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How we frame the world:

We often make the mistake in thinking that we are above, and separate from nature. “In reality the environment is sort of unreal, something we visit from time to time” (Starhawk, 2000). Unfortunately, this is true for many of even the most extreme environmentalists. We have lost the innate knowledge that our indigenous ancestors had. Many forget that we too, in the modern day, once came from indigenous knowledge of our ancestors, and they once grew their own food for sustenance and survival, not because its “cool.” 

The connection we once had with the wild has been lost. We used to have no choice in how we felt about the environment because we had no choice but to live in it. Now, the way we feel about it is influenced by media sources. We don't have to constantly interact with it and therefore it becomes something that seems separate from us. This is what someone like Edward Abbey wanted from us; to be connected to our planet and to each other, and most of us would probably like to feel a bit more connected to each other too. 

Often times nowadays we see things about the environment in a certain light, and it is usually entirely positive or negative. For example, the “tiny home” lifestyle has been taking off in recent years but is only popular among those who 1. have access to internet, 2. have access to funds to buy a home, and 3. have the ability to move their life and jobs in order to live this lifestyle. Im sure there are thousands of people who would love to live a “hipster” lifestyle but don't have the means to. Therefore the way this sustainable lifestyle is framed changes the way people view it, have access to it, and have a desire or not to go there. Julia Corbett describes this phenomena of framing in detail. For example, referring to environmentalists as “terrorists” or “protestors” changes the way the public view certain groups or important environmental problems. 

In the future I hope there is increased awareness about environmental issues so that in order to avoid any censorship or filtering of “fake news” people can instead make their own informed decisions about what to believe or not. We will most likely be getting our information about the world entirely from media or internet sources and must choose our sources carefully. In the future, I hope to be able to aid in this by working to promote education about what is really happening to the environment. I see myself as being very important for the environmental movement because I see myself as a citizen of the Earth. Taking a class in environmental communication has helped me shape this view of myself when before, I wouldn't have be able to understand and tell people about how individual choices and actions have an impact not just locally but globally as well. 

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The Sustainable Citizen Program: A Reflection

I got involved in the Sustainable Citizen Program at my school because this because I want to make a difference in the lives of people and the environment we live in. I think that sustainability is still being defined and I want to help spread ideas about sustainability to younger generations who hold the future of the world in their hands and through their actions. Like all great things, it takes a large body of motivated, passionate people to evoke change and I think it is my duty as a citizen of the Earth to be a part of that change for the better. 

I attended the Climate Change 101 seminar which reaffirmed my belief in science and our ability to detect and monitor what is happening in our atmosphere that the human eye can’t see and be able to guide us in what we should do about it. We always talk about how carbon dioxide is  the main cause of climate change and global warming, but rarely do we get to see a visualization. Highly advanced computer models of these emissions among others are going to be key in addressing the problem as well as informing the public about what is really going on above us. There was a follow up seminar that discussed sustainability which I feel is geared towards how we get people on board with sustainable habits and ways of living that if we all take part in, can actually make a huge difference in the amount of consumption of water, land, energy, and all other resources. 

I was impressed with how many networks of people are actively working on sustainability projects all around us all the time. I think I’ve been nervous about knowing what I want to do but after taking these classes I learned that there is a huge amount of things to do with my degree and ways to help the environment. 

I personally care about environmental justice issues because it is not just adults that bear the brunt of environmental degradation and injustice, but it is affecting children who have no ability to do anything about their situation. Everything any of us have ever known since the beginning of our evolution has come from the Earth, so therefore it is our responsibility to protect and preserve this Earth which provides us with clean drinking water necessary for survival, food that is safe and nutritious, shelter, clothes, security, and all other things. If someone doesn’t have access to even basic clean and safe drinking water, how are they expected to live? How are they expected to work and feed their families and be providers and caregivers without any water to drink without risking their lives, or the lives of their children? Water and environmental justice issues are imminent in the face of climate change. 

I think one of the best ways to address this problem is to make it known to people. I had no idea about things such as how a majority of landfills in the United States are placed in areas where people of color and low income families make up the majority of the surrounding areas. This was not an accident. Fighting the institutional racism that is present in almost every environmental issue is going to be imperative to a more positive and clean future. Community members who either reap the benefits or suffer the consequences of these institutions need to come together to put an end to environmental injustice. This is not only the individual’s solution but as a community it is our solution to not allow fellow community members suffer. 

 I have personally made conscious efforts to be a more globally minded person in what I see and experience in everyday life. This results in things like reading every clothing label to see if it comes from places like Bangladesh, or how I noticed discontinued oil rigs in the backyards of people in Barstow, California when I rode through on the train. I then find it important to use these observations in how I live and my choices in my actions regarding where I put my trash, the kinds of products I buy, the water I use, etc. Some of the greatest challenges in changing my life for the better in the name of sustainability has been getting out of the rut of familiarity. How am I to tell people about why we should be sustainable when I cannot do it myself? If I am in a pinch and need some water, I will buy a plastic bottle. Will I recycle it? Yes. But did I just buy a plastic water bottle when I actively encourage others to do the opposite? Yes, and I feel guilty. My goal is to no longer feel that guilt because I would be truly upholding a 100% sustainable lifestyle and I can actively encourage and engage others to do the same without wavering. 

Sustainability is important to me now because every day I am grateful for the gift of a faucet that turns on on demand, and even more provides hot water and cold water and drinkable water.  This is a gift that so many people I feel should be able to experience, that this is something I keep in mind all the time and it has become important to me to not lose that state of mind. Another reason sustainability is important to me now is because I intend on having a family in the future and before they even exist, it is important to me to try to create and leave this world in a better condition than when I or my child entered it. This is not just for me, but for all people and all children of all generations to come.

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Trotting along to my favorite outdoor spot I wonder what beauty I will encounter today. Upon arrival I sit and close my eyes, letting Nature’s soul wash over me like rain. Suddenly I’m in a dream. A kaleidoscope of colors all around me. Some bold. Some shy. They are swirled by the winds from above that swoop down below to greet the life beneath the trees. A dotting of red leaves among the floor reflect similar hues in the sky above, peeking out just enough to say hello. The trees become alert, and in expressing all their ancient wisdom, they begin to dance. They dance and sing their hallelujah and I feel embarrassed to have intruded upon such a parade. Perhaps, they are dancing for me. They each have their own personality. Their own unique markings, stories, ancestors. They play and dance and sing through their leaves and I, I am jealous. If only to be as carefree as a tree, I too would be free. I feel a spirit here. Not like God or something like that, But an energy. I can sense the processes going on around me. The slow setting of the sun changes the way the light trickles through the trees, Illuminating the potential of new growth. I plead, how can anyone see this beauty and wish it all away? Can’t we say no to the destruction, the pollution, the terror, the death, the bulldozers, the chemicals, the desecration. Can’t we say yes to nature, wildness, wilderness, animals, water, rivers, streams, mountains, glaciers, and all other amazing things this world has to offer.

Elise Lamont

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Big Bad Wolf

We may not notice it, but we are constantly surrounded by animals. Think of a few animals in your head. What were they?

 You probably thought first about a pet you have, like a dog or cat, and then about animals you see in zoos like elephants, lions, or even bears. This is because some animals are more common, or preferred over others while some are demonized as being wicked, and a pest. The media that surrounds us constantly uses animals to influence our emotional response to the advertisement, but on a more subconscious level our response to the animals used to create the ad. 

For example, in shows and movies throughout the decades there have been some recurring themes in them regarding animals and their relationship with humans. One of the major industries of this is in Disney movies. Often times small, cute, dainty animals are seen as benevolent helpers to humans. On the other hand, there are figures such as Ursula from The Little Mermaid who represent octopi to be sinister, slimy and a cause of harm to human figures. 

This phenomena has played out in the United States and ultimately backfired when wolves were removed from Yellowstone National Park, a key ecosystem for them to live in. Our view of the wolf has historical negative connotations, and those views have continued to be seen in society today. Often they are the scapegoat for human caused problems such as land development. This ties into the issue that it isn't always personal. Ranchers who want to get rid of wolves do not always want to do so simply because they have less than pleasant feelings towards them. Often times, they have fear. They are threatened by this animal, mainly economically, and therefore they propose to get rid of it. 

This is much more common when dealing with predators than any other animal. Animals that are herbivores do not pose a threat to humans because we do not have what they want or need, and instead we worry about predators that kill smaller animals to survive. Although we humans do this ourselves for survival, we do not want anything killing us or compromising our “dominant” role in the natural world. Therefore, we expend even more effort in maintaining that role so that we can control the predator, and it cannot control us. This drives much of our attitudes not only towards animals, but how we view their role in the environment that we live in as well. 

In my opinion, ranchers moved to the land that the wolves, among other animal species, had already lived and thrived on for thousands of years before humans ever discovered the land. Is there really such a thing as “private property”? How can humans clear land, develop it, raise livestock non-native to the area, and then be upset when wolves, who've lost their original prey species due to human development, prey on their livestock. I believe it is important to look at the bigger picture, and see what the environment does for humans, and what our interference can cause. Misguided interpretations of how animals view humans is seen in advertising all over the place, and without a cultural shift away from that view, we will not be able to understand the ecosystems we live in and how to best function in them not with them as if we were separate from it. (571) 

(Corbett, Communicating Nature, 2006)

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Ba da ba ba baaa...I’m ___ it!

Could you guess what goes in that blank? How about “lovin’” from McDonald’s catch phrase? Even without words, can you hear the jingle? If so, don’t be surprised. We are exposed to thousands of advertisements every single says. Three thousand daily on average actually (Corbett,2006). We are constantly being influenced by the world of media around us. Many advertisements present an image that the average consumer is pressured to live up to,whether it be makeup, clothes, cars, houses, or even body modification. 

Often times, these advertisements are “greenwashed” in that they falsely portray certain elements of the environment. They either use nature symbols to sell the product that is causing those very things to be destroyed, or are using it to degrade nature to make it appear as if human lifestyles and values are ideal, and of the highest order. 

Many of the commercials now have a “nature-as-background” approach in which they incorporate plants and animals to sell a product. One of the examples that comes to my mind is the commercial for Windex where there are two crows outside talking and they trick the man into going to the front door, and upon returning to the backyard, he walks into the glass door because it’s so clean from Windex. 

This is a prime example of manipulating nature to sell a product. Yes it sells Windex by showing how clean it can make a window, but also shows the birds as being pests who mess with humans and annoy them for their own enjoyment. Perhaps the ad does not directly place negative connotations on the  birds, but it can easily be seen by the viewer as being a pest. 

This kind of ideology can be seen in numerous commercials in which the environment is the cause of some kind of disturbance or inconvenience, that human created products from the environment can conveniently clean up. Another example is a soccer mom and Lysol wipes to clean up her muddy kitchen, or this guy who can’t stand the sun:

Most people feel that the news is the main source of mass media information (Corbett, 2006). This leads the news to being accountable for the majority opinion and views about certain topics. One of these major news sources is Fox News. Fox News is known to be a conservative news channel, and has traditionally selected stories that appeal to conservatives and has shied away from pro-liberal propaganda. For example, in the instance of global warming, they show scientists who doubt the facts of climate science and climate change and show little or no scientists in a positive light who are among the 99% of scientists around the globe that agree that climate change and global warming are real. https://www.salon.com/2013/08/06/watching_fox_news_makes_people_distrust_science/

In my opinion, it is important to educate the general public about this so called “fake news” and how to find real, credible sources for their information. It would surprise many people how it only takes a basic knowledge of science and a basic education to follow and understand many of the scientific papers out there that show that climate change is a real problem, and that it is caused by humans. This will be a major step in ensuring a bright and educated future. (532)

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Toxic Tourism

Have you ever been to Yellowstone National Park? What about the Grand Canyon? These are examples of some of the most amazing and beautiful place in the United States, among many other others, and they are being threatened every day due to one thing we have all been a part of ourselves: tourism. Whether we are traveling thousands of miles across the globe to “get away” or going to a local aquarium or zoo, we are contributing to a large part of what drives the economy. However, what happens when we abuse such things to a point where they are no longer accessible? Well, not only have we lost the ability to enjoy and appreciate such beauty, but we have taken away that ability from people who do not even exist yet; who never even had the chance to have a say in what goes on in their world. 

There are positive and negative consequences for all actions, and this is especially seen in the history of America. When railroads were put into place, people could now access parts of the country they would have otherwise never been able to see. This included national parks. Once people began flocking to these areas with their families (Corbett, 2006), it became known that a lot of money could be made in the realms of eco-tourism. What they would not expect is for so many people to come to these places, which calls for more widespread cleanup of the park due to outside litter such as plastic bottles, trash, fuel/oil from cars driving through, and many more types of litter that damage it. 

As it was later found out, Yellowstone National Park had difficulty when they eradicated the wolf population from the park due to the requests of ranchers who live on or near the parks. But once the elk population overgrew, and the vast majestic grasslands were now dead, it became obvious how much the wolves benefit the land, and were eventually reintroduced. (Wolves, NPS)

“I have yet to find an image of the Grand Canyon or the Sistine Capel that is able to me feel the way I do when I am standing inside these breathtaking environments” (Pezzullo, 2007). 

Phaedra Pezzullo put it well when discussing the importance of being in a place as opposed to seeing it. This may seem contradictory to the idea of eco-tourism and the harm that it does. However, this is not the case. It is important to be able to experience these places in a sustainable way that does not sacrifice the intrinsic qualities that attracted people there in the first place. There is a way to interact with nature without causing it harm or exploitation. We know this is true because humans did it for thousands and thousands of years to get us to where we are today. 

Protecting these places is important to the preservation of our world and our future. If it means that humans are no longer allowed, then so be it. In the long run, it is better to protect these places and have them for as long as possible so that we can allow future generations to experience them as well. Eco-tourism does not have to be aligned with the wear and tear of those same natural spaces.(533) 

Corbett, Julia B. Communicating Nature How We Create and Understand Environmental Messages. Island Press, 2006.

Pezzullo, Phaedra C. Toxic Tourism: Rhetorics of Pollution, Travel, and Environmental Justice. University of Alabama Press, 2007.

“Wolves.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/wolves.htm.

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Everybody’s workin for the weekend...not really.

Many of us look at nature as a place to go to in order to escape from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. Most self-sufficient adults work full time jobs to support themselves, but when they have a day off, what do they do? What do you do? I like to go for walks around town, but many people chose to relax indoors. 

We tend to surround ourselves with things that are “nature” like, such as houseplants, screensavers and backgrounds, or pictures on the walls of distant, exotic lands (Corbett). We rarely have time to go out and enjoy genuine interactions with the environment. This makes the average person very susceptible to the realms of advertising and marketing. We are constantly surrounded by advertisements trying to get us to buy the next best thing; meanwhile, there is an underlying scheme of planned obsolescence of these same objects which causes them to become unfashionable or worn down, increasing the need to replace it. What happens to all of the “stuff” that we throw away? It goes into landfills or burned, which releases toxins. 

This is further explained from the “Story of Stuff” project in their video about the cosmetic industry and how it promotes the use of these types of toxins on https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-cosmetics/ . The average consumer probably has seen a long list of various chemicals on the back of their shampoo bottles, or deodorant, or toothpaste, and many many more products that they use on a day to day basis. What many people don't know is that most of those chemicals are not regulated or tested by the government and we have no way of knowing if they are toxic or not. There are even unregulated chemicals in baby shampoo. 

They point out one of the root causes of the problems in our society. These come down to the people who not only put these toxic chemicals into our products, but the people who allow them to go onto the shelf and don't regulate them. Perhaps the consumer can choose to buy different products that don't have these harsh chemicals but it doesn't mean that they will no longer be sold in stores to all other consumers. Toxic free products are not easy to find, and many of them are not the same type of product or of the same standard as people are now used to. 

There are awesome brands out there that are all natural and don't use crazy chemicals to create products that are not only safe to use, but are safe for the environment as well. One of my personal favorites is Lush Cosmetics. They are a vegan, cruelty free and environmentally friendly cosmetic company that has everything from shampoo and conditioner, to toothpaste and deodorant that is all 100% natural, in the way that is actually natural, instead of just a label.

Seen below is an example of one of the types of products that is nontraditional but a type of body wash soap like the ones most people use today. (514)

Sources:

Communicating Nature: How We Understand Environmental Messages, Julia B. Corbett, 2006 

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Navy Showers

For the past week I took what are called navy showers. This consisted of only turning on the shower water to get wet, and rinse off. As someone who is used to taking fairly long showers, about 20 minutes, this was very difficult for me. I felt that this is the kind of action I should take considering water conservation isn't one of strong points when it comes to living sustainably. Once I did the math for how many gallons of water I typically use in one shower, and considering the average shower head flows at 2 gallons of water per minute, I came up with 200 gallons of water for myself. This is the amount of water it takes for me to shower for 20 minutes, about 5 days a week. 

This GOOD video shows the use and impact of water on our planet :

So my plan was to take a 5 minute shower or less, with one minute of that having the water on to rinse my washcloth, wet to lather, rinse hair, etc. I would put 2 songs on to play and once the second one is over I know it’s time to get out whether I’m done or not. Unfortunately this didn't work out as well as I thought. Playing music instead of setting a timer made me distracted and made me take longer than 5 minutes to be done. Also, on more than one occasion I would have had to get out with shampoo in my hair and therefore I had to take longer. Washing my hair was the most frustrating thing to do so I eventually decided not to wash it for a few days until my experiment is over and I can wash it properly. 

On the flip side, it became really easy for me to take shorter showers and was much less frustrating to just wash my body. I work in a fast food restaurant and I smell like it too, so this type of showering makes it harder to feel clean after working in conditions that are a bit greasier than most other people’s day to day jobs. 

My math is only an approximation, but I only used about 10 gallons of water for all my showers in a week by only allowing the water to run for no more than a minute in total for every time I showered. I saved over 180 gallons of water, and would have saved even more energy if I had strictly used cold water. 

Would I recommend this to anyone? 

These showers may instill a sense of pride and accomplishment, but long term? It doesn’t seem like something someone could do forever. I would argue that it’s safe to say that a majority of people who live in developed countries who have access to modern showers will not make a major impact on the environment by shortening their shower time, when they're simultaneously flying around the world, driving inefficient cars, buying non organic, etc.

Given, water conservation in places like here in the Southwest is more vital and impactful than somewhere like Florida which receives a lot of rain. I withhold the belief that if you, like myself, live in a developed country and have the ability to limit your personal home shower time, you potentially have the ability to do a lot more for those around you who don't have the resources necessary to have running water in the first place, let alone clean water. We, including myself, who can make a difference, should. 

I’m not saying that shorter showers or using less hot water isn’t beneficial, especially if everyone did it. What I am saying is that if you are in a position to do more, to make a larger beneficial impact for everyone, then that should be pursued with as much fervor as the passion behind water conservation through taking shorter showers. (678)

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My Own Ideology

    Environmentalism itself is considered to many to be controversial in the ways in which we should go about environmental change. Some of the early groups who fought for environmental protection were considered radical and in most cases extreme. However, aside from the people who put their lives at risk and accept being arrested for their actions, there are many people who agree with the idea, but disagree with the methods of action. 

I hold the same ideology as both deep ecologists and social ecologists. I strongly agree with aspects of both types of ideologies and feel that in unison can achieve great things regarding the environment. 

Within deep ecology I strongly agree that “we cannot go on with industrialism’s ‘business as usual’” (Drengson). I cringe at the idea that this beautiful Earth is something only to be used for constant production and consumption and waste. I believe that everything has intrinsic value, living or non-living. This comes from the understanding of how ecosystems work and function and how those systems are necessary for not only our survival, but for the survival of the planet for generations onward. I don't hold the same spiritual sense about the environment that social ecologists do rather than the economic stance of social ecology. I do feel that modern economic systems don't work in favor of the environment which allow them to run in the first place. Anything regarding Karl Marx or Marxism is immediately shied away from but I have found in my research that the externalization of costs is a reality, not a Marxist conspiracy of some sort. The ones who produce the most emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon emissions, are the ones who are the most affluent and unaffected by the consequences of their actions. People in developing countries who do not cause these emissions, are the ones most affected by climate change. Therefore, I uphold the belief that the current capitalist system needs to be changed to work in favor of the environment, not against it. 

Drengson, Alan. “Some Thought on the Deep Ecology Movement.” Foundation For Deep Ecology | The Deep Ecology Movement, www.deepecology.org/deepecology.htm.

How did my beliefs come to be this way? This was a hard question even to ask myself. I’ve always been a wallflower. I watch and observe and learn. I didn't grow up in an especially environmentally conscious household nor did we consume to gross excess. We were average, middle class people. I grew up in the deserts of Nevada and New Mexico, we always had air conditioning and running water and life was fine. It wasn't until I moved to the coast of San Diego, California that I began to see things about taking care of the environment and recycling signs everywhere. All of the drains and sewers had signs painted on or around them saying, “Don't dump here! This drains to the ocean!” I had never really thought about how the actions of people were affecting the beach down the street and all the life underwater. I believe this is where my environmental awareness began. After all, when you live in “sunny San Diego” it is hard not to fall in love with the ocean, and the beach, and enough to fight to keep it clean and do voluntary beach clean ups. I fell into this too. From there on out I joined the GreenBuilders club in my middle school. It was a club where we would sort the school’s recycling and implement sustainable projects around the school. Volunteer work and environmental activism became regular parts of my life. Eventually I got to work for GreenPeace, which can be as controversial as people say but it was one of the most amazing learning experiences I’ve had. I learned how to communicate to complete strangers with all different kinds of views and opinions about the environment, why we should care for it, and get them to open their eyes to the bigger picture. I met some of the most inspiring people of my life and I cherish my time with them very much. However, I want to do more than stand on the street talking to people to educate them. I want to directly impact people’s lives for the better. Whether it is traveling around the world to help climate refugees or working to change the ways of corporations to be more sustainable and get on board with a growing movement and awareness about the environment, climate change, and how to fix it in the upcoming generations. Every morning I wake up and watch Louie Shwartzberg’s TED talk, “Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.” featuring a meditation by monk Brother David Steindl-Rast to set the tone for the day. (790)

These are a few of my favorite pictures that I’ve taken from different places. Enjoy. 

Mission Beach, San Diego

West Fork Trail, Sedona, Arizona

Cute Worm

Iron Mountain Peak, Poway, California 

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You’re an eco-what?!

There can be a lot of confusion when talking about all the different ideologies and perspectives about the environment out there. Everything from conservationist and preservationist, to a deep ecologist or an ecofeminist. Those last two may not sound as familiar, but they too are just as important to providing new perspectives about the environment, and how we are supposed to treat it. However, I think many people would agree on some basic things. These include things like the fact that we have basic physiological needs like the need for clean water, food, and security in the form of shelter or protection. We could probably all agree that if we don't have those things, at the most basic level, that we humans could not survive. It would make sense to protect those things then, right? 

Well, yes. However, not everyone feels the same way. There are basic differences in how we view the environment. Some people, such as deep ecologists, find that there is value in all things independent of humans and their needs (Corbett). Other, such as ecofeminists find that changing patriarchal ways of modern society would in turn change the way the environment is treated. After all, it is called Mother Earth for a reason. Why so? According to Terry Williams, to embrace the Feminine is the reconnect with your inner self, to the wildness within that shows that we as humans are too animals with an innate connection to nature. This also means we have to understand our capacity to create and destroy (Williams, 1994). 

Within this capacity, to create and destroy, we have seen that this does not always mean the destruction of nature, but of ourselves. We often create the very things that kill us. For example, in 1989, the chemical Monocrotophos was banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency due to research revealing its’ toxic and deadly properties (Mascagni, 2013). However, the law did not ban the production and exportation of the chemicals to other countries where ultimately it would be used by people in third world countries to grow our food to be imported back into the United States. 

On one hand, it can be argued that the use of such chemicals in the first place is unethical to the environment and the integrity of the ecosystem. On the other, even if you are not concerned with the way our actions affect the environment, what about the people? Not just the people who are using the chemical to grow food, but the people in America, your friends and neighbors, the ones you see eating seemingly harmless food that is secretly laced with toxins. 

In my opinion, saving our environment in turn will save people. Is it better to eat food laced with chemicals or to not have access to food at all because things like climate change has caused international drought? There can be no debate about how to treat the environment if there is hardly an environment left to save.  We can debate all day about whether it is economically beneficial to create national parks and wildlife preserves, but it is a waste of time if while we are debating, those places are being deforested and by the time action is taken there is nothing left to save. There is a line between all these moral, economic, and ideological debates of what is right and wrong and what we should do about it. I personally, have yet to find exactly where that line is myself within my own ideology and way of thinking about the future of our planet.  (598)

Mascagni, Evan. “Thanks for the Pesticides, America!” Salon, 9 Aug. 2013, www.salon.com/2013/08/09/thanks_for_pesticides_america/.

Corbett, Julia B. Communicating Nature How We Create and Understand Environmental Messages. Island, 2006.

Williams, Terry Tempest. An Unspoken Hunger. Pantheon Books, 1994.

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Where do YOU stand?

Since when did we become so divided? We are living in a time of great importance and our chance to protect what environment we have left is becoming smaller unless we can find a common ground. 

This can be hard to do when there are so many different ways of thinking and ideologies out there. Which, because an ideology is “A system of ideas or way of thinking pertaining to a class or individual, especially as a basis of some economic or political theory or system, regarded to justifying actions and especially to be maintained irrespective of events” (Corbett, 26). This means that when you hold a certain ideology, it helps to form your political views, the way you go about solving social problems, and justifying why things should be done in that way. As one could imagine, this may lead to conflict in the political realm and more specifically, when it comes to the future of our environment. There are two ends of the environmental ideology spectrum: anthropocentrism (human centered) and ecocentrism (environmentally centered). Someone who holds an anthropocentric ideology believes that the resources on Earth are here for human use and disposal. So long as it suits human needs above all else, it is considered good and viable. On the other hand, someone who holds an ecocentric ideology would hold the belief that all living and nonliving entities on this Earth has equal importance and value, and should be protected all the same. This does not necessarily mean that humans would not ever use resources from the environment, but that all taking would be done in the name of sustainability and with the intention of putting the environment first, and ultimately serving ourselves. This view reflects a belief in the balance of nature, as one large ecosystem, and we are as much of a part of it as anything else. 

Can’t you see how when creating environmental policy we can run into clashes of ideology? This further divides us. However, it is unfair to apply stereotypes to all people in a certain group. This goes for conservatives too. In Georgia recently a group of conservatives voted in favor of expanding the solar power potential of the state by demanding an increase in solar energy output to local homes over the course of the next three years. You can read the full article here.  These kinds of actions show that their values and ideologies may have some overlap with those on the other end of the spectrum from traditional conservation stances. Having a more open dialogue with people of different ideologies is key to coming together to find a solution. The funny thing is that Americans often come together in the face of immediate crisis, in events such as 911, but in the face of drastic climate change we fall short. Van Jones points out that on other occasions we have in fact come together in the face of environmental crisis before. When the 2010 British Petroleum (BP) oil spill occurred in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States collectively agreed that it was horrible, and we were all concerned about the damage it would cause to not only us, but to the fish and the environment too. As described in From the Ground Up, activists against toxins in plastic pushed for “pollution prevention” which turned into national policy (Cole & Foster, 2001). If activists fought for safer oil or move away from oil, it likely would have become national policy as well. 

Ultimately it is up to us to take a stand for our planet. It is important first to know where your values lie and where on the spectrum you fall in order to better communicate your thoughts and beliefs about what direction to take from here. (630)

Communicating Nature, Corbett, 2006

https://www.salon.com/2013/08/09/conservatives_are_starting_to_get_behind_solar_power/

From the Ground Up, Cole & Foster, 2001

https://www.ted.com/talks/van_jones_the_economic_injustice_of_plastic 

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Who do you think you are?!

Well, I’d like to think that I am an environmentally aware person. However, not everyone can say the same. Having direct experiences with nature is becoming more limited for newer generations. Human involvement to make interaction with “nature” possible does not suffice for true experience with the wild. It can be said that direct experiences with nature can lead to more environmentally aware generations. These types of experiences would be the most impactful in how someone views the world. In fact, the three main things that change the way we form our ideology about the world include: childhood experiences, a sense of place, and the historical and cultural contexts surrounding an individual (Corbett).We are a product of our surroundings, starting from childhood. We are constantly influened by the world around us from a young age, and in a world flooded with technology it is more likely than ever that media shapes and sways our beliefs about the environment. Parents in the life of a child also plays a great role. They are the ones who decide what can or cannot be done in the life of their child, and are responsible for providing them with experience in nature from early on. This is a major factor in how our beliefs and attitudes are shaped.

Having a sense of place is also innate because we automatically form attachments to the places we are familiar so that we know how to be; therefore, “to be somewhere is to be someone” (Corbett). We have to have “[powerful] emotional sentiments” (Corbett) to have a sense of place. These often are developed through education programs which allow students to learn and explore a place a know it intimately, and gain a respect for it. Many may not realize or consider political or social systems to be a defining part of where we come from but they are, but they provide the framework for the way in which we live and what is considered socially acceptable. For example, if you say that something is wrong to do because the law says it to be so, you are basing your values and beliefs on what the political system of the region you live in is. I will further discuss this later.

The historical and cultural contexts surrounding the traditional viewpoint of a region or group of people lies in the history of their ancestors and of the land they live on. For example, established religions in different places have a great influence on how they look at the world around them. For example, some Christians may view themselves as shepards of the Earth and that they should take care of the gift of God that has been given to them. However, in the same religious book, the Bible, it also says that man was given this land to rule and to fish and hunt without consequences just because God gave it to them for such. These types of viewpoints have continued through time and have gave way to clashes of ideologies that now affect our political system at a time when taking action against climate change is imperative.

In my opinion, we humans as one species need to see ourselves as such. Many people forget that we too are animals, who have the same primal needs as any other: air, food, water. But we are also a beautiful, complex, dynamic, and ever evolving species of beauty and diversity and innovation.

As mentioned previously, the political systems surrounding us greatly influence what we feel is right and wrong. Given the current political climate in the United States, it is even more important that we push for laws that are in favor of the environment, which in turn is in favor of us. Demanding clean, drinkable water without an invisible price tag of air and water pollution, shouldn’t be such a strange thing. We talk about the “American dream” and that we should all be one, unified. How can we do this when we each have a different sense of place regarding our country. This is our water, our land, ourresponsibility. We have so much potential for greatness beyond what has already been achieved. I’d like to highly recommend a TED talk to inspire this sense of unity as a species, and the preciousness and intrinsic value of this planet most of us forget. (727)

Corbett, Julia B.,Communicating Nature: How we create and understand environmental messages, 2006.