This course has offered me a lot of information and opportunities for growth; we as students have covered extensive reading material, worked on several projects, and collaborated on research. Having already taken AP Environmental Studies in high school, I assumed that this class would be a nice recap of some of the things I learned then and potentially building off of those ideas. However, I was pleasantly surprised that a lot of what I learned in APES was not brought up in depth.
Instead, we learned about ideas, opinions, social constructs, and systems that change how we interpret and act in unison with some of those things that I learned about in APES. The biggest lesson I learned in ENVS160 was how I, as a single individual, can begin to make a significant difference, and it is my belief that this is one of the most crucial aspects of understanding the difference between environmental science and environmental studies. Not only is it important, but it was the next step of understanding for me.
In my scholarly life, I will be able to apply the writing skills I have learned in ENVS160 to all of my other classes. I have become extremely conscious of the words I am using and I am careful not to use words that are vague or cover a broad spectrum of things. At the beginning of the semester, I used “environment” left and right without really understanding that the term can cover such a broad number of things in the field and is not descriptive. Being cautious about my wording and learning more about how to be a concise writer is an important tool for my academic future.
In my personal life, I will take the lesson about institutional versus individual action to heart. As somebody who would like to make real change in the world, I now understand the importance of striving to do so on a much larger scale than just oneself. As Steinberg stated so elequently, “if we are going to do a better job of managing the earth’s resources sustainably, we need institutions capable of governing over long horizons” (Steinberg 2015, 130). As an International Affairs major, I really enjoyed learning about the importance of institutional and governmantal action to implement real change. This, I will take with me in my personal life, my studies, and hopefully into my career as well.
I think it is also important to note that none of these authors said that this would be an easy process; in fact, some even emphasized that it would be very difficult. I have learned a lot about how people view issues surrounding the natural world and our connections to them, and this has shed light on many opinions differing from my own. This is one thing I am grateful for, moving forward in my studies and my life. Exposure to all opinions is crucial to make real change and to reach agreements.
Works Cited
Paul F. Steinberg. 2015. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.