Transformative, Tangible Takeaways from DDT Communications Internship
Hesitant to even take AP Environmental Science (APES) in high school, I did not see myself as an environmentalist for most of my life. Growing up, most of the representation of environmentalists from the outside perspective were green thumbs, outdoorsy, and white. I did not see myself in any of these traits, so I went into APES with doubtfulness that I would even connect with the subject.
However, this mindset completely changed when the class discussed environmental justice. It helped me connect environmental concerns with societal ones that related to equity and justice. I saw how environmental concerns were not only thousands of miles away in the Arctic or Amazon, but instead right outside on my doorstep.
The summer following this class, I pursued a School of New York Times course centered around human rights, law, and journalism. At the time, I knew that I had a passion for journalism and communications with my extracurriculars aligning with that growing interest. With this program, I was assigned to look into recent news stories. The one that caught my attention was about the disproportionate impact of COVID on low-income communities in areas that were predominantly consisting of people of color. This was a result of lower air quality already posing more health concerns, like asthma and other respiratory conditions, on the community.
Ignited by the connection to my vivid memory of the APES discussion, I dove deeper into the topic and composed my analysis to shed light on the public health and environmental disparities. This moment seemed like a blaring call to action that demonstrated that advocacy for environmentalism went hand in hand with journalism–an outlet to amplify my message and voice the concerns of underrepresented communities. By connecting my knowledge of environmental justice to my skills in journalism, I fostered my interest in environmental communication.
Through pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from USC Dornsife Letters, Arts, and Sciences and master’s degree in public administration from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, I have had the opportunity to enhance and practice my abilities in communicating environmental issues and policies effectively. From white papers to comment letters, the messages about the environment and sustainability within environmental policy internships I have written have been directed towards policy makers, fellow advocates, and community members. Through graphics and social media posts, I have also utilized my voice to direct resources and organize support for environmental issues to students and the wider public. In consistently using the power of environmental communication to enact change, I saw how much potential there was to address urgent environmental challenges and create a more sustainable future through spreading the awareness to more people.
The opportunity to utilize environmental communications arose again when I was offered a position for the Wrigley Institute’s Environmental Communications Internship with Dr. Amalia Aruda Almada and Dr. Karla Heidelberg under USC Sea Grant to assist with their efforts on public outreach regarding contamination of the Southern California Bight with the insecticide DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane). From professional development to the mentorship aspect of the program, this experience has allowed me to build valuable connections with experts in the field, all while contributing to impactful sustainability initiatives.
Before the internship even officially began, I had the privilege of taking a trip out to the Wrigley Institute on Catalina Island to attend a lecture from Rosanna Xia about her role in the LA Times as an environmental reporter, author of California Against the Sea, and communicator about issues pertaining to the coast and ocean. During this lecture, Xia also explains how she uncovered the story of a decades-old DDT dump off California’s coast. It was useful to obtain insight into how to convey the specific details of the deep sea DDT with the purpose of revealing the full scope of the problem, while not overwhelming the reader with too much scientific jargon.
Improving USC Sea Grant’s DDT StoryMap
One of the main projects for the internship was updating the DDT StoryMap. I worked alongside the DDT working group, which is involved with planning and executing community meetings that connect researchers and the public. Thus, I first presented my vision for the DDT working group and Sea Grant communications team based on the needs of the current StoryMap. We were hoping to include more information about ongoing state and federally funded research, along with a space for people to know how to attend the upcoming events. Through this presentation, I also included suggestions on where there could be improvements on the existing “Needs Assessment” page and adding other features that would organize the website.
After presenting this vision, we decided that it would be beneficial to create an “Ongoing Projects” and “Get Involved” collection to add to the DDT StoryMap. This would allow people to have a centralized place to get to not only know the background of DDT through the “Needs Assessment” collection, but also find out about what is currently being done, how to take action, and how they can stay informed of updates. For the “Ongoing Projects” collection, I created a series of questions for DDT researchers and their teams to answer in order to give a comprehensive view of what the public may want to know more about.
In terms of the “Get Involved” page, I drafted, revised, and finalized the text to introduce why people should get involved, opportunities for involvement with local organizations, and additional resources to learn more about DDT. I then designed, created, and published the page on StoryMaps, which included adding web page analytics and interactive elements. This page was important because it hosts information about the October 2024 DDT Community Meeting, where researchers will present their findings on where deep ocean DDT has been found and how DDT could be impacting humans and wildlife.
Highlighting DDT Research with Video
The other focus of my internship was creating my capstone video about Dr. William Berelson’s research on DDT. As a video that will be included on the StoryMap, it introduces the issue of DDT, what are its implications on the environment, and how Dr. Berelson’s research clarifies the many questions that still remain unanswered. Through the process of creating this video, I had the privilege of watching lab procedures from one of the researchers on Dr. Berelson’s team, Matthew Quinan, and interviewing Dr. Berelson directly.
Overall, the Wrigley Communications Internship has greatly improved my confidence in communicating complex information, like something as daunting as DDT. I have developed a greater understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of DDT on the marine environment and potential public health outcomes. I also learned how crucial effective communication is in bridging the gap between scientific research and public awareness. The experience underscored the importance of transparent, science-based messaging in addressing complex environmental issues, like DDT contamination. It also highlights the role of proactive communication in preventing the recurrence of past mistakes, since DDT was once seen as good and safe for dumping. As I move forward in my aspiring career in environmental policy for environmental justice, the lessons learned from this internship will guide my aspirations to promote accessible resources and education on environmental concerns.