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 intending to keep my ears closed but until the lights came on, all I had in my head was a dark desert without an end, without anyone, nor anything but just myself in the middle of it. Even up to now I do not have a specific answer for who I am in the anthropocene. However I am sure that I have a sense of who I am in the Anthropocene because subconsciously, I was visualizing myself as a small black dot in the middle of a desert during the practice.
*About 2 weeks after I wrote this journal entry, I came across a video about anthropocene and Now I have a more specific answer to who I am in the anthropocene.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-the-anthropocene-and-are-we-in-it-164801414/?no-ist#ooid=JzajdmeTp-rZW6QciB-u9Gbidlecsb8f
This video shows the impact of humans on earth in such a short time. According to the video “humans have caused so many changes to the planet so quickly” and I actually buy into this argument. We (humans) have been shaping the earth through our daily routines, and for this reason the future of the earth depends on us. We know enough about the consequences that our actions may cause because our effects have altered the landscape, climate, animals and planets, and our own way of life. From watching this video, I have discovered who I am in the anthropocene. I am a part of the species, the human species that determines the future of the earth. Moreover, now I think the reason why I was visualizing myself as a small black dot in the middle of a dark desert, was from acknowledging the my effect to the environment. I know that the environmental conditions at this speed of human development will get worse and from knowing that, I think I was just imagining a dark future with human no more being able to cause a change.