Final Reflection

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What are your final reflections on your Colloquium experience?

I did not think that I would be impacted much from this course. I enjoyed learning about the many issues around the world. It is kind of scary to hear, but the truth at times is scary. It is important to learn these issues, it allows more people to learn and actually have a change at making a difference.

What changes would you make to the course?

I understand that this course is an intensive writing course, but I do think that some of the assignments were a little tedious in regards to the topics.

What assignments made the most impact?

There were not assignments that impacted me. Although, I did enjoy the blogs, I was able to express any feelings that I felt towards any reading.

What readings made the most impact and why?

There was not really one reading that made a particular impact on me. All of the readings had concerns about the world and they all connected in a certain way.

 What suggestions for activities or field trips do you have?

I think that learning a little about the fields trips prior to going would be an improvement. I enjoyed all of the field trips this semester. They were informational and allowed me to gain an appreciation for the town we live in.

How can the online course be improved?

The online course part was no issue at all. I do not think any improvements need to be made in this area. 

The Earth Charter Reflection

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Some individuals are unaware of the many issues that are currently happening around the world. These are important to our future and keeping the human population alive. We have to realize that majority of these issues can be slowed or eradicated if individuals actually made changes. The world cannot keep going if we do not change.

The Earth Charter was informational and eye opening. It mentions that “We much recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny” (1). I believe that humans want to continue on living and so does the Earth, but the Earth is without a voice. It only makes changes because we cause them. It tries to replenish, but we are too busy over working it. It is important that we “Declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations” (1). I would like to think that future generations may be able to live in the world without the worries of the Earth disappearing. This is something that we have to take action now to help our future world.

To save the Earth and ourselves, but most importantly the Earth is vital. We have the “Knowledge and technology to provide for all and reduce our impacts on the environment” (1). So, we meaning ALL people need to wake up and see what is happening. Some may not be affected directly but it will shortly happen to all of us. We are in a world of people who are trying to cure cancer or probably have already found a cure, I think that this is something that we have caused ourselves, so maybe changing the way we live and do things could stop this.

I think that The Earth Charter’s principles are viable. It just needs everyone to be on board, “We must find ways to harmonize diversity with unity” (3). To save mankind, we need to save the Earth.

Field Trip Reflection

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The trip that had the most impression for me was when we went to downtown Ft. Myers. I have lived in Ft. Myers my whole life and there were many things new that I had learned but never heard about. It is always great to hear the history of a place that you have known your whole life.

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I have always enjoyed downtown, but it was not always as beautiful as it is today. It was deserted and there were not that many people roaming the streets as we saw on our field trip. Going to the museum was enjoyable. I enjoyed hearing how Ft. Myers was home to some dinosaurs that it snowed here and was also home to the Calusa and Seminole Indians.

This field trip allowed me to have an appreciation for the place that I have grown up in. I feel more connected to Ft. Myers from learning about its history. There were some great things such as the three C’s as our guide mentioned, cattle, cane, and citrus and then some things that bothered me, which I cannot seem to get my head around, is the way that people wanted to get rid of the Indians that were here FIRST, but that is something that I will never understand the reasoning, but I am happy to call Ft. Myers my home and sense of place.

When I was reflecting on the past field trips, this one stood out to me the most because it is my hometown, and it also made me think of the book, A Land Remembered. Knowing that the book is fiction, it made it more realistic to think of the places that were mentioned on our field trip in relation to the book. For instance, the mounds built by the Calusa Indians that Tobias and his family fled to during a huge rain storm.

This field trip made me love where I was born and raised even more. Although, it may not be much, it is MY home. 

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Goodall,Hudson, and Maynard Reflection

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When reading Goodall, Hudson, and Maynard, I could not help but think of how passionate these individuals are about the environment and the animals that are a part of it. I felt a connection with the stories that were featured in the reading. I know that I have mentioned it before but I truly have a passion and love for animals. I guess I can say that it was my mother who instilled this love in me. She has always had a special place in her heart for any animal. She taught my siblings and I what love really means. My personal opinion is that to love an animal that has no voice and cannot speak words like a human, you have to become completely involved with the animal. You can build a type of bond that is very unique. I know it may sound crazy, but it is something I believe that can be much stronger than any bond with a human. I agree that for any change to occur and to help save build up and preserve our environment and the animals is “The link between the human being and the other animals with whom we share Planet Earth, this connection we can establish with another life-form- that for many makes it possible to carry on” (184).

We have to realize that the world was here long before humans were and that animals were also a part of the earth before humans. Just as it was mentioned, “Without plants, animals (including ourselves) cannot survive” (174). It seems that society is mainly concerned with taking action after tons of damage has occurred. This includes but does not limit to, pollution of lakes, forests destroyed by too much logging, and vanishing plant and animal species. I agree that “Through a combination of human determination, scientific know-how, and the resilience of nature, even badly compromised habitats can be restored” (174). I understand that there are people who are working very hard to help our environment but it is not enough. There are more people who just do not care or are not informed well enough to understand. I think that these issues should not be only taught in schools but it needs to really be advertised constantly. Just like smoking commercials. It is something that people probably do not want to see, but it can make a difference.

It is sad to think that individuals are sometimes afraid to show compassion of any kind. I believe that “In our materialistic world, where all that consists is the bottom line, human values of love and compassion are too often suppressed” (183). I do not think that keeping emotions separate makes any kind of work better. I believe that having emotion makes someone more passionate about their work and to perform the job better. I relate this to the career path I have chosen which is nursing. I do not think that if I did not have a caring heart, I would be able to be successful in this career. You have to be able to put yourself in the shoes of someone else to feel their distress, to fully understand. This is what we have to do for the environment and animals. The many species that have come and gone did not have a voice. We need to make them have a voice and do all that we can to preserve our world. We have to have hope, “If we are without hope we fall into apathy, without hope nothing will change” (185). The world is quickly disappearing because of what we have done and continue to do. Change has to come.

Orr Reflection

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To think that society today mostly consists of people that are biophobic is alarming. I have never heard of such a word. It is sad to say that I’m a part of the generation that Woody Allen spoke of that was, “raised on television, walkman radios, and video games” (186). I enjoyed this reading that David Orr wrote about comparing biophilia and biophobia.

Biophilia is something that I believe can be acquired. I do not agree that “biophilia is innate and a sign of mental and physical health” (187). It does not make sense for those individuals that have never been exposed to nature or greenery to have an innate sense to want to be around nature. These individuals are used to the concrete life of tall buildings, smog and tons of people. I do think that if they are exposed to nature, that they may could possibly have another viewpoint on nature or acquire their own sense of nature.

I agree that Orr does not think that biophobia is okay. I think that to help evolve something like biophilia it does have to start as a child. Just as anyone would want their child to have good manners, it is something that has to be shown when a child is young or there is a possibility of trouble later in life. Children do need “more natural places, places of mystery and adventure where children can roam, explore, and imagine” (205). Places like this can help a child learn about nature and come to understanding and appreciation for it.  It is true that “children are rushed into adulthood too soon” (187). We have to think that the children of today are the future, if they are not allowed to develop of sense of nature, what will happen to our world later?

I think that biophilia is attainable and something that can help change our world for the better. We just all need to come to an understanding and realize the trouble that is happening. We need to realize that money can’t fix everything. It has to begin with the people first. Just as Orr mentioned to attain agape, we need mentanoia, which means “transformation of one’s whole being” (202). It sounds easy to say that we have love nature, but truly having a connection and feeling the love whole heartedly is a completely different thing. 

Carson Reflection

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For many individuals, living in a clean environment with no pollution or hazards is something the mind can only imagine. It is very sad to only think that the earth could be a place of clean air, beautiful flowers, animals of all species, and healthy humans.  I enjoyed how Carson described a beautiful place that eventually disappears. It is understandable that people question why terrible things are happening to the environment, but do they actually comprehend that it is the people causing such harmful effects?

Carson discusses a very important hazard to the environment that “has crept upon us almost unnoticed” which is chemical pollution (152).  People feel that with the use of pesticides to keep down weeds or the use of insecticides is harmless. Carson mentions that there are five hundred chemicals produced each year which are used here in the U.S. Does this sound crazy? I think it does, and to think of the harsh chemicals that plant, animals, and humans are exposed to. No wonder there are so many different causes of cancer, especially in the foods we eat. We are not safe from these chemicals. I liked how Carson mentions that the chemicals “should not be called “insecticides” but “biocides” (155). That is exactly what chemicals are doing to the environment, slowly killing it off.

There are people who are trying to make a difference and make all individuals see the harm being done. Carson mentions that “we train ecologists in our universities and even employ them in our governmental agencies” (159). Carson is right, there is information out there, but who really is listening? I agree with Carson, that there is little awareness of the truth behind chemical use.  I liked that Carson feels “the sugar coating of unpalatable facts” needs to come to an end (160). If we do not start showing what really is happening with real time footage or examples, people are not going to grasp the harm occurring to the environment with the use of these hazardous chemicals. Although, if people were to see the TRUE facts, would they change their way of life?

Shiva Reflection

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We are now living in a world of better technology, advanced medicine, and discovering new ways to prolong life. Is this really what we should be doing? Shiva’s reading has allowed me to see that all of the advancements we have made may not be the best route to continue. In this process, we are hurting our own environment and the many species that we share it with.

Before beginning this course, I was aware of the noticeable changes to the environment. Such as forests being demolished for the use of trees, but I never understood the affects that it had on all other things that relied on the forest to survive. I think, was I just naive or did I not think twice, because it wasn't directly affecting me?  I feel strongly that “All life forms have an intrinsic worth and a right to evolve freely on their own terms” (40). We are not allowing this to happen. We are eliminating many species selfishly and not thinking of the long term affects this will have. It is vital for humans to prolong all species of life.

I have always had a huge soft spot for any living animal. I never thought of the microorganisms that are also living that help support human life. I learned about microorganisms this past summer in my microbiology course, which was very intriguing. David Suzuki states “We owe practically all life to bacteria” (Naked Ape to Super Species, 1999, 43). I always thought that microbe’s caused sickness, which there is harmful bacteria, but they mostly keep us alive. Microorganisms are the main reason all living things survive, beginning with the soil.

The last two quotes that I found very enlightening are “The lesson from biodiversity is co-operation, not competition. It is that the big depends on the small, and cannot survive by exterminating the small (44). I have come to appreciate all that this environment has to offer and realize that mankind will not live forever, if we continue to act selfishly. We should not think that we can substitute biodiversity resources. All resources that we use to survive currently, were here before was. Instead of overlooking the small, we need to start looking out for the small.

Diamond Reflection

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Are we really the sole cause of our environmental decline? Diamond does not believe that there is one main cause to our declining environment. Diamond, shined a new light on this issue that has become a major concern today. How can we improve our quality of life?

I appreciated his mention of the ruins, that many people visit year round, “the monumental ruins left behind by those past societies hold a romantic fascination for all of us” (20).  He states that visiting these places, is something that people love to do, but are they really looking at the big picture? These are places that are just a mystery as to why it disappeared. I agree that looking back on places such as the ruins or other countries that have fallen can help our society with its current environmental issues. In comparison with learning from our past, I also like his idea that “We can still learn from the past, but only if we think carefully about its lessons” (23). Changes take time, and trying to change our ways and improve our environment do not happen overnight.

Diamond states, “We differ from past societies in some respects that put us at lower risk” (23). I like this idea, but I also like that Diamond mentions that with all the advancements we have made, it still can be harmful. He has realized that all though we are more modernized than previous societies, we still make mistakes.

Diamond talks about where he stands on the two types of camps, “environmentalist” and “non-environmentalist”. I believe that Diamond has evaluated the whole scenario and has come to the conclusion that there is not just one type. You can love the environment and try to preserve it but you can also engage in “big businesses” as he mentions. I would call such a person, a sideliner, one who participates in two different ways of life. I think that this is ok, but our actions can have major consequences. Being aware of the consequences could help if we helped others understand that there practices are not completely wrong, but there may be a more environmentally friendly ways of going about it. I think it is important to have strong beliefs about whatever is important in one’s life.

Plan B 4.0 Reflection

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Plan B 4.0 was alarming, eye-opening, and informative. This is the information that is needed for all individuals to see what is actually going on in the world and come up with ways to stop the world from disappearing. It is sad to say but we did this to ourselves and to our future generations, if people still exist in years to come. I know on a daily basis the news highlights droughts, famine, and pollution among tons of other harming and devastating occurrences going on in the world.  Do we really take a moment to listen or are we just too busy with our lives that it does not even register? These problems are not occurring in other countries, they are evolving right before our eyes, and we are the culprits.

I do not think that when humans first roamed the earth, the intent was to ruin it. It is just a process of trial and tribulation. It is the blindness that individuals portray that causes these problems to exist, which make it difficult to reverse rather quickly.  Peter Goldmark who is the director of Environmental Defense End states “ The death of our civilization is no longer a theory or an academic possibility; it is the road we’re on”(241).I believe that humans have a tendency to worry only of what is going on around them and which to it only affects them. We need to open our eyes and become more aware of what is happening.

I can understand that once civilization began, it was all about growth. But we have exceeded on the meaning “growth” and have caused a lot of damage to our world. It reminds me of a snowball effect. A growing population calls for an increase in food production, which then requires more crops to grow at much faster rates. These all lead to negative outcomes. Just as Brown mentions, “overpumping, overgrazing, overplowing, overfishing, and overloading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide” (15). All these problems exist together, there is no lone culprit.

What can we do to try and sustain our world? Just as the title states, Plan B has a “plan”. It has a goal “to move the world from the current decline and collapse path onto a new path” (23). Will it cure all of our problems? That is something that cannot be decided until this is tried out. The four goals are stabilizing the climate, stabilizing the human population, eradicating poverty, and restoring the economy’s natural support systems (242). All of these goals coincide with each other. One cannot happen unless the other follows, just like the snowball effect, but on a more positive scale. Some small changes have been made, such as, LED lights VS incandescent lights. LED lights do not use as much electricity. Another example, are the electric vehicles that are being made, they do not emit harmful gases like the fueled vehicles. It is a start, in helping with air pollution. What is happening to our world can only get worse, if we do not start changing things. It is something that each person should really think about and for our future generations. Do you want to leave this earth knowing that there is not much left of it?

A Land Remembered Reflection

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A change in time...

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I have chosen to discuss Sol MacIvey from A Land Remembered. He is the son of Zech MacIvey and the grandson of Tobias MacIvey.  Sol is the third generation of the MacIvey’s. He is brought up just as his father was and learned how to survive out in the wilderness. Sol tries to continue what his grandfather and father had envisioned. Living, breathing, sharing and loving the land, but his sadness of his entire family being gone overcame him. He decides to leave his home and start a new life in civilization. During this time Sol becomes much wealthier than what his family left behind, but all for the wrong reason. He begins draining the land his father purchased in Okeechobee which was never to be touched but preserved to continue farming. My description of Sol would be a regretful, angry man, although, before his time, he finally realizes the real purpose of the land.

As a young child, Sol relates to his environment well. It is all he has ever known. He knows how to survive and live off of the land. But as he gets older and deals with the death of his entire family, he wants to escape the place where his family lived and move on to the world that his family never would have chosen.

I believe that Sol does not discover his sense of place until it is too late. He thinks that the land his father purchased was to continue on and farm. He gets caught up in the life of civilization and forgets what his family lived for. This caused irreversible harm to many animals and others who lived off the land, like the Indians. Once he speaks with his half brother Toby Cypress and deals with his own hardship of losing his home due to a hurricane, he finally realizes that it is not about how much money you have or what you can do with it. It is about the land, which the people need to survive. This was not how he was raised and this was not what the MacIvey’s believed in. I would guess that from the beginning of the story, Sol would be recognized for owning many properties, land, and one who was filthy rich. Although, from the ending of the novel, I do not think that this meant anything to him. He was able to recognize what was important which was where he came from.

I would say that I can somewhat relate to Sol. He is very naïve and does not learn what is important until damage has been done. He is very strong growing up, but loses his sense of place once he gets older and leaves his home to live in civilization. I have learned that, you may think you know a lot about something particular but there is always more to learn. Especially, since I have begun this colloquium course. You can never know too much.

I do not think I have fully come to the understanding of what the meaning of having a “sense of place” is. I did not know much about the environment prior to beginning this course. But, I have now come to know the great risks involved in what is currently happening in our world today. I hope by the end of this course, I can come to a conclusion of where “I” belong in a sense of place and what I can do to try and preserve our world. This relates to Sol because he is unaware of his sense of place until it is too late. I believe that everyone has a different outlook on a sense of place, which depends on their upbringing and beliefs.

This is a difficult question to answer in regards to myself and my legacy. My understanding of “legacy” is something that someone has left behind that is going to continue on or that someone will remember once a person has gone. I can only say that it is never too late or too early to leave a legacy. I believe that what legacy I leave behind will be instilled from what my parents and grandparents have left for me. My thought on the comparison to my legacy and Sol, there is none. I think that a legacy does not just mean that the whole world needs to know, but what is instilled in those closest to us. Those are the legacies that truly make an impact on lives.