Environmental governance embodies the entire field of thought dedicated to mitigating environmental degradation while enhancing the net benefit to society. My past studies at Ithaca College were spent building a traditional business administration foundation culminating in a shifting interest towards ecological economics and green business practices. Upon transferring to Hampshire College I began examining the elements of sustainability with a focus on entrepreneurial endeavors. All Hampshire students are required to undergo a year long, highly focused project and written thesis; I chose to focus on “Entrepreneurship Within the Context of Sustainability”. My interest rests upon the ideal of making sustainable development profitable and depends upon a collective confidence that the whole range of societies, from industrialized to third world nations, will agree that the necessity of such development is undeniable and that it is possible to craft an approach which encourages prosperity both economic and social in nature. Initially my interests tended towards raw goods and agriculture; being quite concerned with the eating habits of my peers and local community in general I discovered there is a direct connection between healthful consumption and sustainability. Spending countless hours researching the organic and health food markets I sculpted my own habits while also gaining an understanding of the industry. I wish to encourage a major change in the way people think about food, to work for a shift away from the mass consumption, fast food model especially popular in the Unites States and to help develop a holistic, health oriented approach which takes into account ecological externalities often neglected in our current system.
My mind has also been occupied with the remarkable advancements in the technology sector, especially social networking and information-sharing. Computers and the internet are phenomena which have always fascinated me and have been a huge part of my daily life. Working online since a young age, I have always sought to take full advantage of the resources offered to us through the World Wide Web. I expect to find myself working with cutting edge technologies which will enhance man’s ability to govern our planet responsibly and efficiently.
I feel that the Environmental Governance program at the University of Freiburg would be the best way to facilitate my continued exploration of sustainability, ecological economics and green business. Having lived on Stühlinger Straße for six months and completing the IES “European Union” program in EU Politics and Economics, I found Freiburg to be a place where one may truly thrive as a student and as an individual, and I am confident and enthusiastic about such a learning environment. The perspective which the program would grant in terms of diversity is unparalleled in comparable programs in the US; I am especially interested in the problems which must be faced by countries in different parts of the world and how their governments intend to deal with creating workable solutions to environmental problems.
If enrolled in the Environmental Governance program, I would bring my experiences studying sustainability and speaking with individuals from a wide range of institutions and universities, both American and European. I bring with me my enthusiasm for the subject matter and strong academic background founded upon an ability to articulate the complex issues which this field presents. My strongest character traits include an outgoing personality with a genuine interest in the ideas and experiences of others. Disciplined and motivated, I strive to make choices which have positive consequences for myself and the people I work with. Coming from a business oriented background as opposed to a strictly science or humanities background, I wish to reconcile the discrepancies between the scientific community and the business community, and I think this perspective is essential for bringing about real change in the world.
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