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Life’s Essentials

Water, essential for all living organisms. What if the natural resource, that covers about 71% of the Earth, is becoming limited? While it might be shocking, freshwater is becoming a limited resource. In 2011, the Aral Sea was one-tenth its original size. And by 2025, half of the world’s population will not have access to fresh, drinkable water. Americans play a large role in the loss of water. In the documentary, Last Call at the Oasis, it examines the daily water use of several areas in the United States. On a larger scale, 50-75% of household water use comes from watering the lawn. In Las Vegas, three percent of the city’s water consumption comes from the Vegas strip. The Vegas strips relies on freshwater systems, such as the Hoover Dam, in order to provide water. However once the dam is drained to 1050 feet, causes water shortages and open’s Americans’ eyes. The limited amount of freshwater is not focused on the Hoover Dam but also the Great Lakes and Rio Grande. The documentary spent most of the time on California and how it could run out of water. In the 1930s, the Central Valley was a farm land that produced 25% of America’s food, draining its freshwater supply. Water is not only a concern for ranchers and farmers but also the fish population. In Northern California, due to the drastic drop in the fish population, local citizens’ water supply was turned off. While people raised their voices and concerns about how the government is favoring fish over human life, the drop in the fish population holds a deeper meaning. It shows that ecosystems collapsing will affect all human life.

The use of water is not the only factor that is causing freshwater to decline, water pollution is also a problem. Between 2004-2009, the Clean Water Act (regulations on water pollution in the United States) was violated half a million times. Surprisingly, chemicals found in birth control, steroids and other supplements were found in water because of human waste entering the water supply. This led to many concerns about water contamination. Hinkley, California was one of the cities that raised its concerns in the documentary. According to Erin Brockovich, the chemical hexavalent chromium is found in the community’s water. With her research, she found that the water leads to many health problems including cancer. While the local government was not doing anything to make a difference, Erin Brockovich became the head of the movement. As she continued to fight for a difference, eventually the EPA created a standard amount of hexavalent chromium allowed to be found in the water. However, hexavalent chromium was not the only chemical found in water that was a concern. Atrazine was also an issue. Atrazine is a chemical that interferes with hormones and caused male frogs to become female. While this might not seem important to humans, if the water is consumed by a pregnant woman, the water can affect the developing fetus. Contamination of water raises questions, especially about the water that is drinkable.

The United States is the largest consumer of bottled water. The use of water bottles continues to increase as the years continue. However, the water found in plastic bottles are not regulated by the EPA but instead by the FDA as well as tested by the water bottle company making the tests untrustworthy and irrelevant. Most water bottles contain contaminated water however, there is an ironic thought of safety and purity associated with them. This raises the question of can people drink recycled water? And the answer to that question is yes! In Singapore, the creation of NEWater was created. The company recycles sewage water and makes it drinkable. Surprisingly, the recycled water is much cleaner than that of bottled water. However, the thought of drinking sewage water still scares people. This causes the possibility of sell it nearly impossible. Many Americans believe that there are other ways to achieve clean, drinkable water. Some even believe that desalination, the process of turning salt water in drinking water, is an option. Unfortunately, it is not. The process creates more environmental issues, such as greenhouse gasses. Some cities in the United States have recognized that desalination is not an option. Los Angeles plans on using a selling recycled water by 2019. The information was found from the documentary Last Call at the Oasis. The documentary, was created to inform the public about the issue of water. The documentary was not created to persuade people since there was not many solutions but instead focused on the data and statistics. (765)

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Finding a Place to Call Home

To make a change in the environment, we must find a place that we can connect with intimately, a place we can call home. In order for this to occur, simply stepping outside and observing nature everyday to get to know the surroundings. Tane Rosa states, “‘[t]o love the earth, you first must know it, and by the time you do, we’ll be able to build a better world’” (Webs of Power by Starhawk). Unfortunately, according to Terry Tempest Williams’ An Unspoken Hunger, humans are not only losing contact with each other but also with the Earth. This causes a lack of knowledge of the place that is considered to be home. Without the knowledge, there is a lack of a connection to nature and therefore a lack of gratitude towards natural resources. For example, without nature, especially water, humans would not be able to survive and function. As humans, there must be a connection to the natural world by exploring and creating memories in order to be thankful for what the world has provided. With gratitude, comes a sense of belonging and a home that can be considered paradise. “Paradise is the here and now, the actual, tangible dogmatically real Earth on which we stand” (74). Paradise is not something that needs to obtained in the long run. Instead it is all everywhere, even in the moments where nature is the backdrop. Due to the difficulty of communicating environmental issues, the public is have a hard time comprehending the idea that nature should be a part of everyday experiences.

People form their own opinions about the natural world based on experience, family, friends and morals. This makes it difficult to open people’s minds to environmental change through communication. The two main sources of environmental change comes from two different types of environmental groups. These two groups are the informal (grassroots) group and formal (institutional) group. According to Julia Corbett’s Communicating Nature, the informal group “emerges to oppose a local environmental hazard or plan (such as a proposed incinerator or dam), or to change a broader-based problem or threat (such as insecticide spraying or whaling practices)” (Corbett 286). In other words, the informal group is made up of ordinary people who focus their time and effort to make a change on local environmental problem. On the other hand, formal groups use “[t]he factor most tied to the formalization of a social movement group is time. Social movement researchers have found that the longer a group exists, the greater the chance it will formalize its structure and operation” (287).   In order to raise awareness of the issues they are trying to solve, they use the media to draw attention. Formal groups are typically composed of lobbyists, attorneys and full-time scientists. However, the main reasons for addressing any type of environmental issue is because of political, legal and governmental bureaucracy. Based on how likely the environmental situation is, and whether it is appropriate or valued, determines if it is ignored or acted upon. The environment must become a part of our everyday lives to be able to change environmental laws and make a positive impact on the natural world. In regards to environmental communication, I hope to become an environmental lawyer. Eventually I would like to work for a nonprofit law firm such as the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Center For Environmental Law & Policy. (566).

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Daily Thoughts

As of right now, my environmental priorities are marine life and the ocean, as well as keeping hiking trails clean. I believe the natural surrounds someone grows up in influences their beliefs on the environment. People from around the country and even the same state, will have different interpretations on how the environment affects daily lives. Growing up in San Diego, the beach was one of the main forms of entertainment. Growing up close to the beach made the city come together to prevent water pollution. I became interested in marine biology and had the opportunity to work with a marine biologist, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, on an expedition. San Diego was not just a center for the ocean, it was also filled with beautiful hiking trails. For me, I used hiking trails as a way to clear my mind and as a form of exercise. The trails allowed me to find new places and a new appreciation for nature. Hiking also allowed me to find myself and build a bond with my family and friends.

Nature is something that we tend to take for granted, with goals a new appreciation and knowledge can be gained from it. Some goals that can be set range from the ones that can start today to the long term goals that will last years. The goal that I would like to start today is using a reusable water bottle instead of plastic ones. I would also like to drink less coffee and more tea since less water is required to make tea. One goal that I would like to use through the month, and continue as time goes on, is to only use the cold water setting on the washer instead of warm or hot water. Another goal I have, that I would like to accomplish this month is getting my roommate to turn the lights off when she leaves the room for any reason. An environmental change that I would like to continue throughout the year is go find hiking trails that are throughout Flagstaff and the NAU campus. The long term goal that I would like to accomplish is to start bringing reusable bags when I go shopping as well as purchase organic products. However, I am not the only person in Flagstaff trying to make an environmental difference. There are many clubs on campus as well as in the city that are trying to spread the word. One of the groups on campus that are making a difference is the Flagstaff Dark Skies club. The group spreads awareness of the reason why Flagstaff is considered the first Dark Sky city. It advocates for the chance of appreciating the sky and how it affects natural habits. Another group that I am interested in is the Friends of Rio de Flag. The organization focuses its efforts on promoting Rio de Flag and appreciating its natural resources. The goal of the group is to protect, restore and clean the Rio de Flag to provide educational, aesthetic and recreational opportunities. The final group in Flagstaff that holds my interest is Habitats for Humanities. Habitats for Humanity works to provide resources for anyone who needs assistance. The nonprofit also builds and repairs houses to help those around the poverty line throughout Northern Arizona. (551)

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Me and Nature

Stepping out in nature was the experience that is needed to clear the mind of any distraction. As the birds sing to one another, everything around me freezes. My eyes look for the birds but realizes that trees have found a way to protect themselves from the harsh cold. But before that can happen, a rainbow of leaves must be exposed to the world. As fall comes to end, there is only hope for the new beginnings that come. First the downs, then the ups. The need of the harsh reality to bring beauty that is so desperately desired. (99)

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Animals are More than Symbols

Bambi, The Lion King, and Mickey Mouse. All three are examples of how pop culture has created animals into symbols. These symbols are used for the gain of the company for entertainment, appearance and profit. The animals used by companies have created a stereotype and classification for animals. Cheetahs are used as a sex angle, predators such as coyotes and wolves have gained the appearance of being “bad” animals, and animals such as elephants have received the honor of being “good.” While there are classifications for each animal, people still struggle to know the basic habits and understanding of the animals in this world. In Communicating Nature by Julia Corbett, she uses the research of Professor Kellert to prove her point. Professor Kellert’s research showed that, of the American people polled, “[O]nly 26 percent knew the manatee is not an insect…[J]ust 13 percent knew that raptors are not small rodents...A better but still distressingly low 54 percent knew that veal does not comb from lamb, and just 57 percent knew that insects do not have backbones” (Corbett 192). The lack of knowledge that American’s have about the animal kingdom comes from the lack of education about it. Most knowledge of animals comes from personal experience, whether it is watching animated children’s movies, reading books with animals or even having the limited amount of personal contact with a pet. In the pop culture world today, there are many ways for companies to change the knowledge a person has on animals. The methods include: allegorical anthropomorphism, personification, superficial anthropomorphism, and explanatory anthropomorphism. Allegorical anthropomorphism is using animals to make something look and seem more appealing or even hide the true habits of the animal. Personification is the use of animals to express human desires such as dressing pets in human clothes. Superficial anthropomorphism is interpreting animal behaviors on the surface that are not related to their actual behavior. Finally, explanatory anthropomorphism is the belief that by naming a species, humans understand it. The media plays a part in manipulating the public by using these techniques in commercials, movies, books, cars, and any other form of product that would convince people to purchase the product. But media is not the only reason why people view animals differently. Due to Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species, people’s opinions on animals have changed. Darwin explained that there is not a barrier between humans and animals. He explained that due to evolution, humans and animals experience the same environment and animals deserve to be viewed as an equal. However, only people who accepted Darwin’s theory of evolution believed that animals and humans are equal. People’s beliefs on evolution determine their own beliefs on animal rights as well, either as an abolitionist, sticking to the status quo or reformist. The status quo positions accepts and continues to practice the culturally acceptable behavior of eating meat, animal control, zoos and not looking for a reason to change it. A reformist accepts the behaviors of those who stick to the status quo, however they look for a way to change it them such as limiting predator control or even ending factory farms. An abolitionist believes that all human and animal interaction should stop including using animals in fiber or food, in scientific research and for entertainment purposes. These beliefs lead people to speak out and lead to the creation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, the Eagle Protection Act of 1940, the Animal Welfare Act of 1966 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. With every belief, comes an action and stand point. (600) 

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The Natural World, Now Defined as the Media

The media has dominated and controls the thoughts of the public. What if it is causing people to be uncertain about the truth? According to the Salon, the different choices of receiving information is causing people to uncertain about the topic of climate change. A study conducted at the University of Arizona, George Mason, American University and Yale all found that Americans who are exposed to conservative media are less certain about the change. People who listen to right-wing opinionated media are against the climate change and those who listen to left-wing opinionated media are more likely to believe climate change is real. The more liberal and mainstream channels are more likely to say that global warming is real and is the fault of humans. However, there is no consensus about climate change through different news stations. This leads to Americans to react differently and be uncertain. Applying the theories to Communicating Nature by Julia Corbett, the news places limitations on the environmental issues people are able to have access to. With the trick of framing, using certain quotes, images and parts of stories to make the topic seem more interesting, news stations select specific information to be broadcasted in order to attract a larger audience. Framing, leads to different points of views and makes the facts difficult to process and find the truth. News stations are not the only problem, environmental advertising is one as well.

According to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, on an average day, people are exposed to three thousand ads but only eighty are noticed and twelve are remembered. With environmental advertising, the most recognized nature scenes are found in allergy medicines, lawn care products, orange juice, tennis shoes and car commercials. These are just a few examples of environmental advertising, there are four main categories. The first is Nature-as-Backdrop. It is the most commonly used form. Nature-as-Backdrop focuses on making inanimate objects more appealing by giving human characteristics or emotions (anthropomorphize). The second form of advertising is green product attributes. Including a commercial of a singing racoon about a chair. This encourages the customer to believe that they are helping the environment by purchasing the product. This causes companies to put phrases such as “100% recycled” or “environmentally friendly” on the product. This form of advertisement tends to be misleading because consumers are believing the company when the “100% recycled” could really only be ten percent recycled. The third form of environmental advertisement is the green image. The green image is a picture of nature that companies will use to show that the product and the company is environmentally responsible. This form focuses more on the reputation of the company instead of the product or the service it is providing (institutional advertising). However, the goal is to have a encourage the public to purchase the good or service because the company has an environmental focus, such as recycling (instructional advertising). The last form of advertising is environmental advocacy. This form is used when companies want the consumers to go out and help the environment. One example is teaching children about the ocean and the marine life that call the ocean their home. Even with these four forms of advertisement, thirty percent of people are willing to purchase a product because of advertisements, labeling or environmental endorsements. (553)

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/06/watching_fox_news_makes_people_distrust_science/

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Media Changes Everything

In Communicating Nature, Julia Corbett address the issue of the new world and the environment. She first addresses how the “Happiest Place on Earth” is corrupting environmental views. Amusement parks, such as Disneyland, are creating a plastic, animated, unrealistic image of the natural world. For example, at Disneyland the Land Pavilion consists of robotic bison, prairie dogs, recordings of birds and monkeys, “rain” on the roof of the boats and aromas that create a specific atmosphere. This is just one example of how amusement parks are using the environment to serve the human needs and is used for entertainment. This concept is referred to as theming which is creating a central idea for a business to intrigue customers into buying a certain product such as food, tickets, etc. Theming not only applies to amusement parks but also tourism. Tourism uses the media to encourage customers to buy tickets to attractions, hotels, transportation, clothing and so much more. Tourism leads people to vacation in places in nature which leads to roughly 200 million employment opportunities.  People, who are looking for a place to escape, tend to choose a location for the vacation in the a place of nature that is not associated with their daily lives. People do not want to just try new activities and experiences, instead they want to publish their experiences and the invention of the camera has encouraged more people to do so. The photos, from the camera, have become the new form of the postcards because it allows memories to be personalized. Photos have caused people to have a desire to travel. With the invention of trains, brochures and nature magazines, the opportunities have increased. Due to the creation of railroads, national parks were established starting with Yellowstone in 1872, Sequoia in 1890 and Mt. Rainer in 1899. The use of movies and television shows have distorted images of nature.

In Toxic Tourism, Phaedra C. Pezzulo addresses the issue of environmental communication through the movie Matamoros: The Human Face of Globalization which was presented by the Sierra Club. The movie focused on the toxic tour in in Brownsville, Texas (U.S) and Matamoros, Tamaulipas (Mexico)  which is divided by the United States/Mexico border and geographically by the Rio Grande. The purpose of the movie was to raise awareness of the local effects of NAFTA. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established in 1994 to help the economic relationships between the United States, Mexico and Canada. However, it enforced toxic tourism. Toxic tourism forces individuals to reimagine their own community and find an identity in that community. Individuals struggle to find a community that they belong to because of globalization. Globalization is defined by Pezzulo as the spread of forced ideas through the ability to travel. The conquering of the “New World” and the Europeans “educating” the Native Americans, Triangular slave trade between Africa, Caribbean and America  and eating food of different cultures are all examples of globalization. Pezzulo does not stand with or against globalization, instead encourages witnessing which is the ability to hear, see and write evidence on a first-hand experience. However, the media has destroyed the ability for people to have the chance to witness an event as well as destroy ideas that are no longer culturally acceptable. It limits the imagination for communities by distorting the truth about a certain situation. Since sight is a sense that is relied on so often, movies and media have created new ideas and beliefs to base decisions off of. (586)

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Working in Nature

As a society that values money over mental health, work becomes a priority over the environment. Work and experiences in nature are viewed as two separate time commitments. Trips to the beach, Grand Canyon and hikes are planned on days off.  However, the environment plays a role in everyday experiences that people tend to ignore. For example, colleges and universities use multiple resources daily to keep the school running. Professors use paper for tests, quizzes and worksheets which accumulates a total of forty percent of solid waste. Most people do not pay attention to the natural resources they are using for their job. Instead, they are focusing on making money to buy the newest and greatest item on the market. In the United States, society is formed by the top one percent and the material goods they purchase.  By the 1990s, the amount of products bought by consumers doubled in comparison to the 1940s. In order to keep up with the newest trend, Americans began to work more hours in their dreadful jobs that have them locked in a cage. As the amount of hours worked increased, the amount of hours spent shopping increased as well. Compared to Europeans, Americans spend an average of three to four more hours shopping. The cycle continues as more and more products are introduced to the public. However, as material items become demanded at a quicker rate, the environment slowly diminishes.

While the United States only contains five percent of the world’s population, it uses twenty percent of natural resources and twenty-five percent of the world’s energy supply. The numbers may not seem enormous, however society creates new and acceptable trends that force people to go and purchase unnecessary items. As consumers continue to purchase the products produced, they are ignoring the environmental issues that went into the creation of the product. Some of these issues include: pollution, the cutting down of trees, and limited natural resources being used. The only time society focuses on the material of the product is when a social issue arises, such as sweatshops. It is rare to find the injustice addressed since advertisements focus on developing a negative self image of the customer. As the customer evaluates their life, they realize that must purchase the trendy, new item in order to feel good about themselves. This creates a power in society geared around the buying and selling of goods, called consumer culture. Consumer culture has created a place where products have a greater value than education, housing, health and other basic human needs. Items have become a priority that companies began to strive for the customer’s dissatisfaction of the older product and rely on the need to purchase new products in order to fit in as well as relieve self-doubt. This idea was introduced by J. Gordon in 1947. Stemming from Gordon’s idea came durable goods, dynamic obsolescence and use value. Durable goods is the larger and more expensive products that are built to last longer. However, when the creation of durable goods arose, dynamic obsolescence was created to destroy durable goods by giving consumers more options to the current product. Use value leads to exchange value so that consumers have a reason to purchase the item stating that “if product ‘x’ is bought then it will provide ‘y.’” All of the ideas that came from Gordon’s idea applies to all products, including cosmetics.

Cosmetics have become a part of everyone’s daily routine. In the United States, the average woman uses about twelve care products everyday while the average man only uses six. However, when a person uses their favorite cosmetic product, they do not think about the dozens of chemicals that are found in them. Some of the chemicals include carcinogens (chemicals that cause cancer), neurotoxins (chemicals that affect brain development) and reproductive toxins (chemicals that affect reproduction). Products such as shampoo, sunscreen, lipstick and even baby shampoo contain chemicals that are linked with cancer, asthma, learning disabilities and damaged sperm. Surprisingly, these chemicals are allowed to sold to the public (less than twenty percent of the chemicals used are looked at for safety reasons) which allows the chemicals to enter people’s bodies. While there are options for “organic” or “natural” cosmetics, there is no legal definition that guarantees the use of natural ingredients. Instead, many natural products contain harsh chemicals.  Although scientists have found these products to be harmful, there are no US laws to prevent or change the current situation. The FDA has only banned 8 out of 12,000 ingredients found in cosmetics since 1938.  This allows cosmetic companies to make their own rules and regulations about what can and cannot be placed into the product. This also gives the companies that power to decide whether or not to follow the regulation they created themselves. (801).

http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-cosmetics/

Communicating Nature (Corbett, 2006) pp. 85-109

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One Drop at a Time

Navy showers, for someone who takes their sweet time to feel clean, it is one of the most dreadful phrases someone can use. However, navy showers are used to help reduce the amount of water a person uses in the shower. It consists of turning on the water and making sure the person’s body is wet, turning off the water to apply soap, shampoo and conditioner and turning the water back on to rinse it all off. While that may seem easy, there is a catch to the process. The person using the navy shower, only has thirty second to one minute to wash off the cleaning materials and lasts between three to five minutes. According to the Huffington Post and the source of the Planet Green, a navy shower will use about three gallons of water while a regular shower can use up to sixty gallons.I was also amazed by the fact that navy showers save water by ninety-five percent. Before I started the experiment, I talked to one of my friends about the idea and she told me how much of a challenge it was. I did not believe a word that came from her mouth. I was wrong and should have listened to her tips because I was mistaken, this experiment was a challenging and difficult task.

When I first began the experiment, I thought that I would only last one day taking navy showers. To my surprise, as well as all my friends that I told about the experiment, I was able to take navy showers for three days. I conducted the experiment with two, thirty second intervals and one, one minute interval. The first day, Wednesday, was the most difficult day. I had to adjust to the quick washes. I also forgot to bring a timer so I had to count the seconds in order to semi-successfully perform the experiment. However, since I am so used to clean showers, I did not feel completely clean after. On Thursday, I learned from my mistakes and remembered to bring a timer with me. The second time was a little easier, but it was still difficult and I felt rushed in the process. I did learn that I would need a longer amount of time to wash the shampoo out of my thick hair so that is when I decided to give myself two, thirty second intervals and one, one minute interval to completely wash out the shampoo. On Friday, the third day, the shorter showers became more natural and I started to become used to the fast pace. However, I did miss my long showers and how it gave me time to think about all the thoughts I had. Another reason why I failed at the experiment is because I did not have to time to shave my legs. I believe that if I had shaved a day before I conducted the experiment, I would have lasted a day longer. Personally, I would not use this form of showering every single day but I would use this form of showering on lazy days. (517).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/26/navy-shower-can-reduce-wa_n_170112.html

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Seeing the World as a Child

Preservationism is using the natural resources not only for human use but also to use as a way to find oneself. It is not just using wood to create a fire to survive, it is also a calming scenery of the forest when hiking. Believe it or not, growing up in sunny San Diego can create a person who not only believes that the environment should be used but saved. I believe that natural resources are needed but only when there is no other solution to creating a new product. However, if there is a way to prevent any damage to the environment, I am a strong supporter. I was taught that anything that could be reused was not thrown out. In my house, plastic bags were reused as trash bags, snack bag on road trips, and even a bag to throw up in on road trips. Plastic bags were not the only things that were used over and over again. Whenever sandwich meat containers were empty, they were washed out and used as tupperware for leftovers or a cookie transporter. But that is not the only thing that influenced my beliefs. Growing up, I was exposed to many different worlds. I not only had the sea but also dirt trails. The beaches are the prized possessions of San Diego. Every summer, specific commercials about how trash would damage not only the sewer system but also end up harming marine life. Oceans were not the only concern. San Diego is full of hiking trails. While it is not the crown jewel, people cared about the appearance of the parks. In third grade, I went on a school field trip to Blue Sky and was shown the beauty that was being destroyed by trash. On the field trip, we were encouraged to pick up any trash we saw along the hike and were taught the importance of keeping our home clean. As I got older, my belief on preserving the environment became stronger. I would encourage friends to use reusable water bottles, cut down on plastic, reuse anything they could instead of throwing it away, and most importantly throwing trash away in the garbage can instead of on the floor. I would annoy my parents by telling them to switch from grass to turf, install solar panels, take shorter showers and turn off the lights when leaving a room that no one else was in. My main concern was always the ocean. I was, and still am, concerned about the affects people are having on marine life. The summer before senior year, I had the opportunity to work with a marine biologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (N.O.A.A.). The opportunity allowed me to see how much work people are putting into seeing a positive outcome in the ocean. My love for marine life and the ocean, has driven me to make the career decision of becoming an environmental lawyer. My biggest hope is to become a lawyer for a rescue and release organization, which would allow me to not only use the law to help the organization but give me the opportunity to be hands on with marine life. (533).

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Help Save the Dog

Ideology shapes how the world is viewed and are shaped by different experiences and beliefs. Eastern traditions and Native American ideology, create two different perspectives on the use of natural resources. According to Julia Corbett’s Communicating Nature, Eastern views were created from Buddhism, Shinto myths and Confucian philosophy however, Native American ideology focuses on the concept that humans are one with nature. While both believe that humans are connected to the nonhuman world, both have their own take on the world. Eastern traditions focus on three main points which are connectedness and continuity, emotional engagement and interdependence. Their traditions lead them to believe that humans are connected to a bigger nonhuman world, like the cosmos. In Native American ideology, the world was created by God so that humans and nonhumans could live as one. Native Americans even believe that wolves are another form of humans.

But there are more than just traditions that shape environmental beliefs, such as ideologies. Just to list a few, there is deep ecology, ecofeminism, social ecology, ecological sensibility and transformative ideology. Deep ecology is biocentric, meaning it focuses on the earth and environment. It explores the root of the problem and tries to address and fix it. The phrase, “Earth First!” comes from a deep ecology point of view. Although ecofeminism tries to raise awareness for the inequality women face, it also focuses on the oppression of minorities and how their lives are affected by the environment. Ecofemism strives for a heterarchy system instead of a hierarchy where both the human and nonhuman world live in harmony. Ecofeminism has opened up many eyes to see that women tend to be closer with nature. Maybe that is why it is called Mother Earth instead of Father Earth. This brings the topic of social ecology. Social ecology is recognizing the role that power hold in the environment. Social ecology has two subcategories. One is Eco-Marxism and the other is Murray Bookchin. Eco-Marxism focuses on the how people use the environment. It questions the cost of a product that is created with natural resources, and that an increase in production of the product will lead to a limited amount of natural conditions. However, Murray Bookchin took a different approach. He believed that the environment was created and structured as a hierarchy. This hierarchy had humans at the top and nonhumans underneath which were further broken down into subcategories. Bookchin’s goal was to radically transform the social system and finally put an end to the hierarchy. Ecological sensibility connects with Bookchin’s thoughts. Ecological sensibility is realizing the importance of the relationships, systems and individuals and how their actions affect the environment. The ideology was developed by John Rodman and caused people to find their core environmental beliefs and see if they were socially acceptable to make a better world. Transformative ideology is another way to change the world. It is not taking direct actions to making the environmental change, however, it is asking the right questions to inspire people to become excited for a social change. And social change may not seem exciting but what if it was affecting animals? Or even your family pet?

Animals have rights too. However, their rights depend on the person who currently holds all the power. Leaving endangered species to hope that they are the next socially acceptable charity case. Since animals cannot speak up on their own behalf, the 1973 Endangered Species Act was created. The Act provides that protection of the land of the species. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) currently has jurisdiction over one hundred and fifty-seven endangered and threatened marine life. Everything in the environment has a purpose, even animals. Terry Tempest William, author of An Unspoken Hunger, realized that when people ask for things from the environment, the environment has no choice but to respond and give it up. Humans take from all aspects of the nonhuman world and it will not change until society decides it is no longer acceptable. Lately, cruelty-free makeup has been a huge focus. People are taking a stand on animal testing and are encouraging people to switch from Mac to other companies such as Too Faced and Tarte. Morals apply to more than just animal testing, it also applies to the import and export of goods. In the US, the use of insecticide or pesticides was banned from households but is still allowed for exports by companies. It may not seem like a big deal, however the exports are harming people all across the world. Due to the export, twenty-three children in India were killed. These pesticides are not only hurting children and people but also the environment. This includes family pets. Make a switch from animal tested products to cruelty products. Take a stand on pesticides. Who knows, maybe it will save the life of a dog. (808)

http://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/ultimate-guide-to-cruelty-free-makeup/

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/esa/

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/09/thanks_for_pesticides_america/

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Equality for All

Equality, the idea of everything and everyone living in perfect harmony and the United States seems to be the perfect fit for it. But what if equality plays a role in every aspect of our life? Even in places, we do not think about. This includes the environment which contains all the natural resources that are taken for granted. People are using their beliefs to determine how and why the environment is allowed to help. Throughout the United States and the world, people of color, different religions, low economic status, and sexuality are receiving the negative effects of what is believed to be eco-friendly actions. Van Jones address the problem of economic injustice due to plastic in his TED talk The Economic Injustice of Plastic. Jones’ video focuses on the area of the Gulf, also known as Cancer Alley, and the low-income families living in the area. The process of recycling is killing people. The process involves plastic being burnt and the people, who are forced to work in the factories that recycle the plastic, are interacting with the toxic chemicals which are shortening their life expectancy. Burning plastic is not the only problem with recycling, it also the demand and necessary materials used to make the toxic bottles. Solely based on the demand of plastic for water bottles, the United States uses more than seventeen million barrels of oil every year. This specific use of oil is enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for one year. Not only does the process demand an unusually large amount of oil but also consumes enough power to provide energy to one hundred and ninety thousand homes. Yearly, the United States uses roughly fifty billion plastic water bottles and sadly only thirty-eight billion, or twenty-three percent, plastic bottles are actually being recycled. Using the blue recycling bin is clearly not a healthy life choice. Making the switch to a reusable water bottle will help save Mother Earth as well as the current and future generations. With the use of a water pitcher filter, such as a Brita filter, it replaces up to three hundred standard 16.9-ounce plastic bottles. On average, a water pitcher is capable of filtering two hundred and forty gallons of water a year. Surprisingly, this option only costs about nineteen cents per day. While that might not seem like a huge daily difference, one thousand, eight hundred and eighteen plastic bottles are needed to reach the equivalent amount of filtered water. If the plastic bottles are sold at a dollar per bottle, it would cost four dollars and ninety-eight cents a day for a plastic bottle which is the equivalent to one thousand, eight hundred and seventeen dollars and seventy cents are used to damage Earth. When a water filter is used instead, four dollars and seventy-nine cents a day or one thousand, seven hundred and forty-eight dollars and thirty-five cents a year would be saved by using a water filter to replace the plastic bottle. Instead of being excited about using the blue bin, be enthusiastic about a water filter or usable water bottle. (518)

https://www.brita.com/why-brita/sustainability/

https://bblearn.nau.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5434740-dt-content-rid-45200103_1/courses/1177-NAU00-COM-150-SEC001-4448.NAU-PSSIS/Cole%20%26%20Foster-From%20the%20Ground%20Up.pdf

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

https://www.banthebottle.net/bottled-water-facts/

[alexvg54-blog]

Water Turns into Plastic

The talented Julia B. Corbett stated in the book Communicating Nature “...we breathe an atmosphere, drink a watershed, participate in a climate, and live in a habitat that supplies us with food” (12). The environment has given us everything we need to survive in life. And yet people continue to destroy it. But we do not realize that our views of the environment has been shaped since we were children because of our family, friends, culture and experiences. This leads to taking different actions to create a place where memories and safety are created. Comfort is created in the place which makes the area home. People say home is where your heart is. But in reality, home is where we believe nature is more beautiful and cleaner than other cities. We rely on interactions between us and nature to create a connection and self image of ourselves. There are a million factors that are the reason for our environmental decisions, we just have to find the right voice to follow. Sometimes, we ignore the news because it does not have an immediate effect on us. What if our home was next?

Water is the most valuable resource that humans rely on to survive. However, 97.5 percent of the water on earth is salt water and therefore useless. This leaves only 12.5 percent of drinkable water. Although water is a necessity, one sixth of the world’s population does not have access to safe, drinkable water. Living in the United States gives us the opportunity to have access to safe water and causes us to disregard solutions. However, different cities have been forced to become aware of the problem. San Diego, has not only become informed about the use of water but also the use of plastic. The San Diego county faced another drought and residents were required to follow new laws. When the drought began, residents were not allowed to wash their cars, were asked to take shorter showers, and even asked to wash their clothes and dishes in the morning. Not only did it become a way of living but it also helped to end the drought. People became aware of the issue at hand and began to make small changes such as switching to a turf lawn and only going to car washes that used recycled water. But water was not the only issue. The use of plastic bags was overwhelming. In November of 2016, Proposition 67 was enforced. The proposition called for all grocery stores and pharmacies to charge customers an additional ten cents per plastic bag. Most customers made the to switch to reusable bags. Plastic bags are not the only issue, it is all plastic. In sixty seconds, 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away in the United States. Worldwide, at least ten billion plastic bags are used which creates enough plastic film to shrink wrap the state of Texas every year. The use of plastic needs to decrease because every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Do you know where the plastic ends up? In our oceans, adding about fourteen pounds each year. Our beautiful, clear water is slowly decreasing and becoming foggy, disgusting plastic. (535)