Religion and Ecology 2022

I like how this reading described the concept that all of nature of a gift-exchange. The author used Eskimo’s as an example since they know taking the life of something requires gratitude and care. Eating is a necessary sacrament, but non-harming is also an important approach to all living things. Snyder says this goal of non-harming can be accomplished by saying Grace. I like how he emphasized that we say grace to clear our hearts, but we must also ensure that we’re conscious while doing it and not filled with guilt. This relates to our class discussions because we talked about how religion and our relationship with nature is a strong motivating factor behind most of our daily actions. Lastly, anyone can use a Grace and put whatever deep meaning they want into it to further their beliefs and spiritual relationships. 

The philosophy professor in the small German town of Jena explained the idea that an individual’s self and nature are identical. This was an interesting concept that he explained to the public as previous philosophers always divided the world into mind and matter, making the mind separate from nature. I also liked this because it gives us a new way to think about ourselves and our relationship with nature. This ties back into our discussions from class as we frequently discussed how important our relationship is with nature and different ways to strengthen this bond. We discussed how we can learn so much more about ourselves by just going out into nature. 

New Zealands’s most well-known conservation story is about the two Chatham Island black robins that were able to save their species population. The population suffered a major decline when rats invaded the area and by 1976, there were only 7 birds left. Researchers moved the remaining birds to an island with no predators and the only breeding pair were later labeled as “Adam and Eve” for the robin population. However, scientists worried that this would cause an increase in robins with genetic defects, but data displayed that this was not the case. Studies also revealed that even though inbreeding among the robin population increased substantially, there was not an increase in the number of harmful mutations. What if the robin’s recovery stops, slows down, or reverses as more harmful mutations gather in the population? Scientists continue to study this remarkable conservation story and how the robins react to different threats.  https://theconversation.com/back-from-the-brink-how-ge...

   We spent a couple of class periods going over how we decided what we could eat versus what we couldn't. This sets us apart from animality because of how we look to decide what's okay to eat. Animals don't have a problem with going after food unless there's fear involved. If a hyena can steal the prey of predators, it will unless it decides the risk is not worth it. Some domestic dogs and cats will also hunt prey, even if they would rather them not. Humans, however, look more deeply into this question. We mention a bunch of examples in class. I think they were called the Jains(?), but they could only eat food that was given to them was freshly cooked and unplanned because they could have nothing to do with the killing of another organism. This includes plants and bacteria. Another one we mentioned is not eating animals with faces on them, which is common in the U.S. because food usually never looks like animals when we have them to eat. I was at a restaurant somewhere...

  During our discussion on November 17th, we brought up the diets. There are all kinds of diets, including fad diets and religious diets. Last semester, I was in Food and Culture, and we had a section on diets. My teacher mentioned that diets are used for change more than other actions because of how much easier it is to change up what you eat versus other parts of your life. This is also one of the reasons that there are a lot of psychological issues that cause either overeating or under-eating. Fad diets have been around for a long time as a way of 'quick and easy' actions for weight loss or what is the right diet for us. One example brought up was the paleo diet, which is where we are supposed to eat what our ancestors ate. However, that means there is no right paleo diet because many different earlier humans had very different diets depending on where they lived. A religious diet that we talked about in this class was called the Hallelujah diet. There are a lot more example...

   I found gift-giving to be one of the most interesting topics this semester because of just how much I've thought of it. Modern society has often turned gift-giving into an exchange. If we give a gift, the giver often expects something back, and the receiver often expects to have to give something in return. Not only in modern society but in the past too. In Ancient Greek, wealthy families had guest-friendship with people outside of their city-state. A family would offer hospitality for the other's stay, which began an alliance or network based on this guest-friendship. Guest-friendships would be expected to host the person or the family that had given they hospitality before. And the closest guest-friendships would be the places they ran off to if they were exiled from their original polis. Though true friendships might have been built, it doesn't change the fact that it was more of an exchange than it was true hospitality.  

    I really appreciated this class. It provided a kind of open discussion class where it was easy to share one's thoughts and feelings on different topics without it feeling forced. The laid-back atmosphere was also pleasant to be in, in comparison to some of my other classes where we were following a strict syllabus that we needed to make it through every class time. This hinders the time available for class discussion or students' questions sometimes. I did not know what I was really expecting when I started this class at the beginning of the semester. But I ended up enjoying the topics we went over a lot as well. I found the ones on food to be particularly interesting. However, this could possibly be because I just find topics centered around food to be engaging anyway. I was also really thankful for the food that our professor brought to class occasionally. It was a literal life-saver at some points. Otherwise, I did feel that this class seemed a bit more philosophical th...

      In these two chapter, Eisenberg talks about the ranges seen between the mountain and the tower--or between wilderness and civilization. These are in examples like pastoralism, suburbia, and arcadia. They are the middle ground of the two extremes with mountains having no civilization at all and towers having no wilderness. While middle grounds tend to start out alright, they usually start failing after awhile. It's  possibly because the lifestyle was not sustainable. Pastoralism is starts degrading the soils once it gets to populated or gets overgrazed. The mountain part of suburbs can easily be lost into ideals where the community loses the reasons on why suburban areas were made. The middle ground is a delicate balance, but one many want to live in to enjoy the benefits of both the wilderness and civilization. 

      This Chapter of Ecology of Eden mentions comparisons between mutualism and symbiosis. As a biology major, I've come in contact with these terms a lot. I usually describe any interaction or relationship between two organisms as symbiotic , and a relationship/interaction that's beneficial for both organisms as mutualistic. And that all mutualism is under symbiotic, while no all symbiotic relations are mutualistic. That is why I was kind of confused about his want to separate the terms further. Mutualism is biology doesn't include predation, and it shouldn't include competition either I believe. Though I do agree with symbiosis being the term he wants to continuous use in relation to interactions between organisms

  Chapter 6: "Life on the Edge" was another chapter I presented on. Chapter 6 ask the question that we've talked about in class a couple of time. For example, 'what does nature mean, 'what is natural,' 'what is human nature,' and 'how can something be natural.' It is hard to explain what exactly nature is, and it can differ based on the individual using it. Eisenberg begins by stating that earlier usage of the word did not have any particular connection with the outdoors or the wilderness. He then states that we are a part of nature also means we have nature ourselves. Eisenberg also argues that many things are natural, like farming and progress, because it is a part of our human nature. He states farming did not come from evolution, so it had to be started due to human nature. He states things like our instinct to nurture, manipulate, and have a predictable environment can lead us to do things that can be considered natural. He also connects n...

     For my research paper topic, I chose Joanna Macy. She's a deep ecology author who combines the principles of deep ecology with the beliefs of Buddhism. One of these works is called World as Lover, World as Self .  Macy states in this book that paticca samuppada is the phrase for interconnectedness of the world. She states that Buddha realized that every being in the world was interdependent on each other. This is hard for us to understand sometimes because of human nature. One individual might not realize the significance that soil has on our lives, and that the soils is made up of all kinds of life we would not realize if we did not open ourselves up to it first. Like how the one Ecology of Eden chapter on soil was. Buddhism also disagrees with the idea of priori reasoning, where knowledge is separated from experiences, because it also separates the idea from both us and the world. Macy finds that by opening ourselves up to the world, we can awaken the a...

   For my presentation, I talked about chapters 5 and 6 of Ecology of Eden . Chapter 5 was titled "The Human Mushroom." It talked about how humans are like mushrooms because we, too, are saprophytes that get energy from dead organisms. In the case of this chapter, Eisenberg means how we use fossil fuels for energy. I found this to be such an interesting but legitimate analogy to think about. It goes on to talk about how we are bringing back up old organisms to use to bolster our economy. However, there are consequences to using fossil fuels. Some of them are pretty clear, like pollution or habitat destruction to reach the nonrenewable resources. Eisenberg states that the dangers of obtaining a new form of energy have always come with a risk, which he gives accessing Oxygen as one of them. That does give hope that we will somehow be able to adapt to a more sustainable way of life in the future--even if it still contains the usage of fossil fuels. The last section made a connec...

    For my Outdoor Leadership class, LDSP 340, we had to do an outdoor experience as a group during fall break. The students had to be the main ones planning and executing the trip, though they had help from the teacher and textbooks. I was a part of the class’s Logistics and Planning team, which helped to decide and plan the trip. We chose to go to Torry Ridge for our outdoor experience on a four-day, three-night backpacking trip. We left Saturday morning on October 8th and returned on the 11th. We hiked a looped trail that was more than 20 miles long that was located in the George Washington National Forest. The overall conditions during the trip were great. I considered the weather to be excellent for hiking. We camped at no-trace campsites, which was pretty nice. I think it had been a while since the day two campsite had been used because of the overgrowth. The trail was more difficult than I expected. It was rocky and full of inclines and declines repeated throughout th...

        "Control Burn" is a poem within Gary Snyder's  Turtle Island on page 19 . It starts with how Native Americans knowingly set some of the lands there on fire every year to clear out some bushes and grasses and how there was never enough fuel to burn down the slower-growing plants such as trees. The poem introduced how Manzanita scrub, along with other logging fuel, can cause this destructive fire. However, this more destructive fire will also bring along the natural laws of nature with a new, cleared land, and Snyder states here that it will once again belong to the Native Americans. I chose to comment on this poem specifically because in the second to last stanza, it mentions that Manzanita seeds need fire or to be eaten by a bear to open. I'm currently in BIOL 213 and 213L, which is half Botany and half Zoology. A part of our final project in the lab is based on communicating the information you gathered on your plant species' germination. We all ch...

     Selhub and Logan in Your Brain on Nature (2012) state that "as our society has progressed, we have moved away from nature" (p. 8). I feel that this is true, not only on a societal level, but also my personal one. With nature in this context being the outdoors, I’ve been spending less time in nature the older I’ve gotten. I’ve just not been making time for it like I should. This is probably for a whole bunch of reasons like being stressed, busy, or just not feeling up to it. There’s is also the fact that I would rather not go alone to certain places by myself too. However, Selhub and Logan state that being in nature can decrease cortisol levels in our bodies (p. 15-16). This might be a reason on why I should regularly be trying to schedule being in the outdoors. Maybe the Nolan Trail could offer me a retreat from the everyday stresses from university life.

  AMC Guide to Outdoor Leadership  by Kosseff was my textbook for Outdoor Leadership this semester. It had a lot of information about being a leader in outdoor programs. Why would Outdoor programs require such a different leadership style than the ones I’ve learned in other Leadership classes? I feel like it mostly deals with the fact that outdoor programs involve so much more risk. Kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities all have risks involved in them. In comparison, other leadership programs where it is watching a seminar or doing activities in small, controlled areas. There are also the many “what ifs” you must be prepared for with the program. Because of the fact that many outdoor programs have completely uncontrollable portions, I think outdoor leaders have many more opportunities to grow and promote leadership capabilities. What happens if someone gets hurt and you are out of reach of calling 911? What happens if one of the people you are in cont...

    Wild is a memoir of Cheryl Strayed during her time on the Pacific Crest Trail, also known as the PCT. the PCT is a trail that goes along the pacific coast from the bottom of California to the top of Washington. One of the things I admired most about Strayed was her courage during her months on the trail. Cheryl Strayed needed to hike the trail alone to help find herself after feeling like she lost herself after her mother’s death. In one chapter Strayed states, “Being near Tom and Doug at night kept me from having to say to myself I am not afraid whenever I heard a branch snap in the dark or the wind shook so fiercely it seemed something bad was bound to happen. But I wasn’t out here to keep myself from having to say I am not afraid” ( p. 122). One of the reasons she did the trails was to prove that she was brave enough and determined enough to this by herself. Though she did meet friends and have help along the way, she spend a majority of her time on the trail by h...

     For one of my classes, I had to read the book Your Brain on Nature by Selhub and Logan. One of the many topics relevant to today is how screen culture has impacted our lives. Selhub and Logan state that “many of us have become slaves to our screens” (p.37), which I believe, in many cases, is true. My phone usage can range from 7 hours a day to 10, depending on what I am doing for the day. Days I was out and doing stuff or was very busy are closer to 7 hours, but a day where I can laze around can get up to 10. This means 30-40% of my week is spent on my phone, which is an embarrassingly large amount of time considering that another 25% is spent sleeping, meaning only 35% is spent outside of sleeping and being on my phone. Why do humans today seem to spend so much time on their phones? Selhub and Logan mention that we get hits of dopamine whenever we find something new or interesting on our phones, which leads us to continue using them because of the feelings we ...

 This semester has been super eye opening for me. I have entered each class and left with a new thought. The class has been thought provoking and engaging. I no longer just see the world as a natural place but as a place that has a connectedness with the human race, with our religions, and with our future. Before this class, I had so many questions and after leaving this class I still have many questions but these are new. I really like how none of the thoughts or questions that I had were comfortable and I liked that I was challenged to think harder and that there could be more than one answer to my questions. I do not think my thoughts have been challenged as much as they were in this class and I really liked being out of my comfort zone of knowing the answers to everything. 

 A lot of my life I have focused on the Abrahamic religions and how they connect to nature. I decided I wanted to look into another religion that has a connectedness with nature. Hinduism has many teachings that call for the praise and respect of the devine beings in nature. The elements, in the Hindu faith, are crucial to the web of life. The earth, herself, is a representation of a goddess that should be worshiped. Our karma is decided by how we treat nature. All of these ideas that are proposed in the Hindu religion call for respect and love for the divinity of nature and I think that is absolutely beautiful. Like other religions, not all parts of the faith are focused on the protection of the earth but the fact that the Hindu religion calls for a basic respect of the planet is very peaceful and kind. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/10-hindu-environmental-te_b_846245

 Paul Sheprad, in his book Tender Carnivore and the Sacred Game, calls for us humans to return to our original state of hunting and gathering. According to Shepard, the downfall of the human race was when we began the agricultural revolution. I understand his view point but I cannot agree with it. We had lived in peace with the world even after the agricultural revolution. In my opinion, the downfall of the human race was after the industrial revolution and the modernization of medicine. The human population has exponentially grown since the industrial revolution and medicine modernization and as a result, the earth has faced a global climate crisis. Instead of returning to what was, like Shepard believes might be the necessity, I believe we need to learn to adapt and live in harmony with the world around us once again. 

 Throughout the semester, we have had many talks about how the food we eat now is many degrees removed from its original state of being. We no longer understand that the filet of fish we are eating came from a living, breathing fish that used to live in the waters from which we swim, bathe, or drink from. The milk from the cows that we pour into our morning cereal is just something we buy from the grocery store but where does the milk originate from? Instead of appreciating the source of the food that we eat, we eat and drink mindlessly while watching tv or listening to podcasts. I think that it is important to recognize and appreciate the source from which our food came. I think being more connected to the sources of our food would make us realize that some of the food that we consume is not natural and in order to be our healthiest selves, we must return to eating the food from the earth and have an appreciation for the sources where our food and drinks come from.

 I saw a very interesting video the other day. It was talking about the bible verse that tells us that God made us in his image. Then I thought of Thomas Berry’s thoughts on the universe and how God is the universe and the universe is God. I look at the veins of leaves and the veins that run through my body and admire the similarities that I see. I do the same as I look at how cauliflower looks like our brains, trees celebrate their birthday each year by adding a ring, the theorized birth place of life is in the deep depths of the ocean in hydrothermal tube worms that bleed the same as we do. Perhaps we are made in God’s image. And perhaps God is the universe. 

 A lot of my friends do not hold the same religious views as me. I am always interested to hear what others believe in or what they do not believe in. Sometimes, what they tell me they believe in also aligns with what I believe in but we just label these beliefs differently. For example, one of my friends believes in a spiritual being that gave us the earth as a gift and we must protect the gift or else we will make the spiritual being upset. I believe this to be true but instead of an unnamed spiritual being, I believe that this is what God has done. He has given us the earth and granted us the possibility of taking care of the earth but if we are doing the opposite like we are now, we are making God upset because we are not taking care of the gift that is the Earth.

 Music plays a huge role in many religions. Music for me plays a huge role in my religion and also my connectedness with the earth around me. I love laying either in my hammock or directly on the ground and listening to the music of the songs on my phone or the music that the earth itself makes. The sound of the wind, the chirping of the birds, the song of the crickets at night, all of these melodies that I hear make me feel even more connected to the natural world around me.

The following poem that was included in Gary Snyder’s Turtle Island is one of hope. If we can save our planet, then the places that are saved, the natural grounds, they will be the place where our decedents come in peace to gather. But if we do not make changes in an attempt to help our planet, then we as humans are doomed and will all go down. The Earth will still spin on without us, but it is up to us to conjure peace and attempt to save the only place that humans are known to thrive. For the children The rising hills, the slopes, of statistics lie before us. the steep climb of everything, going up, up, as we all go down. In the next century or the one beyond that, they say, are valleys, pastures, we can meet there in peace if we make it. To climb these coming crests one word to you, to you and your children: stay together learn the flowers go light

 During our last class, we discussed the CNU trip to Iceland. It was interesting to learn about the unique culture of the Icelandics and how their culture connects to our course. My parents love going to Iceland as a layover before going to the European continent. They told me about how it never got dark when they were there and that the landscape was breathtaking. They also spoke about the connectedness that the Icelandic people have with the earth. Bathing in the springs, using the mud and clay to rejuvenate their skin. I wonder how big of a role that the earth played in the first Icelandics lives. How fearful were they when the sun went down in the winter and did not return for months? What rituals did they have once the sun stayed up all day during the summer months? After hearing about the trip to Iceland by Dr. Redick and some of my CNU peers, I am very intrigued at the idea of going to Iceland and learning about the interconnections between the Icelandic people’s religion an...

Paul Shepard’s The Tender Carnivore is a fascinating take on the ills of society. The agricultural revolution is often hailed as a turning point in human history because people could settle in one area and have their food needs met, which, in turn, increased human populations. Paul Shepard, however, views agriculture as a majorly destructive invention. The rise of farming decreased the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and brought forth more structure to society that created hierarchy. I find Shepard’s perspective different than I have ever heard before. My perception of hunter-gatherers is that they struggled to continuously find food sources and the agricultural revolution made life easier and less stressful. My takeaway from this book is that I have been thinking about the history of the relationship between humans and food all wrong. I know there are systematic problems with human society but I did not think they could be traced back to the Neolithic revolution.

     In experiencing the modern American holidays, I feel conflicted on how we celebrate. Though this time of year brings me great joy and nostalgia, I cannot help but feel as though what we celebrate is insincere. I have a goal to live as self-sustaining as possible for myself and my family, and feel a deep connection to food and creating meals from the ground up. In traveling home to Stafford, VA, where half of the Thanksgiving meal has been in a freezer for the past week and the other half will stressfully be picked up the day before at our local Walmart, the meaning becomes less of gratitude and humbleness and more of “how much food can we buy before the store runs out”. We have been handed so much so frequently that petty competitions over the last turkey and the strange social customs of a strip mall are what Thanksgiving is remembered by.       Even while home, I rushed in the 3 days I visited to move all of my belongings into plastic bins (from...

As we end the semester, I want to reflect on the first book we read, From Nature to Creation . The most impactful idea was distinguishing the definitions between nature and creation in the Christian understanding. Nature has become synonymous with natural resources, which makes exploitation so easy and mindless. By having two different words, I think Christians (and others) can justify the destruction and distance themselves from the creation story. Our commodified view of nature has ruined our appreciation for the natural world. This begs the question: How do we approach healing our relationship with creation? This is a complex question that I am not sure how to approach. From my science background, I want to communicate the importance of ecosystems and the services they provide, but this approach will not work for everyone.

There is history of religious thinking and attention to the role of humans and the environment. The article mentions the belief that God created Earth and humans, so it’s our responsibility to preserve it. This is an important idea shared across many religions. This article relates heavily to our class conversations because we often discuss ideas in different religions and their impact in our lives. It also stressed the importance of focusing on relevant environmental issues like pollution, climate change, and biodiversity. It’s our job to work to reduce the effects of these issues to protect the environment.  https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2015/10/22/religion-and-views-on-climate-and-energy-issues/

Students and staff are able to use their unique religious traditions to create changes in the environment. As previously stated, 80% of the world’s population currently practices a certain religion. This was interesting to me because I knew religion plays an important role in the world, but I didn’t know that many people are religious. Therefore, religion has such a strong influence in people’s daily behaviors. This is why it’s so crucial for churches especially to show that they are making an effort to live a more sustainable life. Moreover, this will hopefully influence other people to follow their lead and be more sustainable as well. I liked how this article provided a specific example of a religion that is influenced by the environment. It explained how the religion of Jainsim has a specific connection to environmentalism, from food to daily actions. This relates heavily to our class discussions because we often discuss how strong of an impact religion can have on our daily lives....

Sustainability goals can only be achieved if people invest the time and make an effort to accomplish these goals. Moreover, living a sustainable life has become so important in order to conserve the resources we have and protect the environment. However, it definitely can be difficult to achieve when some people don’t make the effort and support these goals. The article also stressed the importance of churches to make the sustainability goal one of their main focuses. As stated in my previous blog, 80% of the world’s population practices a religion. Therefore, churches and religion in general has such a strong influence on the human population. If churches make an effort and show that they are trying to live more sustainably, it will influence their followers to do the same. This relates to our class discussion because we frequently talked about religion’s strong impact on people and their daily lives. We’ve also discussed different reasons why sustainability is so important and specif...

Scientists have warned that the increase in intense natural disasters are severely impacting people’s quality of life. This has caused leaders to focus on creating more rules to lower the health and environmental effects of these disasters. I thought it was interesting how this article focuses on the idea of green spirituality. This idea is grounded in our experience of life on Earth. Furthermore, it recognizes our special connection to the environment. It can either have God as the center, or oriented toward Earth and its ecosystems. This relates to our conversations from class as it describes the spiritual connection we have with Earth and our relationship to it. It is our job to continue this relationship and work to strengthen it. The statistics in this article were also interesting as I learned that 80% of the world’s population practices a religion. Therefore, what can be done to try to stop these natural disasters to improve people’s quality of life? https://theconversation.com/...

Studies have shown that religion plays a role in how we interact in and with the environment. This can include their opinion regarding whether or not environmental issues are caused by humans, the overuse of natural resources, etc. This is crucial because it can also affect their willingness to take action regarding environmental degradation. It was interesting to learn that nations with less religious people tend to use more resources and produce more emissions. However, these nations are also wealthier, so they’re better prepared to deal with these environmental issues. This relates to our class conversations because we often discussed important issues involving the environment and how different areas respond to it. We also mentioned how strong of an influence religion can have on our daily lives and action. https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/10/15/religion-influences-relationship-environment/

I found this article extremely interesting as I never knew trying to feed wildlife after natural disasters may not actually be beneficial for them. This article focuses on Australia as an example as they frequently have natural disasters like forest fires and floods. There is little evidence to show trying to feed these animals or give them water actually helps them in the long run. However, is it still better to try so that the animals can quickly recover and survive? It seems like people should just completely avoid trying to feed the animals after disasters. This is because the animals are more likely to become dependent on people for food and less likely to go out and find it on their own. This will then harm them in the long run and lower their chances of recovering quickly. People also run the risk of attracting other predators to the feeding sites, so the injured and weak animals will have no chance to defend themselves. This relates to our class conversation as we frequently di...

Planet Earth is currently experiencing a biodiversity crisis, which is causing a reduction in the variety of life. I was surprised at the statistics given as the article explained how about one million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction. This is an insane number and will hopefully help people realize the severe consequences to their actions. This is why sustainability and conserving Earth’s resources is so important. Scientists have created a plan known as 30x30, which says that we must protect at least 30% of Earth’s surface on land and sea by 2030. This will greatly help all species and ecosystems around the world recover. What are some specific ways humans can work to achieve this 30x30 plan? We must closely evaluate how we are interacting with the environment and change our actions to protect it. This relates to our previous discussions in class as we have focused on the need to live a more sustainable life and protect the environment. We also stressed the crucial f...

This important text describes the crucial need for humans to care more about conserving Earth’s resources. I had to read this for my environmental English class and we focused on why the environment relies on us to follow this and different ways this can be achieved. I like how this reading emphasized the fact that if current generations don’t start caring more about protecting the environment and conserving the resources we have access to, then future generations will suffer. This is important because future generations should not have to suffer consequences from things they did not cause. We’re lucky enough to have access to so many different resources on Earth, so it’s our job to protect them. It provides coal as an example and says one day it could run out if we don’t start conserving it, but it’s labeled as an inexhaustible resource. Why is it given the false label as inexhaustible when it will one day run out? People are constantly burning large amounts of coal, so it’s important...

 It’s crucial we start to live more sustainable lives to help reduce the effects of climate change. Scientists have claimed that we have 12 years left unless we work hard to change our actions. This will allow us to avoid some of the most devastating impacts of climate change. It’s crucial that we lower carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. There are many different damaging effects climate change has caused. Temperatures have risen, sea level rise is worse, Antarctica is melting faster, etc. What can companies do to help reduce the effects of climate change? It’s important they help educate the public on this important issue and push past comfort zone to engage with customers. This article relates to conversations we’ve had in class as we frequently discussed the destruction that humans have caused to the environment. Climate change is a huge example of this as we have caused mass destruction to the planet, so it’s important we work to reduce the effects.    https://hbr.org/20...

 This chapter focuses on the diversity of ecosystems and the harmful effects caused to wilderness.  The entire planet relies on the flow of wilderness, but humans are tying to almost keep the wilderness in boxes. Wildlife refuges were given as an example and the book explained that these can sometimes be death traps. This is because the wildlife are often kept in small areas, which can be damaging in the long run. I thought it was interesting how descriptive this chapter was and I liked that wilderness was said to function like organs. This chapter relates to conversations I have had in my environmental English class as it frequently mentioned the importance of biodiversity. It’s crucial that humans work to protect biodiversity in ecosystems, since we are usually the reasons diversity is reduced. 

 This chapter in the Ecology of Eden focuses on the role of agriculture and the Adam and eve story. It taught me a lot about the common practices of the Israelites as it discussed how they are great hill farmers and live sustainable lives. This relates to discussions from our class as we focus on being sustainable and protecting the environment. Deforestation was a common topic mentioned in this chapter as the farmers frequently tore down trees in search of the rich, red soil underneath. It was also interesting to learn more about the Adam and Eve story from this chapter. They both failed to resist temptation, so they were banished from Eden. Eve was forced to have painful childbirths and Adam had to farm for himself to gather food. Why does it seem like Eve got a worse punishment than Adam. 

It’s important for us to ensure we take the time to go out into nature in our free time. This allows us to further the special connection we have with the environment and enjoy the benefits. This relates to other texts I have read in my environmental English class as they focus on going out into nature. Some have focused on the religious and spiritual aspect of going out on walks and observing the environment. We are able to unwind and sometimes learn so much more about ourselves through going on walks in nature. Some even believe you can go on spiritual journeys during this time. It was interesting how this reading gave specific conditions that must be met for something to be considered wilderness. Lastly, how often should humans try to take walks in nature? 

Today in our class we talked about Iceland and I actually went on a study aboad with Dr. Redick over the summer. We did a recap of the various travels we went on in Iceland and the many things we learned. First we talked about the geography of Iceland and the type of people that live there, some of their cultural beliefs, and then how they rely on renewable energy: hydropower and geothermal energy. Then we talked about what we learned at the Ocean Cluster Co-op and how they utilize and process fish that are caught to the full extent which is inspiring since in the U.S we waste a lot of our food and take advantage of our animals. Then we talked about the Saga museum and how we learned a lot about the evolution of icelandic vikings. Basically a big story in Iceland is when the viking came, they cut down all the trees and forests and now they are working to rebuild and rejuvonate their nature. We looked at various pieces of art, murals, and other creations that make Iceland so unqiue. We ...

     Reading Dr. Redick’s piece on a “virtuous home” struck me as a rarity in what we have cultivated today. Dwellings are liminal spaces between work and sleep, where the 9 to 5 drone legally must exist between shifts to avoid the Labor Bureau’s swift hammer. Where is the home that reflects the person and fulfills them? Where is the home that was built to withstand the local climate and disasters? Where is the home made with love and craftsmanship that one moves to not only for commuting distance? Heidegger supports these kinds of homes, where the people exist together and live with rather than inside the house. Local communities are formed around dwellings and doors are meant to be opened. Redick was accurate in describing homes as “a factory instead of a dwelling place”, that we are more pilgrims moving from job to job. Our homes are more so houses rather than true homes now.