Open Blog 2- Lobbying Reflection

Today I went to the State House to lobby with the senators. This was not only my first time in the South Carolina State House, but also lobbying in general. It was definitely a memorable experience. I've had some experience with senators and members of the House of Representatives back in Maryland because I live in a small town where everyone knows one another. My mom has made a point to establish personal relationships with a handful of the politicians, so I know a few of them myself. But never have I been in the Annapolis State House lobbying with them in such a professional manner. At first I was overwhelmed with how beautiful the building itself was and how many different groups were there. We went up as a group to listen in on the senators discussing budgets and after about ten minutes I decided to fill out a card in attempt to talk to a senator about the Food in Schools Bill. I chose to try to speak to Senator Katrina Shealy for two reasons; One, she was the only female senator in South Carolina, which I admire, and two, she would be the easiest to identify because she is the only woman. I never in a million years thought that I would even get the chance to speak to her but within twenty minutes of me submitted my request she was in front of my face and we were shaking hands. I had so much that I wanted to say to her and I felt so nervous when the time actually came that I blanked on most of it. We spoke of the benefits, both for health and the local economy, and whether she was for or against the bill. She said that earlier she was on the fence but at that point she was going to sign for the bill. I know that I wasn't the determining factor, but it felt great to know that she was on board and I was one of the people trying to convince her to sign the bill. Jenni Asman, the Program Manager for the Conservation Voters of SC, came up to me after and said that Senator Shealy told her I did a great job. I'm happy that my first experience went extremely well. This is definitely the type of scene I want to be more involved in and I feel much better and eager to get out there and lobby again!

Open Blog 1- My Life and Sustainability

Before taking this class I had already been practicing environmentally friendly ways of life. I am a vegetarian who grows gardens, supports local agriculture, rescues animals, goes to protests, recycles and tries to educate others on the importance of a green way of living. My family has always given back to the environment so it was just how I was raised. This class has only furthered my interested in sustainability. It has opened my eyes to more ways to get involved in the community and how to take action even at the state level politically. I think requiring us to join Sustainable Carolina really showed me that even a little bit of teamwork focused on a green community goes a long way. I've learned so much about our justice system, agriculture, green ecology and many other environmental issues that I am able to relay that information to others and feel like I'm making an impact on someone else's life. I always feel satisfaction, and success in a way, when I go home and tell one of my friends about something I learned in class and weeks later they tell me that they've changed a habit of theirs to become greener because of what I've said. I know that majority of students taking this class have already a green mindset for the most part but this class truly educates you on the deeper meanings and effects of a non-green lifestyle. If anything I wish I took this class my first semester here so I could have been involved sooner. I think everyone at USC should get involved in environmental living and this class is a great, fun way to do so!

Blog #14 Environmental Policy

It surprises me that people are against any type of environmental policy being passed unanimously. If any type of legislation could help the environment, why wouldn't everyone be on board? I'm not that familiar with the political processes but it takes a lot longer than i would expect overall. I think the Kyoto Protocol is crucial to help protect the environment. The sooner it's passed I think the sooner the Earth will begin to replenish the natural resources that we have exploited. I think implementing environmental policy is so difficult on all different levels is because local levels have local concerns that national and international levels don't see as important. However, I think that if each local issue was placed as more of a priority then nationally and internationally the environment would benefit. Not many officials see this in my opinion. That pretty much answers the next question, of course local governments should do more for environmental policy so higher levels can see how vital these issues are. I personally would like to see policy makers put more of an emphasis on the conservation of animals and animal rights. To me, that is one of the largest issues regarding environmental policy, and with a greater focus on that, the world could be so much healthier.

Blog # 13 Ecofeminism

Before reading about ecofeminism I already shared their ideals, so after reading about it I only agreed more with ecofeminism. I have taken a few women studies classes in the past and I think the misinterpretation of gender roles is a main problem. Majority of society sees men as the provider, the protector and the leader. We have been raised with these cultural values and it is hard to change traditions. I agree that we live in a Patriarchal society that oppresses women and nature. I did not have many strong reactions to the reading and my views did not change because I was already aware of the values of ecofeminism. I see strong male figures dominating the world and as I see it changing I don't think it will ever be completely equal between men and women in my lifetime. I do however think that people should drift away from the idea that we need to move more towards a femininely dominant society. We should focus on equality between man, woman and nature. If we can't even accomplish equality between the two sexes then I don't know how we can accomplish equality between humans and nature or other species, which are seen as even more inferior than women.

Blog #12 Green Democracy

I would definitely join the Green Party; I think all aspects of green values should be incorporated into the green party. The ten key values are what make the Green Party. I particularly agree with equality amongst all people, animals and nature. I think with the growing environmental issues, the Green Party will grow as well. The have strong values in the environment, equality, non-violence and overall preserving the natural world. I would be one hundred percent on board. I think through time they will continue to gain support and eventually become a prevalent political party. However, with any movement, there comes extremists. Although I do not support the increasing industrialization and urbanization going on in the world, I do not think the actions of monkeywrenchers are justified. They can claim they are non-violent, non-revolutionary and not involved in vandalizing all they want, but at the end of the day they are destroying someone else's property that was more than likely costly without their consent or approval. It is extremely radical, but with controversial issues such as this, activists emerge and create radical solutions to radical problems. I think their intentions are honorable but they are going about creating change in a way that is just as bad as the people involved in industrialization.

Blog #11 Spiritual Ecology

I was raised as a Catholic but never really felt welcome in that religion. If I still believed in Catholicism then I don't think I would be as open to spiritual ecology since it is a converting religion. In high school I took a comparative religions course and it opened my eyes to all different spiritual views. I connected most with the Buddhist and Hindu views. They value nature more and think everything you encounter should be cherished and teach you more about yourself and he Earth. They teach to be kind to all living beings, whether it be humans, animal or nature. Our lives are gifts as is every other living being's and we are all connected and equal. This is exactly the view of spiritual ecology; we are one with nature. James Lovelock formulated the Gaia Hypothesis, basically saying that Earth is a living being that sustains itself as its environment changes. The organisms that live on Earth help sustain it, just as Earth sustains them. I agree with this hypothesis because every living organism is affected and needs one another, Earth being one of those living organisms. I definitely believe we live in a hyper-masculinized society. From the beginning of time men have always dominated. I have seen it moving more towards equality but even so, there are many people out there that do and always will see women, and all species for that matter, submissive to men.

Blog #10 Social Ecology

The readings describe social ecology as how people live and interact with the environment, putting an emphasis on diverging from over consumption and over exploitation of resources and being one with the world, as we are part of it. I think like all the ecological ways of live, it would be ideal if everyone could see the benefits of living this way, however, I know that most people won't. In our world we have many forms of hierarchy. Each nation has its own system of government and definitions of what is wealthy and poor. We create a class system that I feel came from a materialistic point of view. Every civilization has placed values on inanimate objects and determined who is "high class and low class" based on how much of these items they have. It's a way of life that has been engraved into people's brains as long as humans have existed. I don't think most people know any better so they typically see nothing wrong with it, unless they are considered "low class." Of course there are better alternatives because defining someone by their "wealth" says nothing of their character or how they can benefit others, including the Earth. If people were to let go of class systems I think the environment would thrive as well as the human race. I do think people need some sort of government and leaders to follow but I don't think we should discriminate based on material items.