Conservation Vs. Industry – A Conflict of Values

For my final engagement proposal, my two other group members and I decided to focus on conservation. In order to better situate this broad topic and in hopes of reaching across boundaries we decided to look more into the logging industry within Oregon.  Our goal is to create a conversation between conservationists, loggers, and community...

Changing The World Through Activism

This week we focused on environmental engagement and had a debate about activism. One key component of engagement is making sure you are not just education your targeted audience, but also listening to the ideas and opinions of everyone involved. As I listened to the three different sides of the debate I tried to keep...

The End of Portland

This week we spent time talking about the large earthquake that is likely to occur very soon in Portland. In the past I have spent time learning about the dangers of earthquakes and know that they are not only incredibly hard to predict, but can also cause substantial damage. I grew up on Bainbridge island...

Buying Locally

I grew up on Bainbridge Island, which is best described as a small, tight-knit community that strongly encourages buying local products. In fact, in 1989 all take-out restaurants such as McDonald's were banned. Even today these franchised businesses are only allowed to open a restaurant in a small zone on the island and cannot exceed...

Conservation of the Spotted Owl

Have you ever seen a spotted owl? And I mean actually seen one gracefully soar over head and listened to it’s sharp, chilling call. I was fortunate enough to live near one of the few forests where this threatened species lives. This beautiful bird has been a big topic among conservationists and is a great...

Returning to Nature

This week we had a debate on environmental health that included three very different positions. Position one argued that returning to natural remedies is the best solution for our health. Position two argued that health comes from medicine and not green superstition. Finally, position three argued that environmental justice will bring better health for all....

The Power of a Conversation

I'm sure we have all ended up in conversations with people that simply do not agree with what your saying. This can be extremely frustrating especially when you are using facts to back up your opinions or through common sense you know you are right. Daryl Davis decided to pursue these uncomfortable and at times...

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

This weeks focus has been on climate change and one of the articles we looked at really stuck with me. The article is titled, Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Soon as 2040, and you can find a link here if you would like to read the full text. The main topic of this...

Situating Environmental Problems

Situating environmental problems means that you actually look at the place this problem is occurring and really consider the context that is influencing this problem. The research done by Jim Proctor and Lewis and Clark students in Swaziland is a perfect example of how successful this approach can be. While on a study abroad trip...

Anthropocene: Fact or Opinion?

The Anthropocene is defined as "relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment" (dictionary.com). Before starting Envs 160 I assumed this word was simply seen as a fact or a way to explain the geological change we...