New Perspectives and Solutions

Despite the often depressing and hopeless subject matter, this class was my favorite of the semester. I had taken a few environmental classes before, but most of them focused on development (which is my concentration in SIS). After becoming interested in the environmental impacts of development, I decided to take this class to gain a greater understanding of the environmental issues that the globe is facing. What I did not really grasp before this class as the sheer scale and urgency of the environmental problems. I knew that climate change was occurring and that it would effect everyone, but I was not aware of the devastation is could cause.

Besides the facts of what is really happening in our environment, I am taking away a good deal of perspectives and viewpoints on the true causes and solutions to our environmental problems. I feel like I can view the discussion from multiple sides and I know where different actors and scholars are coming from (for example, comparing Eaarth and Cradle to Cradle). I would love to see a society like Bill McKibben proposed, but I can’t see enough people mobilizing quickly enough for it to be truly effective. Yet, at the same time, I am wary of the supposed power of technology as a cure-all. I am still unsure of the best way to move forward, in the face of the monumental challenge at hand. However, despite my uncertainty, I take solace in many of the small-scale actions that I have seen and we have discussed in class that are slowly working to preserve the environment. As a soon-to-be graduate with no definite plans yet, I am eager to leave the security of AU and do something of significance. I know that it will be in the field of development, but I have become increasingly interested in the intersection of environment and development. I hope that I can have a career in this field, and I am sure I will use the knowledge I have acquired in this class.