I have always cared about how the world works, our place in it, and how we can save it for future generations. Because of this, I took a chance and enrolled in A.P. Environmental Science my junior year of high school. I learned about how the world interacts with humans, plants, and other animals. This class was eye opening and gave me a path to follow in my later years of education. When I then came to Lewis and Clark College as a first-year student, I knew I wanted to take an environmental focus. So, this time I enrolled in Environmental Studies 160. This class was nothing like my class in high school, but I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
So, now for the big question of this class: what’s next? How can I make an impact, utilize what I’ve learned, and work further in the environment to help the world and other people? For the first idea, I will bring to attention the book we read called, Why We Disagree About Climate Change, by Mike Hulme. This was the first section of the ENVS class and it was hugely monumental for me when I decided to open my mind and think critically. In this book, we read about opinions, thoughts and human emotions. My favorite part was discussing Cultural Theory. This particular topic stood out to me in the way that I had never heard anything as specific and (in my eyes) accurate. It is always interesting to see how people and their opinions fall into categories. It gave me a new outlook on how to “argue” in a scholarly manner. It gave light to the way that some people work and how they might react to certain opinions. For instance, someone who has an individualist might argue that nature will always restore itself and “bounce back” (Hulme 2009). Knowing this was influential to the way I see scholarly discussions and how I think about changing people’s minds or understanding why they think the way they do.
Another enlightening moment in ENVS for me was the Situating Minerals project. This is the project where we chose a mineral to research and then figured out how it compared to other minerals, how it was situated around the world, and what it was used for. This was a very intense project as I feel I learned a fair bit of “hard truth.” Now, whenever I use nearly anything, I always question: what is in it and where did it come from? My group, having researched graphite, found out that it was used for so much more than just pencil lead. It is used in phones and other electronics. It is mined in harsh environments and the health of the workers is not kept in mind. This impacted me, reading about all of the associated things with graphite. I hope to do more investigations like this in the rest of my life as I continue in environmental research. I hope that if I can know and understand the impacts of the materials we use, then other people can do the same.
Lastly, my favorite book that we have read yet and probably the most impactful has been Who Rules The Earth? by Paul F. Steinberg. This book and these unique thoughts stuck out to me. I had never thought about the environmental world being run by a set of rules that people follow. It’s a very interesting thing to stop and think about why the world is the way it is. Why are there laws about food, pesticides, land use, and so many other issues? It adds a layer onto the environment that was never there, social rules. Steinberg also discusses individual vs. institutional action. This topic was the most intriguing as it made me question my everyday habits and how they impact the world. He talked about how though individual action is important, the real way to make large-scale change is to fund institutions or make your voice heard in a big sense. This brought about a new thought that I’ve never had. I have been told my whole life that it’s the little things that matter, eat local, recycle, and turn off lights. While I will still do those things, I hope to be more involved on a larger scale. I have already signed petitions and gotten on newsletters about matters of the environment that I find important. I have taken what was said in Who Rules The Earth with an open mind and know that if I want to help. I need to take stronger action.
Knowing all of the things I know now make me feel empowered and even though I am an individual, I can create impactful change in the world that I care so much about. This earth is the only one we have and in this class, I have come to know just how meaningful this place is and its intricate workings. I hope to continue to discuss with my family and friends, instill change in people that think differently with me, and have a deep impact on the world that means everything to me.
Works Cited:
Hulme, Mike. 2009. Why We Disagree about Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction, and Opportunity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Steinberg, Paul. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. Oxford: Oxford University Press