ENVS 160 has helped me to better articulate my own beliefs while knowing that they will inevitably change as I collect new knowledge about myself and the world I inhabit. I would like to share some of the lessons I have taken so far from this course.
An essential lesson from ENVS 160 is that context and details are just as important as the big picture. For example, global climate change occurs on a large scale in terms of place and time (at least from a human perspective), so it is easy to become overwhelmed when simply trying to think about it, let alone trying to take action to address it in a significant way. Delving into the nitty-gritty details of an issue can help in addressing it directly and effectively. Unfortunately, this probably also reveals that the topic in question is not nearly as straightforward as it first seemed. Public policy, for example, is complex in a way that is often hard to wrap your head around. In Who Rules the Earth? we saw that programs such as cap-and-trade systems can be quite effective tools for regulation but reveal that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure that all involved parties are affected positively (Steinberg 2015, 117). There are no easy answers. Everything has numerous causes and effects, many of which are far from obvious at first glance because they get lost in the big picture.
One of the most important tools I have gained from this course is to be cautious, but not timid, with words. Being thoughtful when speaking or writing almost always leads to better communication. Labels are particularly tricky. In the environmental studies field, we regularly encounter people who are labelled “environmentalists” or “tree huggers” or “climate skeptics,” but these terms do not fully express the perspectives that these people have and the beliefs and actions they espouse. Each person has a different concept of what nature (or the environment) is and is not… if they even have a definite idea of it at all (Walley 2004). Having productive conversations hinges on clear communication, which starts with words that are as accurate and straightforward as possible. The Interrogating Isms project in particular demonstrated the importance of specificity. There will inevitably be uncomfortable misunderstandings regardless of how concise we think we are being. Luckily, these are opportunities to better understand the perspective of our peers and to improve our communication skills.
This semester I have also gained a new appreciation for independent thinking. It is vital to resist the urge to get all of your information from a single source. Most of us probably aim to think for ourselves, but we generally cannot go out and collect data ourselves, especially when it comes to big environmental occurrences. We have to put our faith somewhere, but sometimes it is hard to know where exactly that place is. It is clear that the views of the people comprising the general public do not always line up with the established scientific consensus (Brenner 2015). I think that it is healthy to always maintain at least a little skepticism, but this is not a pass to just “go with your gut” or rely on sensationalized media stories instead of trusting mainstream science. Rather, skepticism should encourage us to pull information from multiple sources before coming to any grand conclusions. We cannot escape our baises, so we have to work with them by questioning them. I do not mean to say that biases are inherently bad or that we should deny their existence. What I do mean is that we need to be aware of our prejudices and work to challenge them on a regular basis. It is all too easy to focus attention on the things we want or expect to hear, which tend to be the things that confirm what we already believe. Instead, the goal should be to welcome differing points of view. We need to learn to live with the confusion and discomfort that this will bring because ultimately, we cannot grow if we are not challenged.
In Intro to Environmental Studies, I have learned to embrace the challenges that result from expanding my intellectual horizons. I can’t be afraid to get my hands dirty.
References
Brenner, Joanna. “Major Gaps Between the Public, Scientists on Key Issues.” Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. July 01, 2015. Accessed April 06, 2017.
Steinberg, Paul F. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press, 2015.
Walley, Christine J. 2004. “Where There Is No Nature.” In Rough Waters: Nature and Development in an East African Marine Park, 138–44. Princeton University Press.