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 many other mining towns, Bisbee defied the "resource curse" and transformed into a thriving and flourishing community. To understand how Bisbee overcame the resource curse, we interviewed residents of Bisbee who moved to the town during its most vulnerable period, when the mine closed in the 1970s (see audio archive for interviews). We found that the town attracted a creative class that was drawn to the area by well-preserved infrastructure, affordable private property, cultural tolerance, and prospect of living among like-minded people. We referred to this as “The Bisbee Effect.”
Photos courtesy of and copyright Free Range Stock, www.freerangestock.com
The 2025-2026 program addresses the environmental legacy of the Copper Queen Mine and develops a comprehensive solution to the region’s water crisis. 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 problem, we examine how sulfate remediation measures, wastewater reuse practices, and regional planning can meaningfully address the region’s water problems. Through stakeholder interviews, field observations, and use of a GIS powered Map Story, we present a comprehensive proposal that can protect public water supplies while also addressing environmental and economic concerns.