Loreto’s Pol Soc was delighted to host Dr Sherilyn MacGregor, Reader in Environmental Politics, UoM, to speak about the issues surrounding environmentalism under Trump’s presidency. Sherilyn has a research and teaching profile that is international and interdisciplinary. One of a small number of scholars in the UK specialising in the interdisciplinary field of gender and environmental politics, Sherilyn’s research explores themes of environmental (un)sustainability, gender (in)equality, and theories and practices of citizenship. Her research is animated by critical questions about power relations, environmental and social justice, the gendered divisions of labour and responsibility, and strategies for eco-social transformation in affluent societies.

Students (and staff!) listened intently to Dr MacGregor as she contextualised environmentalism in US history, gave an overview of past administrations’ policies, before analysing President Trump’s environment policy. She made students think about populism and the anti-establishment rhetoric which has contributed to Trump’s success. Sherilyn shared evidence from recent studies about who climate change deniers are, and was able to offer a sociological analysis as to their motives