The most significant thing I was able to learn about Environmental Studies through ENVS 160 was how the major truly has a foot in most doors. It necessitates integration of both the social and physical sciences seamlessly, whereas I had previously categorized Environmental Studies as predominantly related to the physical sciences. It was a welcome surprise to see how much the subject reaches into the humanities. I plan on pursuing Environmental Studies as a major after finishing this course, because I love how easily I can link my other interests into the overarching application of Environmental Studies: international relations, political sciences, biology, and philosophy, among others. The books we were able to explore in class showed me the broad range of thought on not only opinions on what to do, but on the history and applications of thought. Climate change, for instance, as both a scientific concept but a phrase with a larger metaphorical meaning depending on a person’s education or preconceived notions. It is incredibly interesting, but also offers problems because although some believe that hard science would convince the greater populace, many times it does not.
Personally, I have a greater understanding of what it means to create active change as an environmentally aware person. I had previously believed that change was limited to individual action, and realizing how little this plays out in the broad scheme of human-induced climate change was kind of shocking. After ENVS 160, I know how important radical institutional change will be in creating a more sustainable future. Although I continue to harbor the belief that it all starts with an individual’s mindset, I know that much more action is needed. My thoughts have also changed on how cultural interpretation affects someone’s attitude toward the environment, and disconnected many people are from the earth. The various definitions of nature and environment, for instance, change based on the person (the built environment of a city being vastly different that a mountainous uninhabited environment, etc). A community that depends on agriculture that requires deforesting will have a completely different meaning than someone who can protect the same forest without it affecting their livelihood. I believe that anyone who wants to pursue Environmental Studies has compassion for the world, and that it should extend to all the kinds of ways people experience it.