When I initially started this course, I had no previous substantial education on the subject of Environmental Studies. I considered myself mostly aware of current environmental issues but quickly realized that I had few definitive ideas and absolutely no idea of how to address or go about solving the more controversial issues such as rising sea levels, warming of the climate, deforestation and species extinction. I came at this hoping, first and foremost, to learn and build my own knowledge as someone who has a lot to gain from that.
Why we Disagree About Climate Change was very helpful in introducing this course for me. Not only did it walk through many of the different perspectives that are presented that tend to oppose each other but it also breaks down the stigmas and preconceived notions that we have about certain perspectives. For me, I think it was very impactful to read more about the correlations between environmentalism and religion. I thought that the more an individual identified with a conservative religion, the less inclined they would be towards preserving and fighting for . This belief was dissuaded with Hulme’s fifth chapter, “The Things We Believe.” Hulme was able to draw many connections between Western and Eastern religious beliefs on the foundation that Nature is “sacred” and that there is a importance of the conservation of the natural spaces we know and appreciate today. (Hulme, 149) The idea of “sacred” in comparison to scientific or secular leads me right to my next point.
I came to understand that many different, and unique, factors build up to form what we think of as the Environment. In taking the survey and eventually reading about each individual Ecotype, I was able to identify my own standpoint and the complexities of the environmentalism movement. The Ecotypes Axes explained certain terms and the scale between the viewpoints on each topic. In fact, the Spirituality Ecotype consisted of sacred and secular, as mentioned above. I was surprised to see the results for Time especially, and the applicability of the range between the “conservative” and “progressive” ideas. It was interesting to bring to class the connection to Trump’s ideology and his slogan to “Make America Great Again.”
One of the last, and I believe most important, lessons that has been reinforced by this class is the flexibility of learning. Staying open to learning more is so incredibly important because you can learn new things from everyone, no matter their experience level. This has been made very apparent to me because of the nature of how I came to this point, with no knowledge to begin with. From this class, I have also seen the modes in which knowledge can be distributed. My professor, my peers, the varied collection of books that we have read, individual posts from other environmental studies students, and the occasional skype sessions that we have had with students and authors, such as Emma Redfoot, that have given us the personal connection that sparks a deeper understanding of a subject. Also, when coming to understand the frequency of the the evolution of our climate and breaking down how we understand it (as referred to in his first chapter, “The Social Meanings of Climate”), climate itself is a constantly fluctuating concept, especially when considering the different ways that we see it.
Taking this class was a bit of a gamble, since I felt severely inexperienced and was unsure of what I would be getting myself into. I have, though, come to appreciate the selflessness that is essential to making progress in your own, constantly evolving, continued education.
Citations:
Hulme, Mike. 2009. Why We Disagree about Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.