As I mentioned in class Tuesday, the abstract for my final project begins with introspection. I realize I generate a lot of waste. My trash fills mostly with takeout containers from West Union. The bulky, soggy containers fill much of my tiny dorm room trash can, pushing me to empty my trash…

The World We Made illustrated the optimistic future I have been hoping for out of this class. While Pacific Edge and Ecotopia both imagine a healthier Earth, neither novel feels accessible. The modern world differs so fundamentally from the novels, especially regarding capitalism, that use of the novels as a model…

My home state of Virginia contains a diverse political spectrum. The northern part of the state borders Washington, D.C. and houses many government employees. This wealthy, northern region is heavily blue and contributes to Virginia’s recent turn to a “blue” state. However, driving through the rest state tells a different…

Although I was unable to attend the talk with Catherine Flowers, reading about her work in environmental justice (EJ) opened my eyes to a brand new approach to environmentalism. Flowers’s interview with the Center for Earth Ethics highlighted the role of faith leaders in EJ, as she recommended they get…

I find myself daydreaming in the wake of reading Green Earth. I daydream of an America so shocked and inspired by climate change that a president like Phil Chase comes to office. In this brighter world, science need not stay silent on policy. On the contrary, American leaders and the…

After experiencing the movie from Thursday’s class, I cannot envision a positive future for nature without permaculture. The solutions enacted in the movie opened my eyes to impactful, attainable change that anyone can participate in. They also instilled immense hope into my vision of the future, which is no small feat. My earlier blog…

(November 3) Yesterday’s buzz and blur of travel, customs, and government level security clearance left me drained. The Ecotopians I met seemed eager to talk and get to know me, but I find myself stressed by the constant human interaction. Just this morning I rose at 5:45AM to briefly slip…

Hope is an intensely personal form of expression, sometimes shared by thousands for the same goal, yet unique in origin to each person. My own hope flourishes when I see “stupid” acts of kindness in the world. These altruistic anomalies are not governed by reason. They prove the future is…

In the words of Disney, “the happiest cruise that ever sailed” was borne of a small world. The Disney ride ships visitors by countless cultural caricatures to create the illusion of a happy world. In reading Pacific Edge, this image of adjacent idyllic worlds came to mind. The culture of Orange County…

In the academic world, we are often taught to sift fact from fiction as a means of making decisions. I remember learning how to detect bias in the news as a sixth grade student. My teacher described the act as a civil responsibility. However, civilians must also consider the bias…