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E-waste

Manitoba has specific regulations on how to dispose of electronics. This is not something I was aware of till this assignment. It is important to do so as electronics otherwise end up in the land fill and the heavy metals and chemicals damage the environment. 

Our household has gone through a significant amount of electronics, with 6 people 6-7 people living in the house at a time that is already 7 phones, 5 laptops and that is not including the switching and changing of those items. As well as cameras, televisions and many more.

I personally have all my old phones  still in my possession, unless i have handed it down to someone. Finding out that there are places near me like staples, where I can go to dispose of them properly is beneficial. I have discussed with members of my household and this is the case as well. However coming across this new knowledge has encourages us to go take our electronics to a place where they will be handle accordingly.

Where Can I Recycle? - Recycle My Electronics Manitoba. (2017).  Electronic Products Recycling Association. Retrieved from https://www.recyclemyelectronics.ca/mb/where-can-i-recycle/

The electronic recycling process. (2018). Encorp Pacific.  Retrieved from https://www.return-it.ca/electronics/recycling/productrecycling/

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The Slow Movement

         I was very interested after listening to the podcasts. It was intriguing to hear about the aspect of slow movement. A movement that advocates for  taking a step back and slowing things down to truly embrace and enjoy aspects of life. This is a challenge for our current society. It is one of rapid growth and rapid speed incorporated in lifestyle. The vast amount of places have drive through, one can eat quickly in their car. Grab everything to go. Work long hours and spend money on so many materialistic things. In listening to the podcast “Welcome to new slow city” I found the challenges and opportunities to living slow interesting.

Thee challenges:

1. Any change is tough, so implementing such a change will take patience and perseverance and this is something that can be hard to start with.

2. This needs to be put in place gradually. If you try and do something so large suddenly, it will be hard to follow.

3. You might feel like the odd one out as others around you will have different opinions of what you are doing.

Three opportunities: 1) By slowing down, you make room to connect with people more efficiently and this promotes strong relationships. Others will feel special that you have time for them.

2. In response to others feeling special, they might reciprocate this movement of slowing down and such causing a great chain reaction.

3. One will find that opportunities to do extra activities like volunteering will open up.

This aspect of slow movement is something that would be lovely to implement. My routine is so busy that slowing down would benefit me physically and emotionally. One of the first steps to doing this in my life is to say no more, not try and spread myself to thin, whether that be at church, school, among friends or home. I believe this will make my time use more efficient instead of rushed and lacking. I also would take a step back from my time spent on social media, or just technology as a whole. Implementing a no technology rule 1 hour after i have woken up and 1 hour before bed. These are the steps I believe are crucial to begin with.

Honore, C and  Powers, W. Welcome to New Slow City. Slow. October 6, 2015. http://www.carlhonore.com/unlock-slow/podcasts/.

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In class blog questions Part 2

Zoos do not play a role in conservation, and do not do enough in their part of education. I have been to a number of zoos in many places and it is evident that the information provided on the animals is usually minimally, never focusing on aspects of their behavior and natural requirements for habitat. There are animals like elephants, lions, bears, giraffes and the list could go on that require such a vast amount of space.

Now on the aspect of whether it is ethical I am truly impartial. understanding that as humans needs for entertainment continue to increase, humans tend to seek those aspects from the environment, as seen with taking wild animals and caging them. However in some cases certain animals like those at risk of extinction are protected by being in the zoos.

I know that the aspect of zoos is not something that has actively bothered me. I have certainly gone to zoos and enjoyed myself. However I believe that greater means need to be taking. Like explaining more about a certain animal, explaining that it is not okay to just capture animals and the grounds the zoos deem it justifiable.

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Livingstone, Zambia

Denver Zoo in Denver, Colorado.

Food is something at I enjoy a lot. From stories I have heard eating was never a challenge for me as a child and this continues to be true to this day. I strongly believe in trying everything at least once before completely denying it. This has opened doors for me to try things like grasshoppers.

What I enjoy about my food system is the variety. From having traditional Zambian foods like capenta- essentially little fish, to our staple Nshima-corn flour and water. In addition to the contribution of western foods, casseroles to hot dogs. Our house hold love for Indian cuisine,and my personal favorite being sushi. The meals I have a almost always full of rich nutrients. I have noticed however that when I eat out, that is not implemented as much. I tend to eat less nutrients, sometimes because they end up being the cheaper options or simply because I want a change up because of what we regularly have at home. Because Zambian foods are often imported, I do end up spending a sum on foods for the house. I really see the prices accumulate when I eat out multiple times over a weekend.

One thing I appreciate is my households lack of wasting food. However upon conducting the waste audit, we are sending a singificant amount of compostable food to the landfill. This is something that we as a household need to work on to limit our contribution of waste to the environment.

I do enjoy cooking from home and making my plate look exciting as seen above.

Most recent breakfast favorite from the Marion Eatery.

Smitty’s breakfast is a regular occurrence for me.

Meats from a meal shared when I was in Leskovac, Serbia in 2016

It is devastating how such vast amounts of plastic and waste ends up in the oceans, This is something I have thought about occasionally, however seeing the pictures and videos of how wild life suffer really woke me up. We are destroying vital aspects of our ecosystem by letting our wildlife suffer at the hands of out selfishness.

I plan to stop asking for straws, and actively bring a paper or reusable one with me as means of starting conversations and implementing change on my behalf. Furthermore, I will start disposing of plastics correctly, which means going to a local grocery store that has such a service. I will also try to use less plastic, like no more saran wrap, or unnecessary zip lock bags, and continue to strive to find products that are Eco-friendly even if they are plastics.

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In-class Blog Questions

I believe that education is a persuasive and significant part of life that can be implemented in all areas. With that being said, we need to do more on educating ourselves and each other on nature, what it is, how it works and how we can take care of it.

I think back to my time in elementary and high school, the focus on nature usually was limited to a chapter of biology. However I never learned of the vast impacts my choices in regards to nature have. By promoting more environmentally friendly focused aspects of learning, we as a society work to ensure that humans feel connected to all aspects of living. In the review Disconnect from nature and its effect on health and well-being by Jack Gelsthorpe the aspect of outdoor education is discussed as means of promoting connection to nature, starting with children. Gelsthorpe further suggests that “ Therefore, if children are continually taught about endangered animals from far-away ecosystems and habitats, they risk losing an important connection to their local wildlife and green spaces.” (Gelsthorpe, 2017).

This is definitely easier said than done, as disconnection from nature is a significant issue. I’ve seen this in myself sometimes, when I strive to catch a picture of something I find beautiful in nature and in turn, miss a moment like seeing an eagle catch a fish, or the sunset. In most cases my phone has some role to play in this, being that I am either on the phone, or taking a picture of something else, looking through messages and many more. Technology has taken over a lot of lives, specifically that of millennial. This epidemic, does not leave for acknowledging the importance of connecting to nature, and in return I believe leads to a disconnect.

I certainly believe that there is a danger to a growing disconnect from nature. Ranging from social aspects to health aspects. Missing out on a moment or outing as a form of disconnect, leads to missing out on memories made and strengthening of relationships as you spend time with people. Additionally if we are disconnecting from nature, we are essentially caring less about nature. This will show in the way we live and the attitudes we establish as a result, Gelsthorpe suggests that “ collective ignorance ultimately leads to collective indifference” (Gelsthorpe, 2017). Such indifference will continue lead to detrimental effects to nature, as we have seen through our development as humans. Disconnecting from nature also takes away from the health benefits that we are so generously given by nature. Gelsthorpe states that “Modern sedentary, indoor lifestyle is having profound consequences on children’s health: obesity, physical strength and vitamin D deficiency-induced diseases such as rickets, short-sightedness and asthma (Miller 2005).” (Gelsthorpe, 2017). I know that for me personally, when I miss out on something as simple as going outside for a whole day, I find myself feeling low and unmotivated. This is something I have witnessed for years and can truly attest to feeling lighter and happier when I have at least spent some time outside. 

Gelsthorpe, J. (2017, April). Disconnect from nature and its effect on health and well-being. Retrieved from http://www.nhm.ac.uk/content/dam/nhmwww/about-us/visitor-research/Disconnect with nature Lit review.pdf 

My environmental ethics lie significantly towards anthropocentric, however change is in the works. I say in between because I have to be honest. While I do not purposefully deep humans to be the center of all things, certain choices I make or lack there of lean towards such thought. To give an example, I drive very regularly and am very much aware of the contribution that has to the environment, however I consider my convenience more important and find myself thinking “well the environment has already been ruined anyway”. Aspects like this promote a lifestyle that is pleasing to me with the mindset of just accepting the consequences.

This is something that I am actively trying to change, the Biocentric view is the one that appeals to me significantly. Getting to a place where ALL life is deemed important, whether plant, animal, or human I believe would alter things as a whole drastically and move us towards a better and environmentally friendly future.

The demand for parks and their accessibility for humans is evident in Canada. From National to Provincial parks there has been some form of accommodation whether big or small to make it possible for people to enjoy and access these parks.

I believe that the dual mandate of access and protection can definitely be met, but there is an aspect of sacrifice. There can be a vast number of limitations set in regards to whether people can stay overnight, boundaries they can cross to ensure no tampering with the wildlife, trails put in place for the safety and access of people and the protection of the wildlife. These aspects contribute to a balance of access and protection. However this is at the expense of the natural ways of wild life, I believe nothing can be done to make sure they are 100% protected unless parks are eliminated pr access is put in place in a way that wildlife are not influenced by it. I believe wild life with time will adapt to the human industrialization that has to take place for a majority of the forms of access. Granted they are still protected, but there is always a potential risk of the unaccounted for behavior by humans.

Wapusk is making significant efforts to maintain the dual mandate. To the best of their ability that is. As discussed in class, they strive to allow traditional access and limit public access. By keeping their boundaries in place, and still providing that access for people they promote safety for both humans and the wildlife.

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Time of solitude, June 9,2018

If I could get paid to hike for a living I truly would. Being able to relax in this space at Pine point, White shell Provincial Park was truly sublime.

Being surrounded by the vast amount  of trees and guided by a litter free trail was a nice change from the daily views I experience in the city. Despite it being cloudy it was still beautiful. Sitting on rocks watching the water fall, hearing the gush as it streamed downwards is one of my favorite past times here on earth. There were hardly any insects around, other than the occasional wasp, or ants that tried to crawl on me as I sat there.

The squirrels were live and in action darting through the trees, however non brave enough to come near me. I saw 2 butterflies which was a nice change for the occasional mosquito. To be able to breath in air that almost seems untainted is a wonderful thing. My favorite by far is not being able to hear any cars.

This hike was beautiful, peaceful and enjoyable. My time in this area of nature was therapeutic and rejuvenating.

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“For Canadians from all walks of life, reconciliation offers a new way of living together” (Truth and Reconciliation commission)

The United Nations have committed to the application of 17 goals of sustainable development. These goals are set in place for the benefit of people and the environment. Which are both very important aspects of daily life.

The Truth and Reconciliation commission defines reconciliation as “an ongoing process if establishing and maintaining respectful relationships” (2015). For this to be accomplished there have to be various steps taken to build up a bridge that was severely destroyed.

The relation between the United Nations sustainable development goals and the truth and reconciliation commission are present. They both promote the well being of the people at hand. The reconciliation by apologizing and finding ways of repairing actions. The Truth and Reconciliation commission highlights the focus on Canada working towards true acknowledgement and sincere apology for the residential schools and the things that occurred in such schools. It is also evident that education needs to be vital in the role of reconciliation. and this ties in with the aspect of “Reduced Inequalities” (Sustainable development Knowledge Platform) in the way that educating Canadians, opens the door for more to know and start making practical steps towards reconciliation. Which is promoted by the Truth and Reconciliation commission.

Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future (Rep.).(2015). Retrieved from   http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Honouring_the_Truth_Reconciling_for_the_Future_July_23_2015.pdf

Sustainable Development Goals .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300