Envs 160 -01 Semester 1, 2018
I am currently a freshman in Environmental Studies 160 at Lewis and Clark College. On this website, I will be posting weekly reflections on the material we discuss in class as I try to understand and process what each new idea means in terms of my own beliefs. Over the next semester, we will be discussing themes such as Classical vs. Contemporary environmental thought, situating environmental problems and solutions, as well as environmental action and engagement.
My first blog post is about my reaction to how I scored on the EcoTypes survey. This survey asks you a series of questions to analyze your own beliefs on the best way to approach fundamental environmental problems. More specifically I discuss how I scored on the future axis and spiritual axis and what I found both shocking and interesting about my results. You can take the EcoTypes survey here if you want to learn more!
How can we define nature in the context of our modern world? Traditionally nature and humans have been kept separate, but today that may no longer be possible. Contemporary and classical thought define nature in very different ways and have inspired many different approaches to protect what we consider to be nature. One example of this is Wilson’s half earth proposal which is not only radical, but also shows some of the shortcomings of how classical thought defines nature.
Sustainability: Is it the best approach?
Sustainability is a crucial part of mainstream environmentalism, but has it lost its meaning? Following my sustainability debate, I reflect on how sustainability has changed and looked into the costs and benefits of continuing this movement. I also look into how we can redefine sustainability to be more inclusive of social rights and the new problems facing us today.
Anthropocene: Fact or Opinion?
I always considered the Anthropocene to simply be a fact, or a way to summarize the lasting geological effect we are creating. However, after reading “Planet of No Return” by Erle Ellis and “Keeping the Wild” by Ned Hettinger I realized both men associate this word with personal values. In this post, I try to grapple with the dangers and benefits of associating personal beliefs with the Anthropocene.
Situating Environmental Problems
In this post, I analyze a case study created by Lewis and Clark students who spent a semester abroad in Swaziland. Their research offers a great example of the benefits of properly situating an environmental problem. Their specific research was about the conditions and perceptions of energy, water, solid waste, and human waste in households located within the Ezulwini Valley.
A Picture Worth a Thousand Words
The recent IPCC report published in October shocked a lot of people and with good reason. It shares a very important warning about global warming and the potential consequences we will have to pay if we do not start taking serious action. One New York Times article, in particular, chose to connect their own analysis of this report to a very dark picture that suggests the future may not be so bright. I personally disagree with the photo they chose and explain why a photo that inspires hope should be used instead.
Daryl Davis is by far the most interesting person I have met and I got the chance to talk with him and listen to his ideas at Lewis and Clark’s Environmental Symposium. Davis has had countless conversations with KKK members and actually convinced many members to leave their Klan. His amazing work shows just how powerful and persuasive a conversation can be. In this post, I share the advice he gave me and how it can be applied to environmental engagement.
In this post, I draw a connection between our in-class debate on environmental health and a TED talk I listened to by Tod Morton. Morton has a lot of interesting ideas about how our relationship with food has changed over the years and the importance of returning to nature. One of the sides of the debate also stressed the importance of improving our health through natural remedies. Although I ultimately came to the conclusion that these ideas may not be very realistic they did make me question just how much society has changed and why it is no longer possible to rely on the same methods of survival as our ancestors.
Conservation of the Spotted Owl
Due to extensive logging, the spotted owl population became seriously threatened which inspired conservationists to take action. Despite preserving large sections of forest their population was still not recovering so people have resorted to killing the barred owl which has been encroaching on the spotted owl’s habitat. I strongly believe killing another species is not a real solution and reflect on the ethics behind this decision.
A recent movement that has been all over the news lately is buying local products. Not only does this reduce how far your food or other products travel it also helps significantly reduce pollution. While I do highlight the benefits of this movement in this post I also talk about why this is not a realistic option for everyone. I also reflect on how growing up with easy access to a local farmers market initially influenced my opinion of buying locally.
Off the coast of Oregon is the Cascadia subduction zone which could potentially cause a magnitude 9 earthquake to hit Portland at any time. I grew up on Bainbridge Island which has a fault line running through it and I am pretty familiar with the potential dangers of earthquakes. In this post, I compare the risks of both of these earthquakes and explain what can be done to prepare yourself for a potential earthquake.
Changing the World Through Activism
In this post, I reflect on the in-class debate we had about activism and the power of engagement. After analyzing the cost and benefits to the three very different sides of the debate I came to the conclusion that all three sides must work together. In a world with so many different opinions, it can be hard to get large groups of people to take action together which is why a part of each side of the debate must be combined to help overcome these differences.
Conservation Vs. Industry – A Conflict of Values
Logging has been a very important part of Oregon’s history, but has also lead to the loss of irreplaceable old growth forests and crucial habitats for many species. Many conservation movements see logging as a purely evil industry and although this industry does need to be changed these conservation movements are also not perfect. Many families and communities rely on the logging industry for their livelihood and conservationists need to be more willing to consider this. If you would like to see how I believe we should close the gap between these two groups click here.
Environmental Studies 