Month: September 2020

After our discussion of the children’s books that relate to the Bali Climate Principles, I conducted some research to find another piece of art to review here. I came across a photo that I really like, and I think it should be on billboards across America.

Of course, this DIRECTLY relates to the principles, but I really appreciate the color scheme in this photo. The use of the color brown, to spell out “Leading the Way”, is very symbolic. The other colors in the photo shows inclusion of people of all colors. I like this notion, because often our friends among less common cultures are drowned out by cultures of large numbers. Furthermore, the wording in the photo is important to identify as a direct contrast against the norm. Usually, members of large, Western corporations are the ones looked to to lead the way, but in this context, indigenous peoples are the ones we must take an example from. I think this photo is an important piece of art, because it tells a much larger story without being too involved or complex. It’s also not forceful or demanding, which might turn some people off and serve the opposite purpose.

Being someone who doesn’t read or watch the news all that often, I am unfamiliar with many environmental leaders. I have noticed, though, the abundance of Amazon commercials campaigning their efforts towards sustainability. Apparently, they are involved in the production of many renewable energy sources and upgrades, including their goal to become Shipment Zero, with half of all their deliveries releasing zero CO2 by 2030. To be frank, this seems too good to be true. I’ve been thinking about the credibility of these claims from Amazon for quite some time now, as Amazon is a major resource to me. It’s a large corporation, which is one of the key themes running through the Bigelow and Swinehart reading: that large corporations in a Western world are some of the greatest offenders in regards to environmental degradation.

Is Amazon actually part of the answer to retain the Earth’s natural resources? Through my research, I discovered Kara Hurst, the leader of Amazon’s role in the fulfillment of social responsibility of sustainability. Basically, she’s boss lady. Through my unfinished research, she seems largely responsible for most of Amazon’s success in what they’re striving for, but there are grey areas, as Amazon is not being completely transparent with what exactly they’re doing. They’re seen as “quiet”, compared to Apple, who is very vocal about the environment and their sustainability practices. So, if there’s anybody I’d like to learn more about, besides Elon Musk (who can do much more with his money to help), it’s Kara Hurst — she’s not throwing herself all over internet platforms and becoming a celebrity, so that’s a good sign. Hopefully, she and the sustainability “dream team” at Amazon are all as sensitive as the guy in the commercial who is trying to make a better future for his two daughters. I like Amazon — I want them to succeed, because I believe they really do have the power to make change. They can serve as a role model to other large corporations, tying this back to the Bigelow and Swinehart reading. If Amazon can use electric vehicles to deliver packages, so can many other companies in the industry. The key stressed by the book is that influence is what causes change, whether it’s through education, culture, or example. Perhaps Kara Hurst is the future, moving away from the incorrect-environmental-textbook past.

The essential theme of Chapter 2 of the Bigelow/Swinehart reading is the need for EVERYONE — of all ages — to foster a connection between their environment, and the development of the industrial Western world at large. From my experiences with environmental science, mostly in grades 1-7, I didn’t even know what it meant to be a large corporation built upon the desire for money and power, despite the degradation it caused to the environment. We were only learning about the weather, the solar system, some animals, some habitats, and some climates. Of course, we touched upon the notion of climate change and that it was definitely a problem, but never WHY. It seemed to be strictly a political view that was out of our ballpark; students as young as us didn’t really have a say in politics. Only in high school did I start to catch on to corruption in school systems, which ended up being my senior research project and presentation before the Board of Ed — but darn, I WISH I had delved into this corruption’s effect on the environment, as schoolchildren are not being taught the correct way of thinking about how to conserve their home. ENV 150 with Dr. Bajcz at Drew was the biggest eye-opener of my environmental educational life. And this is exactly what Bigelow and Swinhart are stressing that we need — classes and instructors such as these, that charge electric spurs of stress and anxiety among students that compels them to take action. In my case, my action is working towards an ESS degree and a teacher’s certification in Earth Science, so I can be one of the mechanisms of change: turning the faces of students to the horrific truth, and stressing that this is not a political debate or question for those in office. It is not to be stuck with a price tag, or carved between parties for their influence of power. I see it as an ACTUAL World War, only we must fight alongside the world rather than against it.

Chapters 3-4 in the Billott reading certainly shed light on the true corruption of the broken law enforcement system we are facing in our country, when it comes to environmental issues. My mother is a legal secretary for a law firm that must deal with lawsuits, and she can certainly vouch for the excruciatingly long amount of time it takes during the whole back-and-forth process between opposing sides — ESPECIALLY a side as arrogant, stubborn and cowardly as DuPont. It is sad and scary that we live in a world governed and designed to wear out the Earth and deprive it of its resources for our own benefit. But, going back to the original theme of “fostering the connection”, there won’t be any more benefits to be had if we are slowly killing our home, thus killing ourselves. What is the point of extracting all of these resources if we are only digging our own graves and destining ourselves to extinction? Readings such as these ones must be broadcasted over a wider audience, or at least be mandated among science classrooms in Western states… for we are the root problem.

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