Environmental Leadership
The Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College
Environmental Leadership explores the science, politics, and economics behind environmental issues through the lens of environmental justice.
The 2024 program explored the "Bisbee Effect." Unlike other mining towns, Bisbee defied the "resource curse" and transformed into a thriving and flourishing community. We studied the town's infrastructure, the influx of new residents (attracted by the availability of cheap property), subcultural changes (particularly the rise of an artist/hippie culture), and how cultural tolerance became integral to Bisbee's identity and renaissance. We referred to this as “The Bisbee Effect.”
Photo Credit: Free Range Stock
The 2025 program addresses the environmental legacy of the Copper Queen Mine. More specifically, we explore how the mining operations have created a ground water plume that threatens the future of Bisbee's drinking water. To address this issue the project researches the history of the mine and the challenges it poses to the future of life in Bisbee Arizona.
The 2026 program project builds on previous research in Bisbee Arizona by focusing on the future of water management in the region. To examined how groundwater contamination, wastewater reuse, and regional planning affect Bisbee, Naco, and the San Pedro River. Through stakeholder interviews, field observations, and prior research, exploring how communities can protect public water supplies while also addressing environmental and economic concerns.