Blog #6
When I first registered for this course I really thought it would be just another English course that would help teach me how to structure a paper well and how to find good sources for a research paper. I am happy that’s not all it is about. I am glad that we are actually speaking about something that I find extraordinarily important and interesting.
My thoughts on the environment were very limited before this course. I rarely thought of the physical environment other than not to litter because my father always taught me that this was improper. My focus on issues such as global warming was only beginning to come into light because of all the new found media coverage on this topic and the movie “The Inconvenient Truth”. I have to say that my concerns about issues within the social environment for groups of people were always a concern for me, so in that particular department of the environment I have always been interested and somewhat knowledgeable about. Overall I was just another consumer in this materialistic, capitalistic and individualistic country that was ignorant to these issues.
Looking back on the first day of class I remember the class discussion revolving around the question, what is the environment? I automatically thought of what I always think about when I hear this question which stems from my psychology classes and that is everything in the external world that effects an individual’s development. This to me meant communities, people, culture and institutional leadership which is basically government. I wasn’t on the wrong track but it is much more than just these things. Everything that I spoke about does affect the other departments of the environment but it is not solely what makes up the environment. All the physical aspects of our environment such as nature is a big part of environment.
Watching the movie “The Inconvenient truth” was enlightening. It made me question everything I do. Maybe that’s a good thing but I can’t save the world alone and that disturbs me. Another thing that bothers me is that now that I know the logistics of how we destroy our environment can I live up to the standards that I will impose on myself, probably not. I can’t beat myself up when I don’t turn the water off while brushing my teeth or make sure to turn off all the lights before I leave the house or use my mug when I buy a cup of coffee. I just have to try to remember next time and make an effort.
Reading the blogs and looking at the websites was interesting. It made the issues with the environment real and also not so hopeless. Seeing how people felt about the environment inspired me as a member of this society to contribute to helping with environmental issues such as global warming. Seeing sites like http://waterpowergas.com showed me the resources out there I can use to help become a greener person. I had no idea that there was such a thing as green energy, call me dumb. Don’t mistaken my comments like Vanessa says I am not going to quite my job move to the mountains with my family and become a hippy but I realized I need to become more responsible for this earth. Just the simple fact that I sit here and have all the materials I need to survive and abuse the extra resources out there when people around the world don’t have any should put me to shame.
I don’t want to run on and on but I need to talk about one more important part of our class that stands out for me up until now and that was the research on how certain religions relate to the environment. Hinduism really impressed me aside from my topic which was Daoism because it displayed the most respect and practical solutions for using nature without abusing it. One aspect of Hinduism that I remember was the principle which title slips my mind that basically states, if you are going to chop down a tree to build a home or for any other important reason than plant another tree in its place. Take and give back at the same time. Think about it 1-1+1=1 just like Colin Beavan from the blog no impact man said his motto was when he started his journey. With this principle you haven’t disturbed a thing in nature, its death but then rebirth, it is the Ying and Yang of nature and I’ll leave you with that.
Another great website that teaches people about going green, why and how to do it:http://earth911.org
When I first registered for this course I really thought it would be just another English course that would help teach me how to structure a paper well and how to find good sources for a research paper. I am happy that’s not all it is about. I am glad that we are actually speaking about something that I find extraordinarily important and interesting.
My thoughts on the environment were very limited before this course. I rarely thought of the physical environment other than not to litter because my father always taught me that this was improper. My focus on issues such as global warming was only beginning to come into light because of all the new found media coverage on this topic and the movie “The Inconvenient Truth”. I have to say that my concerns about issues within the social environment for groups of people were always a concern for me, so in that particular department of the environment I have always been interested and somewhat knowledgeable about. Overall I was just another consumer in this materialistic, capitalistic and individualistic country that was ignorant to these issues.
Looking back on the first day of class I remember the class discussion revolving around the question, what is the environment? I automatically thought of what I always think about when I hear this question which stems from my psychology classes and that is everything in the external world that effects an individual’s development. This to me meant communities, people, culture and institutional leadership which is basically government. I wasn’t on the wrong track but it is much more than just these things. Everything that I spoke about does affect the other departments of the environment but it is not solely what makes up the environment. All the physical aspects of our environment such as nature is a big part of environment.
Watching the movie “The Inconvenient truth” was enlightening. It made me question everything I do. Maybe that’s a good thing but I can’t save the world alone and that disturbs me. Another thing that bothers me is that now that I know the logistics of how we destroy our environment can I live up to the standards that I will impose on myself, probably not. I can’t beat myself up when I don’t turn the water off while brushing my teeth or make sure to turn off all the lights before I leave the house or use my mug when I buy a cup of coffee. I just have to try to remember next time and make an effort.
Reading the blogs and looking at the websites was interesting. It made the issues with the environment real and also not so hopeless. Seeing how people felt about the environment inspired me as a member of this society to contribute to helping with environmental issues such as global warming. Seeing sites like http://waterpowergas.com showed me the resources out there I can use to help become a greener person. I had no idea that there was such a thing as green energy, call me dumb. Don’t mistaken my comments like Vanessa says I am not going to quite my job move to the mountains with my family and become a hippy but I realized I need to become more responsible for this earth. Just the simple fact that I sit here and have all the materials I need to survive and abuse the extra resources out there when people around the world don’t have any should put me to shame.
I don’t want to run on and on but I need to talk about one more important part of our class that stands out for me up until now and that was the research on how certain religions relate to the environment. Hinduism really impressed me aside from my topic which was Daoism because it displayed the most respect and practical solutions for using nature without abusing it. One aspect of Hinduism that I remember was the principle which title slips my mind that basically states, if you are going to chop down a tree to build a home or for any other important reason than plant another tree in its place. Take and give back at the same time. Think about it 1-1+1=1 just like Colin Beavan from the blog no impact man said his motto was when he started his journey. With this principle you haven’t disturbed a thing in nature, its death but then rebirth, it is the Ying and Yang of nature and I’ll leave you with that.
Another great website that teaches people about going green, why and how to do it:http://earth911.org
2 comments:
I have to agree with the Hinduism belief in that if you cut down a tree then you should plant six in its place. Very interesting blog, it was very enjoyable.
I love your post. It connects what we are trying to learn and our fears (of not being up to the task) so well.
I guess we just have to REALLY grow up and live to our full potential as thinking and caring beings.
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