G_ hits the nail on the head in her post about finding solutions from an academic perspective. It is so easy to enter a problem solving mindset from a privileged perspective instead of engaging on the ground with the problem and the community that is affected. Part of what we do as environmental studies majors is theorize about what makes a successful solution. Unfortunately, when we think about wicked problems, which are so complex it is hard to even pinpoint what THE problem is, it is easy to become jaded and stagnant. That is one reason why we situate! By engaging a particular place, you are able to work with the community and available resources to take action.
I really appreciate the space that G_ is coming from. She says, “a degree of humility is also necessary; although I may sit in an opportunistic space of thought, I am a new and inexperienced mind that might meet a great deal of resistance if I don’t come from a place of inquiry.” Even though we have examined so many different problems and evaluated the various solutions that accompany them, this research tells us nothing about what will work when we situate. I firmly believe that solutions must come from the community that is affected. That means that our place, as G_ points out is to ask questions and listen.
Asking how people perceive themselves in the watershed and hydrologic cycle is a great chance to simply listen. However, it is not necessarily individuals who are making decisions or pushing for changes which is where this solution gets a little bit larger in scale. Do Portlanders want bioswales? Probably most would, but is there a situation in which bioswales failed or are not successful solutions?
Even though we are focused on action and solutions, I have learned that it is necessary to fully define the problems. To what extent is non-point water pollution a problem in Portland? Who/what is affect by water pollution? What are the pollutants? What reservoirs of water are affected? Even though we know that water pollution in general is a problem, the hydrology in Portland is unique and thus the problem is too.