Intro to Environmental Studies 23

 Deforestation has been a problem for a while, but I thought it slowed down due to understanding ecosystems and repainting, but I was wrong. Deforestation is here to stay, and it is wreaking havoc on ecosystems. Ecosystems need plants to thrive and live, without plants ecosystems fail and in turn, the animals fail. A way to stop food insecurity is by having luscious ecosystems to supply our population instead of destroying them and taking away our food sources.

 Food waste is becoming a massive problem in the world today. We are making more food than ever and are growing steadily but we are producing more than we can eat. The problem is that we are not transporting food to places where it is needed due to many different reasons, such as being hard to reach or not cost-effective. This has increased our food waste, in turn, this has increased our landfill demands and plastic output as we pack food in plastic containers. This can become a big problem as the more we waste the more resources we are pulling out of the earth and are not returning.

 The practice of overfishing has been around forever, but we have never been good enough fishermen until now to decimate a population of fish. Now however we are, our fishing practices are not sustainable as we continue to grow in population. something must be done. The way to fix this is by changing the way fishermen think about fishing. They believe the more traps they have the more they will catch, which is true in the short run but decimates the long term. If we can get the industry to think about the long term, then we can hopefully reduce overfishing.

 The best place I have ever been to is Acadia National Park. It is beyond beautiful. Acadia has high mountains with lakes thousands of feet up sitting in a bowl of peaks. To seashell beaches that have been formed so many years ago. Finally, it has a smooth rock beach that words can't describe. In all of this beauty, I also noticed one thing. I did not see a single person without a smile on their face. With hikes being miles and miles long with start times of 4am and blistering toes. Everyone was happy. No matter how tired or exhausted they were they were happy to be in nature. It showed me how nature is what people need because if we can be happy while miserable then why shouldn't that be the place to be.

 As we talked about so much in class forest bathing has now become a thing I do every time I go ATVing. We talked about how it heals you and can destress you and all of this is true. Forest bathing is amazing. I always find the same spot every time where I cross a little creek go under some bushes that have overgrown a small path and shut off the ATV. After about 5 minutes nature comes alive. Birds are chirping, frogs are crocking, and the bugs are louder than in most cities. It makes you feel fantastic as so much life is near you and all going about their day without a care in the world.

 I took a walk around the Noland trail last week to just be able to say I have done it before my time ends at CNU. This was always a bucket list thing to do and after the 6-mile walk, I wish I had done it a lot earlier. I felt at peace during the walk like I didn't have finals coming up or papers to write. The only thing that was going through my head was "Wow it's been an hour already". The walk calmed my nerves and prepared me for my finals week and everything to get crazy. I wish I did this freshman year so I could have made it a habit before my final semester.

 The world now has so many different packaging options. From plastic, cardboard, paper, and even metal packaging. We as a society have not put a price on what that means to us. Sustainable packaging sounds great on paper but still doesn't make the consumer blink at the grocery store. We follow what we like. I don't know a single person that will put down their favorite drink due to it having plastic packaging. I believe the way we can fix this is to invest in better packaging to make it just as cheap as plastic. This would force companies to switch to more sustainable packaging as they will be losing profit if they don't. -William Yaglou

 This was a transcript of a podcast that I found online.   Once again, one of the speakers had no sense of self identity.  They were just floating trying to make it to the next day when they were invited to go rock climbing.  Stacy experienced something that I personally can relate to on a personal level.  She was struggling a lot mentally, but felt guilty for doing so.  Which only made it worse.  She asked her self "why do I feel like this" and constantly felt like a burden on her friends.  On the hike Stacy has a mental break down, but despite being sober, in fear of her life, and out in the wilderness...she felt okay.  She even says that being in the arms of her very close friend, she actually believed for the first time in her life that things will actually be okay.   "There are people who have tremendous privilege, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also have tremendous pain"  I love this quote.   Stacy talks ...

 I'm not going to lie, it may seem silly but I had no idea what pilgrimage was before reading this article.  I thought pilgrims where those immigrants that live in New England during the early years of the discovery of America.  So I hope to learn more about pilgrimage as well as self discovery.   I learned that pilgrimage is usually defined by a group of religious followers. At least traditionally that is.  But they are also attempting to go on a journey for self discovery.  This is why groups such as hikers can fit into the definition of pilgrimage despite not be affiliated with one particular religion.   The story of the homeless man that was addicted to drugs and following his entry journals I think shows perfectly what kind of  spiritual  journey the wilderness can provide for anyone.  The quote "I could either sleep in the streets are the woods" goes to show just how low this person was before he decided to go on the AT....

 https://www.marineconservation.org.au/coral-bleaching/ I know coral bleaching is an event that happens world wide to the coral reefs in our oceans. I know its bad for the health of the coral reefs and I also know that climate change has a big role in the appearance of bleached corals.  But what exactly is it?  What actually happens that makes the corals change color to a ghostly white?   Corals actually get their color from a colorful marine algae that live on the skin of the coral.  They can conduct photosynthesis that provides energy to the coral.  Without the algae the corals can only feed themselves for so long until they starve to death.   Something I actually didn't know is a lot of coral reefs go through cycles of bleaching.  As temperature raised and the algae starts to die out, the reefs change from their colorful from to their bleached out form.  They are not dead yet however.   The cora...

https://www.jstor.org/stable/45035085 This is one of my favorite articles I have read this whole semester, and it focuses on one of my favorite topics too. Forest bathing is something that I personally am going to try out in the summer and I cannot wait. However, it isn't quite competitive with things like antidepressants because you can't be given a prescription of nature. Well that's exactly what this article tackles. It tells its readers to don't hesitate to "up your dosage if your feeling blue". The article does acknowledge that nature doesn't fix everything. There's still social inequalities and the increasing stress to make a living in todays society. But the science behind forest bathing is so interesting and captivating to me. It's something that is so simple, and yet has been found to have profound results. I hope that further research will be done to validify forest bathing. I also hope that my own personal experience wil...

 My first reaction is that the canyons are beautiful.  The way the water curves back and forth in a stunning random pattern, carving through the rocks.  I easily spent 5 minutes just looking at the river before I started actually reading.  I wonder how they were created?  Its not too often do we see a decently sized river in the middle of the desert.   Turns out this is the results of a man made lake that eventually dried up due to overestimating how much water flow there was and lack of proper maintenance.  After years and years the maze like pattern the river now resides in was previously burred under the lake.  The difference between a lake and a revisor is that a revisor is man made.  It's crazy to think that the two are different at all, but in reality there is.  Rivers are there naturally, providing plenty of water and a rich diversity in habitat for all sorts of animals. Creating a balance within the ecosystem.  A reviso...

 The struggle of transitioning from warrior to civilian is one that I have always heard was extremally difficult, but it is really interesting listing upon reflection from a person that has experienced that.  Dr. Redick was only 17 when he went to serve.  I have learned so much about myself and have made so much progress in finding my identity since I was 17.  I can imagine being that age and being thrown into an intense environment such as the military can have such a lasting impact on who you are as a person.   " So many of my fellow Marines couldn’t wait to enter civilian life, to be free from the structure and rigid discipline, only to reenlist within a year after separation"  -  This quote blew my mind.  After being apart from your life and family for years, wishing to go back the whole time.  And then once they get the chance to they immediately  cave and go back to the service life.  Just blows my mind.  I would lov...

When it says that most people don't know what its like to travels through the wilderness with everything you need to survive on your back that really spoke to me.  I have gone true backpacking only once in my life. It was supposed to be a measly 2 mile hike.  However, due to lack of experience and preparation, my friends and I got lost and ended up hiking over 6 miles.  I recall this about killed me as we arrived at the camp site well after sunset.  As intense as my little backpacking adventure was, there was something special about having everything you could possible need right on you back.  It felt freeing compared to my normal sheltered and protected life.  Like I can go anywhere in the world and be totally okay.  It was massively different that the feeling I had when my family and I would go camping at a camp site.  It was nice to get outside, but it let like a shell of an experience compared to true backpacking.   The comparison of...

 In class we watched the documentary "In the Light of Reverence" regarding the efforts of several indigenous groups to protect their ancestral and sacred lands. This film encouraged me to think more deeply on the topic of land ownership. I wonder what can be done to ensure that the sites of such sacred importance to indigenous peoples are protected. The film also made me think back to the tragedy of the commons, especially in regards to the Hopi people attempting to defend their sacred sites on the Colorado Plateau from being destroyed as the result of mining for gravel production. As mining continues on these sites, their sanctity is destroyed, as well as the value of the site itself. So what can be done to strike a balance? But can there even be a balance, how can the sacred religious and spiritual practices of an entire population of people be compared to monetary profits? To put it simply, there are no easy answers that will be entirely morally correct or that will make a...

 The state of California is in the midst of a phenomenon known as the super bloom. After an especially wet winter, full of torrential rain and mudslides, the hills and valleys of certain areas of the state experience an explosion of wildflowers, known as a super bloom. These floral events are relatively rare considering how inconsistent the precipitation levels of California are, shifting from an intense drought to a rainy season seemingly every year. However, these ethereal wild flower blooms serve a greater purpose than just aesthetics. According to an article by the New York Times, super blooms give researchers the rare opportunity to observe ecosystems and species that have been destroyed in other areas. It is also important to note that while these blooms are stunning, too much pedestrian traffic as a result of tourists and visitors, has had a lasting impact on the flowers' growth. It has been four years since the last super bloom, during which visitor numbers and behavior wen...

  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health Forest bathing has been a topic discussed in our class and I found the concept interesting as I have always felt that being in nature improved my mindfulness. This article describes how the practice emerged in Japan, and it became more well researched following the 1990s. The article goes into detail about different locations where people are able to practice forest bathing. Some examples highlighted in the article are the Adirondack Mountains, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and Hawaii. They talk about how you can form a deep connection with the lands from the article depending on your spirituality. One of the places that I would like to go to forest bathe that was listed in the article would be Hawaii. It would be really nice to experience the “life-giving” effects of the nature found at this location such as medicinal plants, unique trees, and the pristine water.

  https://www.ecomena.org/environment-and-yourself/ An important discussion point from our class has been our responsibility that we feel towards our environment. We had talked about how loving our environment feels natural and our sense of obligation towards it feels right. Not only does it resonate within us, but logically, it makes sense. This is because research has proven that our surrounding environment can impact our emotions and a healthy, awe inspiring environment influences us in a much more positive light when compared to negative, diminishing environments. You will also tend to feel better about yourself when you consider the positive relationship that you have with your environment. This concept relates to ecotherapy as it coincides with the idea that being in healthy environments and feeling connected with nature can reduce stress levels as well as improve emotional/physical well being. The article also describes how having a healthy relationship with your environme...

  https://www.thestreet.com/investing/disney-world-leans-into-wealthy-customers An interesting discussion that we had in class was the discussion pertaining to how Disney World was originally created to tailor to upper class individuals. This was due to the accessibility of the park only being able to be reached by vehicles, which up until around the 60s was only available to the rich. I wanted to see if there were any articles on if there were any more wealth divide instances. I found out that before the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney World offered extended hours to individuals who stayed at resorts in the park and partner resorts outside of the park, but they have now added extended hours only available for guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts or Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. This appears to be an attempt to increase revenue without the consideration that non-wealthy people will not be able to enjoy the benefits. After the pandemic, businesses all around the world felt the impacts...

  https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/paleontology/extinction-over-time One of the main takeaways from this class is the discussion that we had about the endangerment/extinction of species due to human activities. We had discussed that it is really sad to think about how humans have caused an entire list of species to die out around the world. Some examples from this reading include Tasmanian wolf, Golden toad, and St. Helena olive tree. The article discusses how at least 15,000 species are at risk at the moment for extinction. It is saddening to know that even though we make an effort to reduce our ecological footprint, we as humans have each had a role in contributing to this situation. Another discussion we have had in our class is regarding the potential for our own extinction. The sixth mass extinction could be our own downfall that could arise due to multiple reasons such as rapid technological growth or raising temperatures. A really interesting take...

  https://doi.org/10.3390/su14094933 Yang et al (2022) examines how current Asian elephant habitats will be affected by climate change and human influence with respect to biodiversity and to determine how effective established protected area networks are in conserving elephants. The authors analyzed elephant habitats using a MaxEnt model to study thirteen countries/regions where Asian elephants are found in south and southeast Asia. Variables were chosen for the species distribution model to represent different circumstances caused by climate change or human land uses based on existing data and were incorporated into a MexEnt model to predict which habitats will be suitable in the future. The authors found that the environmental variables that had the greatest effect indicated that elephant populations were the most successful in mixed forest habitats with dry environments, lower levels of human influences, and high water availability. Yang et al (2022) also describes how the range...

For my term paper, I wrote about how the view on lawns as beauty of nature has affected the human psyche and perception of what nature is and how it should be viewed. Although I explore this in my essay, I wanted to discuss it here as well because it's an interesting topic that is relevant to a lot of our class discussion on love, beauty, and the use of the environment for our own benefit. We've discussed before that the current, general, human view of the environment is examining how it benefits us the most, and preserving it how we must in order for it to keep benefitting us. I feel like this is greatly reflected in the lawn culture most often seen in suburban America, the perfectly cut, bright green grass, neat mulch beds, and trimmed hedges all manipulated to appear exactly as the homeowner wants. The complete control of human hands over the environment around us is what most neighbors consider beautiful. No wild growth or long branches, or wild flowers that are now conside...

   felt that this chapter was important to include because it sets the precedent for environmental issues, and it also gives an insight to the different perspectives people may have when thinking of the environment. The perspective I’m going to focus on is the idea that although the ability to identify environmental degradation through the expansion of environmental science, but many environmental changes remain invisible in every day life. This is an important note to make, because it rings true, people don’t realize environmental problems until it’s too late to do anything. The chapter discusses how industrialization radically transformed not only society, but the natural world, and although today we see the effects it had, no one then knew. I understand technology and knowledge in general has immensely expanded since this time, but people today don’t see environmental issues, so they don’t think they need to do anything about it. An example of this would be the unpredictabl...

  This piece is a journal article that was published in 2004, and it discusses invasive species and the problems with defining it. Everyone has heard of an invasive species, but just because a species is invasive in one ecosystem, doesn’t mean they are invasive in another. This is an important distinction to make, because people hear the term invasive or “alien”, and automatically assume that that species is bad. Granted, they do have environmental effects on their alien ecosystem, but they don’t have those same issues in another. They refer to these species in invasive stages rather than the species itself, and state that it “should refer to individual populations and not entire species.” They claim that it might be better to refer to them as “non-indigenous” so that the species don’t get a bad reputation as a whole. We have talked about invasive species and what they could do to the environment, and I also wrote my paper on the detrimental effects of these species, but I think th...

  This chapter was quite interesting to me, and it discussed several different topics. It discussed the origin of environmental problems, which is humans conquering of nature and the institutions that enable it to happen. What was interesting to me is that it discussed how the adoption of private property is what truly transformed the landscape and how we dwell in it. “Owning” the land gives people a sense of power over it which leads to people stripping the land of it’s resources. It states that the idea of property “is a basic institution that shapes how humans treat the landscapes they inhabit.” What stood out most to me from this reading was the idea of the commons. I have ready the Tragedy of the Commons in previous political science classes, so this wasn’t a new concept to me, but it is exactly what we see in the environment today. The commons are public places that everyone can enjoy, such as national parks. However, the tragedy comes when the commons are overused and not t...

  I really liked this article, because it integrated several aspects of what I’ve learned throughout my environmental studies major. This project in itself is really cool, they were passionate about trail walking, and wanted to make it a better experience for themselves and others who enjoy their same passion. When she presented to the class, it was really cool to see the entire trail and everywhere they had placed plants. I know this project was focused on that, but what intrigued me the most was their pilgrimage, and the way they went about it. The page discusses a “walk-a-about”, which they described as an intentional and spiritual walk, and this brought me back to Henry David Thoreau and his literature works. Personally, I find Thoreau’s work the most intriguing out of the many environmental authors I’ve read, so I always enjoy being able to make those connections. It also relates to our discussion on pilgrimage, because that is exactly what they are doing. They went out on thi...

  This article discusses the concerns of Lake Powell which stretches from northern Arizona to southern Utah. This lake is a part of the Colorado River, and it’s water levels have been declining. The Dangling Rope Marina was once a thriving business, hundreds of boats would be there daily, and they made a big profit off of gas, however, in 2021 they were forced to close. Why was this? Well they said it was due to “significant wind damage and low water conditions”. Low water conditions would be an understatement; the surrounding bay which was once 200 feet dropped to only 35, and there was only one operable boat ramp left. The article states that Lake Powell is only at a quarter of its full capacity, which is insanely low, especially for it being the second-largest reservoir in North America. All sorts of trash and pollution can be seen where the lake has dried up. A big concern they have is that if the levels get too low, the dam and hydropower system in place will not be able to op...

  This reading connects with Where is Nature’s Body, but I think it adds to our class and our understanding of wilderness and our place in it. It discusses the difficulty in defining wilderness, and Nash claims that it isnt a specific material object, but “a quality that produces a certain mood or feeling in a given individual…assigned by that person to a specific place.” This relates to our class discussions on perspectives, and it emphasizes the importance of ones own perspective in nature. I like it because it makes it a more personal and individual experience, which is what I think is beneficial in trying to get people to care about and protect the environment. If each individual person had one place or one thing they want to protect, I think it would make for environmental improvement. Another important thing this reading mentions is that you can’t live in the wilderness, because if you do it no longer exists. I think this relates to discussions we’ve had on environmental foo...

  I really liked this reading, because it illustrates that nature is much more than just being land. It relates to a lot of other environmental literature I’ve read, and it emphasizes points that I believe are important. I like how it discusses that nature can’t be found on a map, because if it is true nature, then it is something you will feel, and you will know where to go. I normally am not big into philosophy, but I think when it comes to nature, it has to be philosophical, because there isn’t just one answer to it. The reading discusses phúsis, which means “to become, to grow”, and in this is where one can find “true nature”. On the topic of nature in art, it has been a foreground for art all across the world since the beginning of time. People portray nature through what they see, and although this is a good thing, I feel like nature in art can stop people from truly appreciating and enjoying nature. A lot of Euro-American artists portrayed their ideas of wildness, for exampl...

  I read the Ecology of Eden for my religion and ecology class last semester, but I feel like there are many aspects of the book that relate to this class. The reason I think it relates to the class is because I think it illustrates the means in which we can live in order to be sustainable with the environment. The book emphasizes this idea of “mountains” and “towers”. The mountain represents nature and the towers represent industrialization and city life. But what’s in between the two? Eisenburg described the bridge between the two as our modern day suburbs. The suburbs provide the space and beauty of nature, but also have the benefits of society, such as stores, human interaction, and work. The reason the suburbs would be more sustainable than living in a city or living in nature, is because they don’t produce the same pollution and cause the same environmental issues as cities, but they also don’t infringe upon nature as much as it would if you were to be living directly in it. ...

  Two individuals; Kelly Moody and Gabe Crawford met during the fall, discovered that they had similar passions regarding ecology/ethnobotany, and decided to walk the 480 mile Colorado Trail together. They had a unique goal in mind when accomplishing this goal however, as they decided to plant a variety of seeds along their thru-hike. They decided to name the journey plant-a-go because of the genus of the plantain plant, Plantago. They had originally planned to call the adventure walk-a-bout, but the meaning behind those words had negative connotations associated with it regarding the European colonizers’ attempts to understand the practices of Aboriginal Australians. Their primary goals behind the journey were to inspire individuals who typically focused on the mileage and scenic value to experience the journey in a new light. I believe this project is very inspiring as it allows people to take part in improving their ecology and also experience new ideas from the same landscapes....

  This section of the class text focuses mostly on an individual named Earl Shaffer. His story is very saddening because it describes how he lost his childhood friend during their service in WWII. He decided to walk the trail to attempt to clear his head of all the trauma he suffered from his duty. He was called the “Crazy One” because he decided to participate in a pilgrimage along the Appalachian Trail by doing a thru-hike, which is an end-to-end trip. The section goes on to mention how he started a trend of participation in thru-hikes along the Appalachian Trail by mentioning names such as Emma Gatewood, who hiked the trail to escape from an abusive marriage she had endured in the past and Ed Garvey, who had his book published by National Geographic. These instances have inspired me to try hiking as a method of recovering from negative thoughts that I’ve faced due to my past experiences. It was really interesting to read about how much of an impact Shaffer had and about the lega...

  This article had me thinking a lot about the experiences that I have had being in the wilderness. I found it interesting the comparison made between how wilderness was perceived in the past versus how it is perceived now. From being perceived as scary and formidable in the past now evolving to be protected and cherished as a “natural” haven. Some of the reasons it had a negative connotation about it was because of how American and European literature depicted it as late as the end of the eighteenth century as well as biblical terms used to describe feeling associated with wilderness. I have always found being in wilderness to be peaceful and relaxing, but I can definitely see how some can perceive it as daunting especially when modern technology can’t save you from the dangers of being in the wilderness. I found it interesting reading about how faith/religion can influence that way that wilderness is perceived as well. Personally, I have the most memories regarding wilderness fro...

  One concept that I have always found interesting in some of the environmental classes I have taken is the knowing vs. the encountering, and I feel like this can be very influential in protecting the environment. In class we discussed this, and I interpreted it as “the knowing” being what it is, and “the encountering” is where you form a relationship with the environment. For example, people know that climate change is occurring, but they don’t do anything about it because they don’t experience the effects of it. Whereas an ecologist studying the melting ice caps in greenland and has first-handidly seen and encountered the effects of climate change would be more inclined to make a difference. I believe it was in religion and ecology last semester where we discussed gardening, and how that brings you closer to nature than going to the grocery store and buying produce. When you buy produce from the grocery store, you know it was grown from the earth, but most people don’t really thi...

  I believe this lecture took place over two class periods, and Caleb Redick presented on ecological restoration, and his personal experience with experiments on restoring areas in different ways. We learned that there are many issues that ecosystems may face, such as habitat loss, invasive species, disruptions in nutrient cycling, and overexploitation of resources. His niche was in forest restoration so that is what the lecture focused on. Some of the obstacles to forest restoration are the overpopulation of herbivores, competing vegetation, invasive species, soil composition, etc.. The most interesting part of his lecture to me was the discussion on deer, and how they can be detrimental to an ecosystem and forest restoration. I didn’t know that deer could cause so many problems, as well as do damage to an ecosystem. I knew that overpopulation of one species in an ecosystem would raise issues, but it seems that deer, just being deer, can cause issues to forest restoration. How doe...

  During this class period we discussed the idea of society’s distance from the earth and nature. The main focus of this comes from the idea of love, which we talked about being in responsibility to nature. If people don’t have or exhibit love of nature, then the natural world around us begins to deteriorate, and this is the basis for why we see the environmental degradation that has been happening for 100s of years. Wendell Barry claimed that our hatred for the world is shown through power and needs, he stated that discare for the environment is “because of machinery and what we call efficiency.” I think this quote is important, because what exactly does he mean by what we call efficiency? Well, it’s the idea of progress, and even in historical contexts it is seen that the world makes changes to fulfill some sort of progression, but when is progress enough? This idea reminds me of Ecology of Eden because of what we call “Arcadia”, which is a “golden age”, where all progress has be...

  Although I have not had experience in the military, 2 of my immediate family members have been or are currently serving in the military. My dad was in the navy and my brother is currently serving in the army. I can imagine it has been difficult for both of them to transition from service to regular life as it is probably a dramatic change of pace. It was interesting to read about one of the disadvantages of modern technology evolving so quickly in regards to not having time to process the events that occurred during military service. The class text describes how primary transportation used to be walking when coming home from service and now that transportation has become much faster, veterans are returning to their homes without having processed what they had experienced. I can imagine this adds stress to not only the veterans, but to their relationships with family and friends. The text also reminds me of the class topic of ecotherapy as it described how hiking in nature on the ...

  A difficult task to accomplish in tourism is mastering the ability to have an intersubjective experience with nature. Intersubjectivity has been a topic of emphasis in our class text and in our classroom. It is characterized by being able to gain an understanding of multiple perspectives including one’s own and the constituents. The class text describes how sceneries depicted through artwork that are viewed through a lens hinders an intersubjective experience and objectifies nature because it does not allow the viewer to perceive the scenery through all constituents’ experiences. Mediators prevent an accurate valuation of the functions and services that the wild places serve for their environment. The text gives us an idea of how to have an intersubjective experience with nature by using John Muir as an example of how he eliminated mediators when viewing wild spaces on his journey to the Gulf of Mexico. I reflect upon this ideology frequently when I visit places that I perceive a...

To celebrate Earth Day this year, some members of my club and I went to Buckroe Beach to pick up trash that we found laying around. It was surprisingly a lot cleaner than I anticipated it to be, but we still managed to gather a decent amount. I was surprised at how many cigarette buds we found, especially because they're so easily swept into the ocean and buried into the sand. I felt accomplished for making the beach just a little cleaner than it had been before, even if it wasn't noticeable from afar.  Then, I explored the Outdoor Enthusiast Festival at Newport News Park. For it being Earth Day, I was surprised at how many generator-powered food trucks and bouncy houses there were, even with the abundance of little kids running around everywhere. I also only say recycling bins everywhere, but it was the only place to throw any sort of dirty paper plates and excess food, so that was a little confusing. They also had a lumberjack show and axe throwing, a wildlife information boo...

 As I was browsing for summer jobs, I came across a listing for the Youth Conservation Corps. The program provides teens with summer jobs working in the sate and national parks in the United States. The specific tasks of any posting are reliant on which park you are assigned to, but the majority of them focus on park maintenance. I believe that these types of jobs are invaluable to planting the seeds of the environmental movement in younger generations. Not only do these programs provide young people with job experience and the opportunity to make their own money, but they also give teens the chance to reconnect with natural or wild spaces. During these jobs, people are given in depth information and personal experiences that exemplify the importance of state and natural parks to local communities and the nation as a whole. Those employed in the program have the option to live on site at the parks they are stationed at, this gives them an even greater opportunity to connect with th...

  In A Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold discusses and introduces many topics relating to the environment. One important thing he introduces is the idea of a “land ethic”, which basically sets out the idea that there is a certain way one should go about being in nature, in order to respect and protect the environment. He believes it is important to be in and experience nature, but it should be done in a sustainable manner. Examples of this could be walking instead of driving, picking up your trash, and an emphasis on primitive skills and art. I thought this was interesting, but what most stood out to me in relation to this class is the idea of seeing the land as a biota, not just soil on the ground. The lecture on eating one another made me think of this idea, because they both illustrate how everything on the earth is connected. What Leopold meant by land as biota, is that it isn’t just the soil on the ground, but it is a complex system of parts all working together, he even claim...

 This call to view the natural world through the lens of making the familiar unfamiliar was an interesting approach to get the reader to think about aspects of the natural environment in a way they hadn't previously considered it. One of the most thought-provoking things this article brought up for me, was the change on views of nature depending on whether or not we found a use for it. Certain biomes that were previously undesirable, can become popular if humans learn of a useful way to utilize the resources that it provides. How much a certain environment benefits humanity is directly linked to how favorably it is looked upon by the general population. Especially in this economically driven world, where profit is arguably the most highly valued accomplishment, any variable concerning the environment that doesn't yield as such is very easily cast away, forgotten about, rolled over. This has lead to the desecration of many wild places including forests, mountains, deserts, and m...

  Another main theme in this class was land use issues. From recreation versus religious beliefs to resource use versus protection, land use is a major public debate that I understand both sides of. On one hand, I understand the argument of using land to get resources and enjoy nature. It is important for everyone to get to enjoy public lands and the recreation opportunities they provide. On the other hand, I want people to honor other’s rights to land, especially indigenous people, and honor the non-human living organisms that inhabit the land. There needs to be a balance between land use and protection, while respecting those on both sides.

 A very interesting book that has a lot of information on the current state of our world's environment is the Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. In this novel, Kolbert explores the five mass extinctions that have occurred since the origin of species. Her main argument, is that the sixth mass extinction is happening now, and is a direct result of human activity causing greenhouse gas emissions to rise drastically, global temperatures to warm, natural disasters to become more devastating, habitat loss as a result of agricultural and urban development, etc. Background extinction is the natural rate at which species go extinct, as part of the usual rhythm of life on the world. Within the last 114 years, the number of extinctions is equal to what previously would have taken 2,000-14,000 years. The loss of this biodiversity has adverse effects on all other parts of the environment and our ecosystem, it begins dismantling the carefully constructed food chain and then the stability of ...

  One of the main themes of this class was discussion about water--Earth's most precious resource. The documentary about water in the west was very frightening in two ways. First, it is obviously shocking and concerning to see the very low levels of lakes and reservoirs. Second, it is upsetting to see exploitation by private businesses profiting off of water and taking the resource away from others. Living on the east coast, water scarcity is not discussed often, so it is easy to forget. Especially when it comes to agriculture, water resources are crucial for human well-being.

 The concept of land ethic was developed by Aldo Leopold. In this theory, Leopold argues that humanity's ideas regarding what beings have rights should extend to ecosystems and their individual features such as soil, grass, and water. Leopold advocated for a breaking down of sorts regarding the barriers of empathy and ethics when it comes to humanity's treatment of the environment. Such a perspective would shift the way that humanity operates, placing more emphasis on not only the rights of other human beings, but also those of ecosystems, plants, and animals. Leopold proposed that rather than viewing the environment as something subservient to the human race, only here for our needs, we should shift our perspective and to act on and advocate for the rights of the environment. Enacting such a change would require more than simply changing current industrial and social systems, it would require a massive expansion of ethical and moral thought. 

  I remember we had a good conversation in class about the words we use to describe nature. Words like sacred, untouchable, treasured, holy, and great value come to mind. I find it very interesting that many of these words have religious connotations. It makes sense because many religious texts discuss the story of creation using these words. At some point, society got too greedy as we no longer have areas of Earth that are left untouched because they have great value to humans. I view many religions as hypocritical because they continue to exploit resources of their god’s creation without caring about the consequences.

  For my research on deforestation in Haiti, I learned that this problem is systemic and not easily solved. Because the trees are cut down for charcoal which is the main source of domestic energy and provides jobs, the solution to the deforestation cannot be to just stop cutting down trees. Even though I know that deforestation leads to erosion, flooding, no storm protection, compromises agricultural productivity and food security, and threatens biodiversity, we have to look at the history and major players. Haiti’s history is rooted in colonialism in which the French clear-cut the island to make space for plantations. The indigenous peoples knew how important the trees are to their island, so they would not have done this action on their own. Now, however, these communities are economically reliant on charcoal production, so this must be taken into consideration when thinking about solutions.

  I read a very interesting New York Times article while researching my term paper topic. I learned that in South Korea, they have achieved a waste diversion rate of 60% through recycling and composting because, in 2005, South Korea banned dumping food in landfills. Compulsory composting began at a cost of only $6 per month for biodegradable bags. In addition, South Korea incentivizes manufacturers to create products with the highest recyclable rating, so the burden is not entirely on the consumer. Both of these actions are not overly burdensome on the consumer, but shifts more of the responsibility to the producers to create materials that can be recycled into new materials that have resale value.  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/21/business/south-korea-recycling.html

  Happy Earth Day, class! I hope everyone had a wonderful day enjoying the morning sunshine and afternoon rain. I wanted to discuss an interesting post made on CNU’s Instagram for Earth Day detailing CNU’s reduced emissions. Although I am glad to hear CNU advertising sustainability data, I am cautious to celebrate too soon. Personally, I think the symbolic Earth Day post distracts from the major sustainability problems that CNU has with everything from energy and water usage to waste generation. I was very tempted to comment on CNU’s post “this is a good start” because I truly believe that it is misleading to future Captains how well CNU does at caring about sustainability.

  I liked having Dr. Balay speak to the class today about environmental ethics. I took his environmental ethics course in Fall 2021, so it was a nice refresher on all of the topics we covered. The environmental ethic that has stuck with me the most is the difference between instrumental and intrinsic value. As humans, we have a natural tendency to think about things from the human perspective. A tree has value for shade, a habitat, or lumber instead of a tree having value in and of itself. In his course, I really struggled to separate the human view from values. I know a lot of you will be taking this class next semester, so I hope you also enjoy the course.

  I wrote my term paper on the sustainability challenges of waste management. Currently, our unsustainable waste management processes follow the linear economy model in which we take materials from the Earth, make products, and throw them away as waste. This process exploits finite resources and damages the environment all while losing valuable materials to landfills. Sustainable waste management would follow the circular economy model that is designed to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature. Landfills and incinerators pose major environmental and health risks, while recycling has a limited capacity and market value. Existing waste management systems and the ingrained cultural views on waste prevent advancements in sustainable waste management.

  As some of you may know, I run the Fear to Hope project with Dr. Rob Atkinson that engages local ninth graders in authentic research on the salt tolerance and resilience of Atlantic White Cedar. Beyond the little trees outside McMurran, this project reaches high schoolers in a hands-on project. At the end of the year, they are invited to CNU to present their research at a symposium. The Fear to Hope Symposium was this Friday, and I could not have been more proud of the 80+ students that bravely talked about their research with each other and with adults. I believe so deeply in the mission of Fear to Hope because young people are already faced with immense climate anxiety and dread because none of our elders are taking any action to lessen emissions and change our warming trajectory. The hope generated by working on a project like this is very special.

Hope Jahren’s The Story of More: How We got to Climate Change is a must read for everyone. The book explains how human habits (such as meat overconsumption) have led us to our climate disaster. The chapters are extremely easy for a non-scientific audience to digest even if they include lots of data because the author makes personal connections to the topics. The readability of this book is its biggest strength. However, Hope Jahren goes a step further than most and shares hopeful solutions to reduce our emissions. The most impactful example that I read was the understanding that the volume of waste created by privileged people could provide enough for the less privileged if resources were organized and allocated appropriately. The earth can provide for a growing population if less resources are wasted and the privileged use less--energy usage is a good example of this. Resource inequality is one of the single largest threats to the well-being of all people. I believe this all speaks t...

The book Fuzz by Mary Roach chronicles curious conflicts between human and wildlife. Each chapter centers on a plant or animal that puts a unique spin on its conflict with humans. For example, murder and manslaughter by bears and elephants, vandalism by pests, and robbery by monkeys and birds. I think everyone should read this book because it frames wildlife in a different way than we usually think about them. This playful book can help humans understand the value of traditionally pesky creatures. This discourse could help environmental protection and restoration efforts.

The class we spent at the Lions’ Bridge and Mariners’ Park brings up interesting conversations about restoration projects. I have witnessed firsthand during my volunteer work in the park that many people do not understand nor respect restoration projects. The eelgrass restoration sites on the banks of the lake are constantly being disturbed despite clear signage educating the public about what the project is about. The various forest restorations require cutting invasive species, but visitors do not understand that some trees and plants can be bad for the park. 

  I attended Paideia’s keynote speaker Dr. Nigel Rothfels and had the opportunity to look through his book. The photography of the various elephants Dr. Rothfels researched was amazing. I didn’t know much about the different species of elephants and their characteristics. It was interesting to read about how elephants were very sought after for zoos and traveling circuses. They seem like such large beasts that humans would not want to go through the trouble of having to take care of them. In fact, humans were out of their depth when it came to keeping large male elephants and many times had to keep them chained up to prevent them from hurting their handlers.

I found an article in the Washington Post about recycling that is absolutely amazing and informative. Here is the link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2023/recycling-tips-mistakes-quiz/ The interactive elements are perfect to engage the audience. Before reading this article, I would have said I knew pretty much everything about recycling, but this article challenged some of my knowledge. Although recycling is a flawed practice, that does not mean we should stay ignorant about how to do it better. I encourage everyone to read it and share it with people they know--especially those who are like to wishfully recycle.

 Dr. Kip speaking in class about renouncing vegetarianism because he considered it to boost him onto a moral high ground made me consider my own stance on vegetarianism. I haven't eaten meat in a year and a half, and my reasons for starting on this journey have remained as my reasons to continue. After learning about the detrimental impact of the meat-packing industry, I very quickly realized that was not something that I wanted to perpetuate by spending money on meat products. Though, it can very easily be argued that my small, personal movement against the food conglomerates responsible for releasing grotesque amounts of methane into the atmosphere as well as carbon emissions from large numbers of fossil-fueled machines does not make a very big impact, I think it serves another purpose: awareness. When people ask why I refuse to eat meat, it gives me the opportunity to speak on the carbon footprint of the meat-packing industry and how it is one of the largest contributors to dest...

 Earth day was yesterday, and it caused me to reflect on the origins of the holiday and how it has encouraged environmental awareness across the country. Even though Earth day only happens once a year, it calls attention to the impact of environmental degradation and the small ways that average citizens can lessen their carbon impact. Since it has become more of a commercialized practice, much like other holidays in the US, it is looked at in very logical, rational terms instead of taking the day to appreciate the world around us. Spending time in nature has a variety of benefits that we have discussed in class, and the under-appreciation of nature's gifts is the general attitude of our culture. On Earth day, everywhere on social media, companies and individuals come out of the works to express their appreciation and concern for the well-being of our planet. It makes me wonder, that if everyone cared and was this attentive to the practices that negatively impact our environment eve...

 The idea of a pilgrimage that units a community through the wonder of the ecological world is something that was previously foreign to me. I knew about how taking long hikes caused a lot of introspective consideration and forced perspective, but I never considered how certain types of long hikes may be considered a pilgrimage. The shared experience of grueling days of exercise and the epiphanies that emerge as a result of being faced with purposeful adversity being shared with an interested group fostering a connection is amazing. It is also interesting how people with different religious ideologies can experience the same part of the world, the sam physical journey, but recognize their spiritual experiences as different arrivals to a similar theme. Overall, this shows the unanimous 'awe' that nature generates in appreciative people, and the mysticism of the intricate workings of the environment around us. Being able to connect through that respect of the environment, even tho...

 The Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference had a few panels about environmental justice, and I was able to attend Wading Between Two Titans, presented by Adrian Wood and Vincent Hodges. They spoke about a podcast Adrian created that describes the environmental racism in Norfolk, and how their fight against sea level rise negatively effects particular groups of people. In our class, we have talked a lot about how certain groups don't have the resources they need to fight environmental change, like the Haitians in Death by a Thousand Cuts. But in this instance, a sea wall was proposed to place along the Northern side of the Elizabeth River, protecting the richer, mostly white community, while leaving the south side of the river completely exposed. The community on that side, is poorer and majority African American. It really makes me think about the long-term effects of historical racism, and how that has affected the way we interact with environmental elements.

  I’ve had a great semester so far and have just started my environmental studies journey thus far but I’m so excited! Next semester I’m taking fish bio and entomology, as well as environmental ethics. I think the food forest project sounds very interesting and I’m excited to possibly research about that! One class I’d recommend is Plant Systematics in the fall, it was so much fun and we took a lot of field trips! We worked on a plant collection and identifying native plants in the wild. I think this is a beneficial skill for anyone because you can learn more about your surroundings and learn about what food and medicine has historically been around different landscapes. This summer I am hoping to work with my sister in law who is a horticulturist from Utah as well as my friend from Pennsylvania visiting who is working on her masters in botany. Even if I am just exploring nature with them and learning new things I’ll be thrilled! I hope you all enjoy your summers as well!

     I’ve been thinking a lot about public transportation as well this semester, especially during studying for French class. My professor taught us that in France and many European countries, it is standard for college students and coworkers to carpool, especially if they live in the same apartment buildings, and they often have bulletin boards to post when you are looking for a carpool arrangement. It’s highly unlikely that most people in France have their own car as well, and the roads are designed so that the houses of the cities are practically on top of each other and the streets are too crammed for cars oftentimes anyways. Biking, walking, and other much cleaner means of transportation are far more common. They also have buses and subways that can take you virtually anywhere.        Pierre L’Enfant is the French-American architect who designed much of the layout of the city and metro systems of both Paris and Washington D.C.. One can clearly see...

One of the most broad definitions is to continue a process over time. Humans have many processes that are not sustainable yet but in order for them to continue they need to be. Transportation, power, clothing, food. It is all mass-produced at a costly way for the planet. The realization seems to be a hard one for many humans, factories still pollute in many areas, cars depend on a fuel that is not viable forever and emits pollution into the air as well, meat is farmed and takes over too much land all of these things are not sustainable. So how can we call ourselves the most successful species if we are going to destroy ourselves? All of these processes have a sustainable route, the economics don't always back it up just yet but there have been innovations in power, transportation, agriculture, textiles, meat, and many other industries that try to support a growing population where everyone is individualized. I don't believe we can call ourselves the most successful species; tec...

       I recently had a presentation on food insecurity and scarcity in my French class. Some of you may be more familiar with redlining and the discriminatory effects it has caused during the planning of cities. Unfortunately, in poorer places, these food deserts are seen with few fresh and affordable options of food nearby. They have to drive to a single grocery store or resort to fast food. This leads to increased health problems such as obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, mental health problems, etc.  Both planning or development of new infrastructures as well as education in already established ones are essential. Although it is not all the responsibility of citizens, a few things we can do is opt to establish more resources for people in need, for example, community food gardens, implementing native food forests to mimic natural forests, seed libraries, and educating in general. Learning how to grow your own food can be a wonderful thing, and we should educ...

  I’ve personally been interested in the sustainability of solar panels because my husband works door to door for a solar company. He works on Virginia’s net metering program, a program trying to help homeowners who qualify to save money on going solar and their electricity bill, a bill that they can never cancel. It’s an investment that generates electricity from the sun that they can eventually sell back. By 2025, Virginia is aiming for 15% renewable energy sources (DSIRE). I asked him what some of the common reasons he gets at the door are for why people don’t want to have a solar “conversation”:  They look ugly Cost too much I don’t have enough time I won’t qualify It doesn’t make sense to me… Parts sourced unethically I don’t listen to the government And more!  I think there is a lot of bad stigma surrounding door to door sales which may cause some apprehension, especially among homeowners. Yet, there are many different small companies across the country that have ...