It is appropriate that I am writing this final post on Earth Day where I am supposed to derive inspiration for action from what I have learned in Environmental Studies 160. On a day dedicated to environmental action, I must reckon the opposing and conflicting ideas that I have encountered in this course to discover how I will use these lessons in my personal and scholarly life. Through books like Why We Disagree About Climate Change, Who Rules the Earth, and works of Contemporary and Classic environmentalism, I have had to grapple with the differing frameworks in my life. In this course, I have learned that the history of a place is vital to its present
condition, that institutional action is more effective that individual action, that cultural perspectives are a powerful force behind environmental disagreements, and facts do not always lead to action. ENVS 160 has provided me with a more flexible way to approach problems and situations with an awareness of other various narratives.
As a child of an ecologist and recycling manager who grew up on an island off Seattle, I was raised by parents and a community of environmental “hippies” whose own childhood was ushered along by the 1970’s environmental movement. From eating local island produce to riding my bike to soccer practice, environmental action meant the personal steps I could take to lower my footprint. In Who Rules the Earth by Paul Steinberg, Steinberg talks about the importance of strong governance and regulation. Rules and the lack thereof regulate how the institutions and systems function. Although recycling and riding a bike gives oneself personal satisfaction and morale, establishing laws from city to national governments can have an effective and lasting outcome on environmental problems. I will continue to eat local greens, but I also realize that action can not stop at gardening that changing or strengthening governing
institutions is how I can effect change whether through donating money, volunteering, or voting. Although not tangible, like a fresh carrot, I value institutional action just as much as my childhood personal action.
The egalitarian ideals of pure nature and individual action that were a staple of my childhood were the
target of contemporary environmentalist critiques. The environmental movement is multidimensional consisting of many perspectives often disagreeing, creating alienation between the alternative voices. In mainstream media and politics, the environmental movement is labeled as a single unified entity, nevertheless the hat of environmentalism takes many shapes and approaches. After reading Classic and Contemporary environmentalist literature, I realized how varied environmental thought can be. Classic and Contemporary thought are not just scholarly articles, but they affect how every environmental policy or opinion is portrayed. When discussing conservation or any other environmental problems, I am now aware of the thought behind the various approaches and communication like the perception of the natural world whether that be pure or hybrid.
It is Earth Day, and I am still unsure on how to act, but I know how to think. The most valuable lesson that I will continue to use as a scholar and as a self-proclaimed environmentalist is to be aware and critical of the information that constantly surrounds us. At the March for Science, I walked from environmental booth to environmental booth each with a clipboard filling fast with signatures and emails. When I was listening to each spiel ranging from renewable energy to zero waste, I discovered that I was more critical of each organization, recognizing the tag tails of classic or contemporary thought that were hidden in their perspectives. Environmental action bends to cultural and socio-political perspectives that are situated in history, but with this recognition, I can adapt more flexible and aware narrative that has room for contemporary thought and my childhood environmentalism.
Works Cited
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.