Mary Finley-Brook

Mary is an Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment as well as an Advisor for Geography and International Studies, Latin America Concentration, and a force for environmental justice. In our interview with her, she shares about the connection between geography and sustainability, the importance of a big picture perspective on sustainability, and the need to prepare the next generation to be good stewards of our environment.

What courses do you teach at University of Richmond? Do you have a particular favorite?
I teach Green Schools, Introduction to Environmental Studies, Geographic Dimensions of Human Development, Ecotourism, Geographies of Political Change, Latin American Geographies, Geographies of Economic Development and Globalization, and Senior Seminars for Geography and Environmental studies.

I don’t have a favorite class but I love doing problem-based learning with real-life implications. I bring hands-on applications into my classes and my favorites are the ones where students get as excited about the challenge of research as I do.

How do geography and sustainability relate to one another?
Both geography and sustainability bridge the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Both seek to understand broad interconnections between systems of knowledge and to avoid creating artificial boxes or disciplinary boundaries when studying pressing challenges, such as climate change. I have always been attracted to understanding the “big picture” and seeing how diverse perspectives and theories fit together and complement one another, rather than fixating on a narrow slice of knowledge or practice.

Can you describe your involvement with indigenous communities in South and Central America? How does sustainability factor into your work with these peoples?
I have traveled, researched, and worked in Latin America for the past 30 years. The majority of this time has been spent in indigenous territories. My Latin American research examines the complex and often negative influence of the United States on regional sustainability, whether historically through imperialism or more recently through trade and economic development. My fieldwork focuses on natural resource management programs that are often implemented with seemingly good intentions, such as conservation or income creation. The unfortunate pattern is that these programs frequently end up causing social inequality and ecological disruption because they do not respect the economies, cultures, and self-determination rights of local populations.

What environmental justice issues are you currently involved in? How do you tell the human side and the environmental side of an issue in a balanced way?
Over the last five years, I have focused more on issues of energy justice and climate justice in North America, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region. My current research looks at energy transition to lower carbon and less socially destructive forms of energy. It is clear in Virginia, and other nearby states with a history of coal extraction and combustion, that there has been disproportionate harm to low-income areas and communities of color, particularly when it comes to the location of power plants and waste discharge. With fossil fuel energy sources, society generally seems unwilling to acknowledge the true ecological costs of water and air pollution, which have devastating consequences for ecosystems as well as public health.

I am currently working on a book about the violence of energy, pointing out impacts ranging from cancer or asthma to occupational hazards and political corruption. I seek to integrate critical analysis educating consumers on the harm we are causing while also being part of the search for positive alternatives linking ecological, social, and economic values in long-term sustainability. If you want to know more, ask me. I love talking about social and environmental justice and energy!

What initially sparked your interest in sustainability?
I grew up in rural Vermont. My family farmed much of our own food in a big backyard garden. We chopped our own firewood and slaughtered our own chickens. This all made me very grateful for how the Earth sustained me. After school, I would climb the big old willow tree behind my house, lounge in the branches, and feel perfectly at peace. Every summer we camped for weeks and my favorite spot was a big fern patch where it was cool and quiet. Hidden among the tall ferns I would write poems, sketch, or whittle wooden whistles with my ever-present pocketknife. For as long as I can remember, I loved observing nature and thinking how beautiful it was and how it all worked together seamlessly without needing humans.

How does sustainability impact your everyday life?
I am concerned about the future of my students and worry about how to prepare them for the intense challenges they will face in their lives. I am also a Mom. As I get older, it becomes increasingly important for me to be a role model to the next generations. Society in the US often minimizes or ignores scientific evidence of the need for deep and radical change in how we treat the Earth. Not a day passes without my thinking about what more I can do to make sure we mitigate our harmful impacts and adapt to a changing planet. My students and my children inspire passion in me to work every single day to be an advocate for change.

Thank you, Mary, for all the work you do for our campus community. Do you know someone who should be featured as a Sustainability Champion? Let us know at sustainabilty@richmond.edu.