environmental  problems,  (2)  the  sources  of environmental  pollu-
tion,  and  (3)  a  positive  approach  showing  what  some  North
Carolina  communities are  doing to meet  environmental problems.
This  series  is  being  followed  up by  a report  to  be  issued  as  a
Southern  Public  Affairs publication  titled "Environmental  Waste:
Causes  and  Solutions."  This bulletin  will focus  on the  economic
alternatives  for paying  for environmental  cleanup.
111

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION -- NORTH CAROLINA'S APPROACH

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Research Papers in Economics