As inspired by the documentary seen in class, the research paper component of my final project will be an investigation into permaculture. I will first provide a more explicit and thorough description of the permaculture ideology, specifically its three ethics and twelve guiding principles. From there, I plan to position…

I find the “Miracle Cures?” chapter of The World We Made to be a mixed bag, with some elements that seem consistent with one another and others that seem like oversights. I think the author made a wise decision to center medical advancements around developments in genomics and gene therapy,…

As we discussed in class, the Paris Agreement is rather underwhelming in terms of concrete actionable items, especially given the way it is often portrayed in the media. One shortcoming that seemed particularly glaring was the lack of a system of accountability for the various Parties; the document failed to…

Of all the fascinating ideas from Catherine Flowers’ visit on Thursday, the two things which have stuck in my mind the firmest are her use of anecdotes and her response to Joe’s question about how she addresses people who do not believe in climate change. I was extremely impressed by…

After reading “Green Earth” by Kim Stanley Robinson in such a short time, I am left with many questions regarding parts of the story we skipped and things I may have missed. Rising above these, however, is the lingering feeling of concern for how the author imagines humankind will react…

Put frankly, the film we watched on permaculture blew me away. I was left feeling as if permaculture was powerful enough to bring about a transition to a society like those we have read about in “Ecotopia” and “Pacific Edge.” The film did an excellent job of showcasing how permaculture…

(September 28) After overcoming some of the more immediate culture shocks since my arrival in Ecotopia (the sexuality, the clothes, the transportation, the attitude) my eye has turned towards another aspect of society which has evolved in Ecotopia: religion. The major religions which existed here before Independence remain today, although…

The first challenge regarding hope in the Anthropocene relates to the comment made in class by Sam, in which he suggested that hope and realism were in opposition, or that one negated the other. I believe this thought reflects the assumption that hope is beyond the realm of possibility, that…

My initial reaction to “Pacific Edge” by Kim Stanley Robinson was one of surprise. Firstly, because I felt as if the first 300 pages were devoted to a slow development of the conflict over Rattlesnake Hill woven with the individual characters’ storylines and romances, and then somehow in the last…

Yesterday in class we discussed how pessimistic speculative fiction reflects the author’s, and society’s, fears relating to the changes happening to our planet. I believe that this notion – that our imaginings reflect powerful internal sentiments – gives fiction the power to shape the design of nature’s future, whether it…