So far this semester, we have mainly focused on four books: Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity by Mike Hulme, Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization by Vaclav Smil, Austerity Ecology & the Collapse-Porn Addicts: a Defense of Growth, Progress, Industry, and Stuff by Leigh Phillips, and Paul Steinberg’s […]
The Ins and Outs of ENVS 160
Introduction I think the most important thing to remember when coming into this class is to be open to new ideas. This class will challenge a lot if not most of your preconceived perceptions on environmental action. To be honest, many students come into this class with an adamant ideology on how to create change […]
Action Plan for Change
The first thing I did before writing this was reflect on my original ecotypes survey and see how this course has changed me. At the beginning, I had a more apocalyptic view of the future, believing that if we did not act soon, a global catastrophe was sure to happen. Since then, I have realized […]
Hammer and Sickle
Environmental Background Growing up in Phoenix, AZ, most of the people around me were climate change deniers. Living in a red state did have a drastic effect on my overall ideologies, mostly in strong rebellion. By the end of high school, my economic and social views had been solidified, but one thing I was lacking […]
Individual Action+Institutional Action=Change
Argument Overview In the final leg of this ENVS 160 course, we read Paul Steinberg’s Who Rules the Earth: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. Though the book is highly controversial, the argument laid out in the book is so strong, that many, including myself, who do not completely agree with his […]