Environmental Studies 160 (ENVS 160) is an introductory class into the Environmental Studies major, therefore it is quite broad and arguably the most impactful. For many students, this can be a make or break for the major and therefore many students have decided to give out tips for navigating this class. It is heavy, both […]
Individual Posts
Maybe Pessimism Isn’t the Answer
The immediate benefit that I have found after taking this course is how I approach discussions of climate change among my peers. Before this semester, I was more than ready to jump on the fatalistic bandwagon and pull as many people onto it with me, thinking that it would help spur change. However, after reading […]
Spoiler Alert: We All Can’t Rule the Earth
Who Rules the Earth by Paul F. Steinberg covers a variety of topics all in relation to the environmental movement and individual or public effort to combat climate change. He delves into different movements in the past that has created legislation on environmental protection and the action of individuals in these situations. Steinberg also goes […]
A Change of Mindset
There is always a great deal of overlap when discussing environmental issues. In ENVS 160 we read many different books that offered differing solutions and sources of climate change. In fact, a key message that was conveyed in all the texts was the complexity of the issue and the fundamental changes we need to make […]
The Fall from My Pedestal
As a transfer student who had lived in multiple countries and studied under many different viewpoints, signing up for an intro to environmental studies course seemed vaguely insulting. I was this experienced and worldly student with a passion for the environment, what more could an intro course teach me that I hadn’t already learned from […]
Key insights into the environmental movement
Connection One: Trying to change individual people’s minds or lifestyles is not an effective course of action. Differences in opinions regarding the role and legitimacy of science, religious and political beliefs, cultural conditions etc. contribute to deeply internalized biases and habits. “Depending on who one is and where one stands — the idea of climate change carries […]
A Trail Map Through the Twisted Trails of ENVS 160
Ah, nice to see you young grasshopper. This path is long, twisted, and difficult to navigate, but the enlightenment you receive makes it all worth it. This class is designed to show you what lies in store further on in the environmental studies curriculum and to give you a sense of the type of work involved. Specifically, […]
To Help on Your Journey
Environmental studies is an amazing opportunity to challenge yourself, and to begin to understand what interdisciplinarity truly means. So far in my first year in college, Environmental Studies challenged me the most and made me think outside of the box the most. Although definitely daunting at times, the course is worth it and I hope […]
Who Truly Rules the Earth
Paul Steinberg most recent book, titled Who Rules the Earth? How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives covers as it suggests: The social rules in place that shape how the world functions, whether we like it or not. Some of these social rules are implied, such as being decently covered in public, whereas others […]
Learning the Ropes
ENVS-160 is not what you would expect in a typical science class, in fact I think in ways it’s a lot better than most science courses. It really challenges you to be open to new Ideas. ENVS-160 will challenge all your knowledge you think you knew about environmental action and that’s not a bad […]
A Web of Ideas
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 […]
Here We Go
Environmental Studies 160 Welcome to Environmental Studies 160 and may the odds be ever in your favor. Just kidding, it would be an over statement to parallel this course to the Hunger Games. So, don’t worry our professors are more kind than their quizzes. If you are worried, I aim to shed some light […]
So They Said
So they said that all of my ideas related to the environment would be completely changed after ENVS 160. They, being upperclassman ENVS majors, told me that all environmental knowledge I knew before would be put to shame as soon as I dig in to the curriculum of ENVS 160. Some of the stuff they […]
Please Tell Me Why I’m Wrong
As briefly mentioned in my first post, this intro class importantly exposed me to new tools to help untangle webs of causes and effects, actions and reactions, processes and outcomes. How do these all play out in reality? Obviously processes don’t pan out in a linear fashion, as characterized by the “Facts & Action” framework we learned about […]
The Big Picture
The interdisciplinarity of ENVS 160 could not be more important. In this course we learned to look at things from many different frameworks. Continuing on with the rest of my college career and life in general I will try to apply these frameworks of thinking to help guide my thinking in one direction while understanding […]
All In A Semester
This year taking ENVS 160 has provided for some stressful and confusing times, showing signs of hope and contrasting dismality. Environmentalism and environmental studies are not easily navigable subjects. Coming into the class I recognized the high interdisciplinarity of the subject, but truly had no idea of what this connectivity was or how it functions. […]
Final Take
I have spent my time in ENVS 160 doing readings and quizzes, group and individual projects, as well as completing exams. When I take a step back from all of the work I have completed and the information I have learned my biggest takeaway is this; nothing can be done by a single individual, but […]
My Big Plan
When I consider how I will practice what I have learned in ENVS 160 in my scholarly and personal life, I am very conflicted. We need institutional change, right? That seems to be everyone’s biggest takeaway. But, on scholarly and personal level what does that mean? Who are the individuals that make the most […]
Learning from the Past for the Future
We all know the phrase “if you don’t learn from the past, you’re doomed to repeat it in the future”. The same can be said for ENVS 160, although not as the extreme that the phrase is usually used in context for. Once we know something, we generally use it either subtly or overtly for other […]
ENVS 160: A Study of How We Think About the Enviroment
By Maxwell Lorenze ENVS 160: Intro to ENVS spring semester 2017, has been a fascinating exploration into environmental theory and philosophy. It has been a introductory examination of overarching ideas and themes that are facets of Environmental studies. A seemingly large aspect of the course is dedicated to introducing students to the debated between classical […]
The Past (Semester) Educates (My) Future
An important part of how I will apply my ENVS knowledge in the future will lie in my increased ability to understand the differing points of view, of which there are many, to the global environmental issue. From this ability, I am able to inspect more critically political events relating to Climate Change, and the opinions […]
Comprehending ENVS 160
Through the weaving in and out of ENVS 160, there are lots of things, perhaps too many things, that must be covered in a small amount of time. The best way to comprehend the workload is to make sure you are thinking about and comprehending what you read and what you learn. There are classes […]
Take out or Take away
This last post is all about what I have learned from this course and how I will use it in my life as a person and as a student. It is important to reflect on what I have learned so I can think of how to use it effectively and correctly in order to get […]
Keepin It Real: A Guide to ENVS 160
As you will soon learn by studying a variety environmental theories, ENVS 160 is highly interdisciplinary. But, I’ve come to find that its breadth has a point. Throughout the course, you will establish a solid foundation in environmental theory and cultivate writing and digital skills through individual and team assigned online posts. From climate change […]