Something quick I just wanted to share. After some quick math I created a more relatable, thought provoking, view of our current state of sustainability. In an article by Steve Connor (found here http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/earth-has-lost-more-than-half-its-trees-since-humans-first-started-cutting-them-down-10483189.html), he first talks about how there are only ““3 trillion trees on the planet today . . . [which] represents just 45 per cent of the total number… Read more »
The reading by Peter Kahn entitled Environmental Generational Amnesia really stands out to me. It brought to mind the neighborhood that I grew up in in what is now the city of Sammamish. It used to be very sparsely populated and almost every house had a large backyard on the edge of an extensive forest. I could walk straight out… Read more »
https://news.vice.com/article/shells-kicking-off-its-arctic-drilling-effort-but-kayaks-and-court-orders-stand-in-its-way A big thing that happens a lot when talking about issues in the Anthropocene is we get so negative that its hard to even work on the issue. This of course is hardly better than denying the issue is there as the end result is the same: nothing gets done. I think the novel Active Hope was by leaps… Read more »
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/35821914 Bhutan instituted Gross National Happiness as its measure of societal progress in the 1970s. GNH is assessed by nine factors that contribute to happiness; psychological well-being, physical health, work-life balance, community vitality and social connection, education, cultural preservation, access and diversity, environmental sustainability, good governance, and material well-being. I think this is a fantastic example of the kind… Read more »
3/9/16 As I was looking over TED Talks videos I might find interesting, I came across one with the title “Why I’m a weekday vegetarian”. Becoming a weekday vegetarian is self explanatory, and also serves as a compromise between becoming a vegetarian but not giving up meat as well. Once I read that, I was immediately reminded of the action group focused on the… Read more »
As we know, My group and I (Star Viewing) went to the UW Planetarium and collaborated with Dave Ingram. As a group, we held an educational event on the effects of light pollution on the Night Sky. Through this action group project we learned a lot about how we as humans, in the Anthropocene may be responsible for disrupting our… Read more »
I often find that when I need a break, what I’m really needing is being outdoors. Which for me serves as a break from the stress and routine of a collegiate life. A friend told me recently, “You should do your homework on your front porch!”, as if the ability to just breathe “fresh air” is that easily achieved. However, I… Read more »
If you’ve stumbled across any website like Tumblr, 4chan, or even Facebook in the last 5 years, I’m sure you’ve head- Leonardo DiCaprio was Oscar-less. Shocking news to anyone who watched eagerly as he portrayed rolls from a Wall Street Banker to my personal favorite interpretation of Shakespeare’s Romeo. Leo is known for more than just his extraordinary acting these days,… Read more »
In 2 days time I will be flying to Salt Lake City to go skiing, as I often have most winter and spring breaks. What troubles me is what has been very noticeable in the more recent spring breaks: the snowpack is more melted and temperatures are way above normal. Last year I did not have to envy my friends… Read more »
February 17th 2016 During contemplative practice in lecture today, Professor Litfin asked who we are in the anthropocene, then read a poem to us. Without forcing myself to think, I was caught in the question without an answer. I was extremely caught in the question and could not hear a word when professor Litfin read the poem. I was not… Read more »
