Free Blog #1

In this free blog I thought I would talk about my experience volunteering with City Roots. I went there with Abbey, my classmate, and we sent the afternoon weeding, picking flowers, planting, and preparing vegetables for market. I had a blast volunteering there and am thinking about doing an internship there in the fall. After we were done working we got to play with the chickens and that was the hi-light of my week. I got to eat a flower for the first time while I was there. I did not know that certain flowers were edible. It was weird because they tasted exactly how you would think a flower would taste and then they were really spicy after you chewed them. 

Before this class I did not know that City Roots existed. I am so glad that I discovered this farm because it is a wonderful place to spend time at and organic food is a passion of mine so it is the perfect place for me to go. I learned a lot about growing food while there and this was great because it is what I will be doing this summer. I recommend everybody to go there at least once and see what they have to offer. 

Blog #14

What surprised you about the process of Environmental Policy? Do you think that the U.S. Senate should have ratified the Kyoto Protocol? Why or why not. Why do you think creating and implementing environmental policy is so difficult locally, nationally, and internationally? Should communities and local government do more on a local level to create environmental policy? What environmental issues would you like to see addressed by policy makers? 

The Environmental Policy process is incredibly long and frustrating, as with anything in politics. I was surprised about the amount of resistance the general public has for it. 

I think that the senate should have ratified the Kyoto Protocol. I think that seeing that all the other countries did it should of been enough for the Us to do it as well. I think that 7% is a reasonable number even though we are a large country. I can see why they did not ratify the protocol, but I think that as a country we need to take care of this Earth. 

I think it is difficult to implement environmental policy because it is hard to implement anything in general. It also seems that people have a lot of resistance to green movements and things like global warming. I think it is because that anything that would inconvenience  the general public they automatically have resistance to it. People like speed and connivence and any environmental policy limits that, but for a good cause. 

I think that communities and local government need to 100% create environmental policy for it to really work. More can be done locally than can be done nationally and I think that kind of a "grassroots" politic in the sense that it is starting at the smallest level of government would be the best way to make a change. I think that more things could be done locally and they would be better adjusted for that community. Nationally things are too standard for it to work for everybody. 

I think we need to come up with solutions for our farming and meet production systems. I think that they need to be held accountable for their amount of polution. But I also think that people should take it upon themselves to help the environment. I wish that the government did not have to be involved at all. Unfortunately, the world has become solely about profit and the environment always suffers to make a greater profit. 

Blog #13

What do you think of ecofemisnism before you read, and after? Did you have any strong reactions? What do forms of dominance do you see in the world around you?

Before I read I figured ecofeminism had something to do with women feeling oppressed and excluded from the "male dominated" world. I did not understand how they would tie it into ecology and nature. 

After I read, I gathered that it was kind of similar to what I thought. I didn't realize that they think attacks on the environment are attacks on women because women are identified with being closer to nature than men. 

I think that ecofeminism is kind of hypocritical and way to extreme. They want to make man and woman equal but their belief that women are closer to nature already but man and woman on separate pages. From what I gathered was that ecofeminists believe in gender equality, this does not seem like gender equality. Mother nature was a thing started by humans just like the division between man and women, so how can women be closer to nature than men? Which is why I think that ecofeminist taking attacks on nature just because women are more closely related to nature (by human doing) is silly. I kind of think even making that a point that they stand on really counteracts what they are trying to do. 

In the world around me I do see differences between man and woman. Men are more dominant in many things, like sports and the world of business. But to tell the truth, I am not to offended by it. It is up to women to rise about it. Yes it's frustrating that women make less than men in certain instances, but I think that for the most part there are more important issues to focus on in the world. Maybe i'm speaking out of turn and I should be more upset over this, but for some reason it really does not make me to upset.

Blog #12

Would you join the Green Party or not?  What aspects of green values do you believe should be ideally incorporated into a "green" party?  Do these align, do you think, with the Green Party? Also, are the Earth First! activists justified in their actions?  
(Optional extra question for fun: If you were to run for political office with the Green Party/your ideal "green" party, who would you seek out to be your celebrity endorser and why?) 

I do not see myself joining the green party. I agree with a lot of their views and stances on environmental issues, but there are also a lot of things that I do not agree with. I think that they put a lot of the blame on the top 1% of the country, which happens a lot. I do not see this as fair or right. 

I do not agree with their stance on the redistribution of wealth and I also do not see how giving money to those outside the formal monetary economy would work. I think they have all these ideas but there will not be any money to fund the process. This country is in enough debt as it is. They want to "Restructure our patterns of income distribution to reflect the wealth created by those outside the formal monetary economy: those who take responsibility for parenting, housekeeping, home gardens, community volunteer work, etc." This whole concept just would never work in our society and I do not think it is a good idea for society. 

However many of there views would be great to incorporate into politics and life in general. I would love America to become more grassroots driven, non-violent, equal opportunistic, sustainable, etc.. But adopting the Green Party as a whole would not be feasible or something that I would do. 

I think the Earth First! activists are just trying to get their point across in an unusual way. I think if they have to burn a few bridges to do so then that seems okay with me. Yes it could be considered "foul play", but my mom always said "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". 

I do not think I would want a celebrity endorser if I was to be a part of the Green Party. 

Blog #11

1.What religion were you raised with and how does that affect your view of spiritual ecology?

2.What are your opinions on the Gaia Hypothesis? Do you agree or disagree?

3. Do you believe we live in a hyper-masculine culture? If so, how do you see it changing?

I was raised in a Christian home, going to Church and Sunday school. I think that through this I definitely have a respect for nature. I see it as something to protect and live off of. I understand the position of spiritual ecology and where they are coming from. However I do not think that I would ever become a spiritual ecologist. Don't get me wrong, I love nature and the outdoors. I just do not see myself worshiping nature like a God. 

The Gaia hypothesis is really confusing. From my understanding it kind of goes along with the Deep Ecology thoughts of everything being connected and interacting with everything else in the world. It sounds like the world interacts to take care and regulate itself. Now I do not know if this is with or without human interaction in the world. 

As for hyper-masculine culture, I think that in the past the belief could make sense. But in our world today I think we are getting more and more away from that view. There are many different types of people in the world today so I don't think that hyper-masculine culture is 100% the world we live in today.

Blog #10

What is Social Ecology? What are your reactions to the readings? What forms of hierarchy are in our world today? Are these hierarchies natural? Are there any better alternatives?

Social Ecology believes in getting to the root of current ecological and social problems. It believes that most of these problems arise from the hierarchal systems set in place by human nature. It goes against the mind set of humans dominating nature, instead it believes in human being one and working with nature. Social Ecology is the vies that once humans harmonize with nature most problems will be solved. 

According to Social Ecology there are more than just the obvious forms of hierarchy. The obvious ones being political hierarchy and economic heirarchy. Social Ecology says that even if these systems were to be abolished there would still be age, race, gender, physical quality, and other irrational forms of hierarchy. 

I think it is human nature to form hierarchical systems of classes. Maybe there are better alternatives, maybe not. It is hard to say because life has been like this forever. Who is to say that a non hierarchical system will work. I do not think we will ever know because people put so much value on these systems and stuff that arises from these systems. I do not think the world will ever get to a place where these systems would be abolished. Maybe if something really bad happened to provoke the change, but what would that have to be? 

These reading were really interesting and the world they promote seems like a great place. But I do not see it happening on a large scale. I think that people search out these new ways of life because they look at the negatives of this one. But I think this one isn't so bad. 

Blog #9

Explain your view on deep ecology. How can you relate these views to your lifestyle? Do you most agree with or disagree with about the principles? What concerns do you have about Deep Ecology? 

I think that deep ecology is very complex and very interesting. I think that it makes some valid points that I completely agree with. However, I do not think I will ever be able to fully grasp or understand it in its entirety. 

 I think that shallow ecology is a much easier concept to fit into a lifestyle. Deep ecology is a changing of your whole outlook on life and the way you live. I think that to fully embrace deep ecology would be nearly impossible to do in this day and age. I think on a basic level, eliminating as much waste from your life is possible is the first place to start when applying deep ecology in your life. I think that in my lifestyle I have huge of respect for nature but after reading these articles I realize that there is so much more to respecting nature than I thought. Everything on this world is interconnected and has a life of its own and has the right to live and prosper, just like humans. It's hard to grasp that no life form is better than humans, we are all on the same playing field. A blade of grass has just the same rights that I have. 

I think that these principles make a ton of sense and I agree with them, but in some ways I doubt them. I think that being a human makes it hard to see the world in the eyes of something else. I also think that if you can accomplish this you would understand and follow deep ecology much better. 

I think that deep ecology is sooo far in left field, getting other people to follow it or even agree with it would be very difficult. Especially when a lot of people think that the world can sustain us forever and that the world is here to serve us. I think that getting people to think that an ant is the same as a human would be very difficult because humans have been projected as the dominated race "ruling" the world.