Before ENVS 160 I was terribly misinformed about how to go about solving major issues such as climate change. Like many other individuals, I held a single belief that my individual efforts would somehow lead to a more sustainable environment. However, ENVS 160 helped me to realize how far from the truth I actually was. Throughout the course of this semester, I have learned so much through ENVS 160 that it is a little difficult to apply everything that I have learned towards my personal and scholarly life. One significant thing that I have learned about the nature of ENVS 160 is that it can be applied to almost every aspect of life. While I do not plan to become an ENVS major, I definitely believe that that newfound material that we learned is relevant to whatever I may end up doing.
Our first text, Why We Disagree About Climate Change by Mike Hulme, taught me that it is important to recognize that this world is shared used by approximately seven billion people, and the chances of everyone agreeing on what to do about issues such as climate change are slim to none. Therefore it is important to include a range of ideas and opinions in order to reach a solution that benefits everyone. By being open to new and unfamiliar ideologies in any given situation, it will help me become a better student as well as a well-rounded individual who is aware of those who surround him.
Over the course of this semester, there were times where I felt as if there was nothing that I could do that would help solve current issues. However, after reading the text, Who Rules The Earth by Paul F. Steinberg it gave me a sense of hope because of the tangible solutions that Steinberg provided. In the text, Steinberg argues that In order to see lasting change, we must first become aware of these rules, and then change them on an institutional level (Steinberg 2015). Steinberg places a lot of emphasis on change at the institutional level but says that it starts with individual actions. This concept has really stuck with me and I will try to apply this ideology to both my academic and personal aspects of my life. I believe this particular text is one example of how the perspectives and theories derived from environmental studies can be applicable to a variety of fields.
While ENVS 160 has opened my eyes and shown me a tremendous amount of information, am excited I am aware that I have not learned everything that Environmental Studies has to offer. Tham excited to see how the perspectives and theories can apply to other aspects of my life.
References:
Hulme, Mike. 2009. Why We Disagree about Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity. Cambridge U.K.: Cambridge University Press.
Steinberg, Paul F. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.