Post #1

Hi everyone! My name is Connie and I am a junior pursuing a dual degree in International Studies and CLEG. I’m hoping to go to law school and pursue a degree in international law. I will be honest and say that the initial reason that I ended up in this class is that I needed other classes to cover different sections of the international studies requirement and I took World Politics with Professor Nicholson and really liked his teaching style. However, that being said, it does not mean that I did not choose this course over several others that I could have taken. I am legitimately interested in environmental studies and believe that it will be an extremely important international issue facing the world, both literally and politically. I definitely took a larger interest after the environment has climbed the list on the agenda of international summits and meetings. I really do believe that the environment is an issue for the world to tackle and despite all the differences that different nations might have over security or culture, all that should be put aside when it comes to the environment and whether the world needs to work together to solve this problem.
As far as my personal life goes, I believe in doing the little things on a day to day basis. I think it can go along way by just taking the time to empty that can all the way, rinse it out and put it in the recycling bin or to turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. My family has always emphasized doing the little things. My brother and my sister-in-law started the family on our green path. They are the ideal organically environmentally conscious couple. And because of them, my parents have always taught me to take the time to wash the dishes and dry them with a towel, as opposed to using paper plates or cleaning with paper towels. To me this has always been an average way of life and it’s always been second nature to me and I think we can all do more.
As far as environmental education, I took AP Environmental Science. It was the first time that I understood the science behind what happens to the environment. It was a real eye-opener between the labs that were done and the different experiments that showed human impact on the earth. There’s nothing like learning the effects of acid rain by watching it kill grass right before your eyes. I had a rather scary talent for killing plants it turns out; I’ve since stayed away from raising plants. It was the first time I thought of the environment in a grander scheme, instead of something that I worried about in my small way on a day to day basis when I throw the compost pile out. And when I started taking international studies classes, each one of them featured those very scientific lessons in relation to what countries are doing to help the situation. It was then that I realized that all the elements came together, what we do in our daily lives, what the countries to, etc.
I actually really liked the Stanley Fish article. I think what he articulated is similar to what many people believe in the United States. And I can relate to it. I have days where I think why walk all the way to the other side of the building just to throw this can away when there is a trash can six inches from me. Then as usual, the guilt hits me and I walk dutifully to the side and put my can in the recycling bin. But that doesn’t mean that I’m not lazy sometimes. But what I think this article illustrates is that being environmentally friendly in the modern US means being inconvenienced in our daily lifestyles, which middle to upper class Americans have become accustomed to. I think it means that people are aware of the environmental problem and will do what they can to help it as far as it doesn’t make their lives overly difficult. I don’t think that this makes the average American person a bad person with bad intentions. I just believe that in our culture, we have become accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle and it is hard to convince people to leave that lifestyle. I think being environmentally friendly in the modern US means doing what they can to a certain degree.