To shut out the voice of either men or women seems unproductive. Maximizing the strongpoints of each may prove more beneficial. Acknowledging the sexual power of both women and men and how they fit together instead of how they differ may be more productive. It seems reasonable that working toward a more inclusive interaction is the key to the longevity of our species.

"Men and women shed light on different things," said Caitlin Allion, who chairs the Environmental Affairs Council at California State University Chico. "Men can be strong in pushing the movement forward." Caitlin, through example, and a spirit of inclusion, shows her strong commitment to helping the environment and a willingness to work with others toward that goal.

Allion and the EAC have done much to raise awareness about recycling on campus and to educate themselves and students about managing environmental problems. This is her way of making a difference and using her voice to create positive change.

Allion said one of the biggest obstacles to the goals of the EAC is "getting student and citizen participation at the meetings and events." Allion wishes she "could talk one on one with each individual who has some tiny hint of interest and tell them that it takes that same energy of interest to become active and to understand what we are trying to bring to the people."

It is participation and cohesiveness between individuals that Allion seeks, and that is what is needed for progress toward common environmental goals. For 10 years the EAC has had the goal of ridding the campus of styro-foam and "it’s about time to finish it," Allion said. The EAC has a list of many goals but they try to focus on 10 solid, realistic objectives

We all use environmental resources to survive. Opportunistic behaviors are at the core of human genetic survival in a harsh existence. While these behaviors sometimes help to enable survival, they can also be environmentally destructive. Man’s willingness to exploit the environment without reciprocity must be reevaluated.

Travelling in any direction from Chico it is easy to find visible examples of this destruction. Clear-cuts leave deep scars of erosion where exposed rock and buck-brush represent what used to be lush and diverse forest. Hydroelectric plants suck the life from rivers now silted with topsoil from the surrounding mountains. The blue sky is brown with unbreathable rice smoke. And whole mountains are washed away in search of gold and gravel.

It is also true that the nurturing behavior of women is essential to enabling survival. Perhaps learning to place more value on the strengths and differences of both sexes will result in greater regard and balance within the environment. It seems possible our intellectual tenacity and desire could try to surpass our social and biological predisposition.

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