At the beginning of the quarter, I didn’t know what the Anthropocene was. On the first day of class, I learned it is the current epoch, characterized by unprecedented human impacts on the Earth system. We have become geological agents to the point where we greatly influence the planet’s climate, carbon cycle, and more. The problems of this time are… Read more »
The action project was difficult to plan and execute given the time constraints of a quarter system. That said, I am very proud of the job our group was able to do and the message we were able to convey with regards to increasing political engagement among our peers at the University of Washington. Once I had time to reflect… Read more »
A quick-look at our action project presents mixed results. The issues we chose to direct calls to, the repeal of Net Neutrality and the GOP Tax Plan, are both expected to pass with relative ease despite our group’s opposition. Initially, we set out to help in preventing these two potentially dangerous legislative actions. While we likely won’t succeed in this… Read more »
Above is the cover of my illustrated children’s book, How is a Light Bulb Connected to the Sky. To see interior illustrations, visit https://www.amazon.com/How-Light-Bulb-Connected-Sky/dp/1981178066/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1513130103&sr=8-1&keywords=tova+beck For my final project, I created How is a Light Bulb Connected to the Sky, an illustrated children’s book designed to encourage children to contemplate human impact on the earth system. My target audience is children… Read more »
Rifkin, in his piece Empathic Civilization, dissects what has been seen as a fundamental dichotomy of the interpretation of the direction of humanity in regards to its social and ecological implications. Rifkin asserts that the laws of thermodynamics apply not only to the base elements composing our Earth- that individual elements and units of energy cannot be created nor destroyed,… Read more »
Our class recently watched the 2011 documentary Journey of the Universe (14 billion years condensed into 57 minutes! suffice it to say, there were copious metaphors–beets, balloons, fruit solar systems–employed to emphasize abstract concepts). Afterwards, Professor Litfin had us quickly go around the room to share a word or two that resonated in the film’s aftermath. What immediately comes to… Read more »
Roy Scranton is no doubt the catalyst for existential crisis within many minds. He uses the shock factor of imminent death to convey coming to terms with our own demise. Arguing that we have to accept societal death in order to survive, Scranton is pushing for a redefinition of American Culture. The capitalist habitat we have come to love and… Read more »
The most important part of “How to Let Go of the World and Love All The Things Climate Can’t Change” for me was that the film framed the people most affected by climate change, the people in the low-lying areas being ravaged by environmental disasters, as the people who cared the most about the issue. I can’t tell you why,… Read more »
In his book, Defiant Earth, Clive Hamilton argues humans are at the center of the world, thus we are responsible for protecting the Earth system. He says, “human activity has modified the Earth’s processes so radically that we have disrupted the great forces of nature…so much so that it has shifted into a new geological epoch,” (51) reinforcing the view… Read more »
Hello fellow anthropocene victims. Written below is my most recent journal entry from after one of the classes group contemplative practices. Enjoy and good luck. When opening my eyes from my class’s most recent contemplative practice, I felt like I had been gone four hours. I almost could not remember anything I had even thought, but stuck with me was… Read more »
