Amidst thunder’s daunting backdrop sound effects, a panel of five local residents talked to students and community members about environmental justice Wednesday night at the University YMCA.

“I have strong competition with nature,” said Ken Salo, who responded to the storm with a laugh.

Salo, University professor in the department of natural resources and environmental sciences, spoke on the topic of environmental concerns in Africa.

The panelist discussion and film “The Hidden Faces of Environmental Justice,” marked the first of two events sponsored by Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) to educate the campus and community of the diversity and importance of environmental justice.

The panelists consistently referred to how environmental justice has many aspects with alternate definitions.

“(Environmental) laws are in the hands of polluters and the politicians who love the polluters,” said Anna Marshall, a University sociology professor. Taking back control from scientists, lawyers and politicians will give people more control over environmental issues, she said.

Charlotte Green, another panelist speaker at the seminar, is a self-described “shy person” and local community activist who is currently fighting the construction of a second nuclear power plant in Clinton, Ill. After taking part in previous activism rallies, Green said people just need to listen to their inner voice concerning important matters.

“(My activism) has taught me that anyone can do it,” Green said. “Change can occur.”

Ashley Peterson, senior in ACES and president of SECS, said the student organization strives to promote awareness of local and international environmental issues and promote positive environmental change.

“(We want) to show the various meanings of environmental justice,” Peterson said.

This year, SECS has advertised ink-jet recycling in residence halls, hosted an energy fair on campus, helped organize a bike tune-up for University students and also spent time once a month to educate local public schools about environmental education.

“I think (environmental justice) has been an ignored issue,” Peterson said. “But not just on this campus.”

“It’s really tough to get people to show up to the smaller (events on campus),” said Ben Valentine, a SECS member and sophomore in engineering. “When you tell people to come to an environmental justice seminar, most will say, ‘Ugh. Boring.'”

Carrie Langford, sophomore in ACES and fellow SECS member, said the organization strives to help the problem of environmental justice in its own way.

“I think it’s important to have events like this,” said Langford. “People need to be aware of their actions and more cautious and less wasteful.”

Langford said she thinks recycling is improving on campus, but that residence halls, sororities and fraternities can make a greater effort to recycle.

Langford and Valentine said many people have the wrong impression about ways to help the environment. Valentine said people think of recycling as their primary contribution to help the environment, which he said was inaccurate.

“Recycling is not even the major problem,” Valentine said.

Valentine said cutting down on power and not wasting food are other ways students can contribute to the effort.

SECS, along with various other student and university organizations, hope to attract more of the community for their second event this week, entitled “Contamination without Consent,” tonight from 6:30 to 9:30 at Boardman’s Art Theatre, 126 W. Church St. The lecture will showcase Sandra Steingraber, author of “Living Downstream,” and Blue Vinyl, an acclaimed documentary on the biological harms of pollution from PVC manufacturing.