As for myself, I'm Alex Ward and I'm an IR major living in Southborough, MA. I spent this past summer catching up on a ton of books and working as a waiter at a fancy Italian restaurant called Papa Razzi. I was surprised they hired me, though, since I am an underage kid trying to sell ludicrously high-priced bottles of wine. Still, it was an interesting experience. That job didn't stop me from going to Barcelona, Spain, though, to visit my family, since all but my parents are all the way over there. I'm very happy to be back at AU and look forward to a great semester - this class (obviously!) included.
In all honesty, I still don't know why I enrolled in this class. This is not meant to sound bad - I'm very excited and happy that I'm in it - but if you had asked me six months ago if I would ever think to enroll in a class with even a shred of science in it, I would have laughed in your face; however, I couldn't let my dislike of "science" keep me away from learning such an important subject. As an IR major - but, more importantly, a citizen of the world - it would have been wrong, in my view, to pass up the opportunity to fully engage with the problems I'm sure will become pertinent in the near future (as much as that pains me to say). Ultimately, as cheesy as it sounds, it was my sense of morality and concern for my fellow man that lead me to enroll in this class - I need to know what's happening, what's going to happen, and what, potentially, I can do to stop it. That, I guess, is why I'm enrolled in an environmental politics, and that is what I'm expecting to learn from this course. In return, I hope that my perspective of the guy "just here to learn" can help, because from what I've seen, most of the class is fairly environmentally literate. And while it sounds counter intuitive that the guy that barely knows anything can contribute, my hope is that my point of views as an outsider may fall upon ears that have not heard that argument before, and maybe start challenging some already preconceived notions. Thus, even though I don't know much on the subject, I do not plan to just sit back and listen - I feel I still have something to offer to the course. Indeed, I'm here to learn.
At first, I was very put off by the article - it just didn't make sense to me that a man who has devoted a career to the environment would suddenly say how much he hasn't really done for it. It was later that I realized that within the article lied his subtle wisdom: not even someone who has spent his career on the matter can be perfect at "living environmentally"! It's impossible! He essentially said it can't be done; however, and herein lies the true meaning of the article, it doesn't mean that perfect environmentally conscious living shouldn't be striven for. Thus, his main argument is essentially is just because it's practically impossible to do does not deter from the fact that you should try to anyway. Just because there are "too many battles to be fought" does not mean that one shouldn't try to. Living an environmentally perfect life would essentially mean an end to living - no travel to far away lands, worse tasting meals, less kids (if a big family is what you enjoy), etc. The environmental problems we face should not necessarily mean an end to the life you know, but striving to keep your life in balance while help the environment is all that can be asked for. Failing is not the biggest issue, it's the attempt. While, of course, succeeding is the ideal, is the fact that someone hasn't succeeded really be that big of a "black mark" on the person? Should not that fact that the person is trying to help be enough? At least to me it is, and I think Mr. Fish would agree.
I believe I'm in the same boat as Mr. Fish when I say that "living environmentally friendly" should not consist of having your life be dominated always by having to make the environmentally moral choice - it would drive you crazy! However, I do believe in doing things to help the environment constantly: for example, turning off the water when not needed, combine laundry loads, carpool to places/ride a bike if it's possible, by locally grown foods. These are things that I believe people should start to do and continue to do if they so choose. Living environmentally, then, is doing things with the environment in mind that you believe can help. This seems like the U.S. version way of doing it - "don't tell me what to do, but I'll do it because I know I have to." As long, then, is trying to do their part, I cannot be mad at them. Just because they're not perfect doesn't mean they're bad. The only people I'd have trouble with are those that choose to ignore "living environmentally" altogether. But, if you make an effort under your criteria of "living environmentally", then you're doing your part; if everyone did things like this, then the world would be a better place already.
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