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.

Grunwald Reflection

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I have never been one to really pay attention to politics, but reading Grunwald has made me realize how cutthroat it can be. Everyone has different priorities in the world and will fight for those at all costs. This is exactly what the individuals did to pass the bill for the Everglades restoration project. I am sure that saving the Everglades for a lot of people, does not really hit home for those who have not experienced what this place is like, or how many species of plants and animals this affects. We have to remember that the earth was here far before mankind existed. If places like the Everglades cease to exist, I believe there will be much more problems for mankind. It is an opportunity and most importantly a blessing to experience such beautiful places.

It was humbling to read that a politician, Senator Graham had grown up in south Florida and had the passion to want to save the Everglades. He is a prime example of experiencing something and having an appreciation for it, although, he was around others like his father, who had a different dream for the Everglades. It mentions that his father was a “Sugar grower, a cattle rancher, and a real estate developer who dreamed of draining the Everglades” (103). Individuals with these particular job titles have different viewpoints and priorities about their land. I am sure that Graham knew the importance of the survival of the Everglades and also knew the importance of what his father was also. This brings another quote from the reading, “Every politician had to strike a balance between nature and people” (103).  Graham understood this very well; he was passionate about his purpose and also understood the purpose of others.

When reading this excerpt from Grunwald, I could not help but think of Leopold and the land ethic that he wrote about. If something like a land ethic were ever to be proposed I am sure there would be people in favor and those who are not. The bill for the Everglades was treated the same exact way. For something like this to be successful, there are individuals that are needed, who have a passion for the cause and go for it.  It will take time and there may be times that it does not go in your favor, but trying to sustain the environment is important to sustaining our lives. Just as Grunwald said, “Man and nature could coexist in peace” (101). We need the environment to survive. We need to try and understand what the environment is telling us and do our best to preserve it. The Everglades restoration project was a start and I know it is not the last.