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            Water is something that is vital to everyday life. I feel that even though the ocean isn’t viable drinking water it has a lot of importance on our planet and more effort should be undertaken to keep it in good condition. One of the reasons that the oceans are important to the planet is the way that it regulates temperature around the world. The ocean currents bring warm water to places that would normally be cold and brings cold water to areas that are more temperate. If the temperature of the oceans were to change this would change the currents thereby changing the climate of important areas. Areas that would be effects include Western Europe, especially England, Greenland, as well as Western South America. Another reason I feel that the oceans need to be preserved is the large amount of biodiversity, especially in temperate climates. This is mainly coral reefs, which depend on specific climates to be able to thrive. One problem facing coral reefs is the increasing ocean acidification due to increasing CO₂ emissions. When CO₂ is released into the air it follows the path of gradients by going to places with less carbon, these are known as carbon sinks. The ocean is one huge carbon sink that absorbs much of what is emitted. The problem with this is it lowers the pH level which has profound impacts on the organisms and ecosystems that depend on the ocean. One thing this leads to is coral bleaching. This is when coral reefs lose their healthy color and become grey and white. This impacts the longevity of the coral reefs and all of the marine life that depends on it. Ultimately the oceans are just as important to preserve as fresh water.

Shelter

The right to shelter is something that should be automatic to everybody in the world. As our society has become more developed living amongst the elements is something that is getting lost. Especially in developed countries the amount of homeless people are growing in highly urban areas. One aspect about shelter that I feel is important is sustainable development. I feel that sustainable development is a very important aspect of protecting our environment. The LEED certification program is something that is important but also controversial. The LEED certification helps make houses more sustainable, but at the same time it isn’t attainable by all. Most of the technologies that need to be integrated into a building to become LEED certified are more expensive compared to normal techniques and building materials. Another aspect is that not everybody is able to build or retrofit a new house based on their income. Since this certification is not attainable by all it is something that cannot be the primary rule for sustainable development. Overall I feel that shelter should be a right to all and privatization of land that restricts the ability for everybody to have shelter.

Space

The right to land is something that is a controversial topic around the world. Especially in developing countries, land is becoming more and more privatized and the people directly affected usually are the ones without a voice. This is apparent in an urban development plans, because all of the nice amenities and buildings go in the suburban areas with the wealthy members of society, and the unwanted development, such as landfills and factories, are almost always put in low income neighborhoods. The problem with this is that the people in the neighborhoods are at the mercy of whatever environmental impact the development might have.  This is because they usually do not have the option to choose where they live, their income dictates it. They also are the ones without the voice in the debate for the development. This is because the companies and policy makers are the ones that have deep enough pockets to be heard by the people who matter. This is a problem because it’s hard to understand why the safety of many people can be outweighed by the money and lobbying ability of a few. I feel that the way development is carried out in the future needs to have a more utilitarian feel to it, where the best is done for the largest amount of people, and not just the wealthy ones. This debate on space is far more prominent in developing countries, but the issue is also common here in one of the most developed countries in the world. You would think that we could figure this out and get it right.

Wanna be a man? Go play with bears.

Timothy Treadwell is an interesting character. The fact that he spent 13 summers with wild grizzly bears deserves my respect. I also feel that his purpose for being with the bears was not as effective has he would have liked. Due to Timothy’s obscure personality characteristics, it seemed more like a man “playing” with bears rather than protecting them. Whenever it came to a time where the bears could do with a little help, timothy was well hidden making empty threats while watching from afar. I do believe that there is much we can learn from bears, but I do not think that Timothy’s strategy was effective. I know he did countless work with other organizations (grizzly people, etc…), but Herzog’s film overcast these by Timothy’s charismatic and “childish” personality.

I thought it was very interesting the way that Timothy used women in his fight to save the bears. In the film taken by Timothy’s cameras, Amy is the only women to make two short appearances. I don’t know if Amy didn’t want to be on camera with Timothy, but the fact that Timothy wanted to keep the “lone protector” appearance, makes me think differently. I feel that Timothy having multiple women who feel that they are his widow makes me think that Timothy used multiple women in his campaign to save the bears. I get the feeling that the women were captivated in Timothy’s charisma and was willing to help at all costs, even death. The last woman introduced in the film to have a close relationship with Timothy only seemed so because he needed to get to the “bear maze” somehow, and she was his jumping off point. I believe that Timothy has an obscure idea what it is to be a man.

If only there was an Environmental Justice League

  Environmental Justice is something that is relevant in the world today, even if the first world countries make it something as an afterthought. It is hard to talk about environmental justice while living in the United States, the largest consumer of material goods. Environmental justice requires me to find a middle ground in the spectrum between the environmental rights and human rights. This is because of the disparity between the northern hemisphere (with the majority of 1^st world nations) and the southern hemisphere. As the environment continues to be negatively impacted by the consumption of the world, more and more countries are enforcing stronger environmental regulations. This is controversial because while they try and make their highly developed country more sustainable they continuously tell 2^nd and 3^rd world countries to do the same. The countries in the southern hemisphere that haven’t had a chance to develop are asking for their turn to develop. The northern countries have had the opportunities to industrialize causing most of the environmental issues today. This is the moral dilemma with environmental justice, allow the 2^nd and 3^rd world to develop to 1^st world levels and continue to degrade the environment, or restrict them from developing into a better standard living and continue to imprison them in their current state. It is hard for me not to want to help the little guy, since the consumption of trivial goods here in the states is almost disgusting. I feel that giving a country the opportunity to develop sustainable food and water sources for themselves is worth the risk to the environment. But alas, I doubt it will happen soon, especially since the new ipad was released, and we all know how people will choose what to support. It is pretty difficult to turn down a screen that has that much resolution!!!

The wildman that ate his epiphany

            The movie Into the Wild was an enjoyable movie to watch in addition to presenting many issues to contemplate. During the movie the main character Chris cannot stand the lifestyle society has created. He feels that a lot of society has created a society that does not bode happiness because people are constantly being mean to one another for the sole reason to “succeed”. Today society tells us that success is a 4 bedroom house, with a wife, two or three kids and two cars. Society as a generalization has removed any sort of deep understanding with nature to finding one’s place in life. One of the concepts that I was very intrigued with was when Chris said something along the lines of everybody must test themselves in the primitive form of nature. This was very interesting to me because of my past experience with this. Just like the movie, I have tested myself up in the arctic in similar ways to Chris. I went on a 50 day canoe trip in the Yukon. During this time I was not alone but with four other guys and a guide. During the movie, importance was given to finding yourself alone while in the wilderness. I did not challenge myself in this way, but during the 50 days we had no contact with our families, friends, or camp, we were essentially on our own. I believe that my experience had a similar affect on me as the experience in the movie, except for the fact I didn’t die. My experience in the wilderness, becoming part of the land, has been one of my best experiences in my life. It taught me to look more deeply at the various integrated parts of nature. It also taught me that as a human I am not above any of these parts, but an equally vital part like the rest. My experiences taught me to expand my “horizons” and include nature in the debate of what is important in this world.

Animal crackers in my soup.....

Animal rights are something that I have had exposure to over the years. My sister is a vegetarian, and has been for 7 years. She has made the decision to not eat meat because of the cruel treatment of the animals. I was always skeptical about her decision because in my mind meat is great, and it’s also hard to see how one person can make an impact. I was 14 then and a little ignorant, but not I understand why she made that decision. I feel that animals have turned into a commodity. It can be in a more literal sense by trading and selling livestock for slaughter, or it can be something like having wild animals in a compound for tourism purposes. I believe that animals deserve rights, and not just the ones that we deem to be intelligent. The fact that animals can feel pain and have many different emotions means that they have human-like qualities. It is hard to understand why people exploit animals for financial gains when they have characteristics your son or daughter might have. I feel that animals have so much more to offer than to be in a cage to be looked at (for a price), or to be in a Styrofoam container wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer at your local supermarket. Many times animals are taken advantage of and not given a choice of a future. Even though I enjoy eating meat, I feel that the way animals are treated around the world is wrong, and that they deserve rights, especially the right to prosper.

The Land Ethic

The land ethic is something i feel is of growing importance in today's society. Specifically in our great cities across the country. I felt a connection with the movie "The Sprawling of America: Inner City Blues", due to being a lifelong inner city boy myself. I went to a high school that is far different than most here at CSB|SJU, which is, very diverse. In my high school i was a minority, so my experiences are far different. One thing that grasps me from growing up in the city is the division of neighborhoods. For example the difference crossing over the Mississippi river and going from Northeast Minneapolis to North Minneapolis has a drastic change. The neighborhood of north Minneapolis is stricken with poverty and is seen as the "ghetto". It astounds me to see the dreadful living conditions and housing that is most common over north side. When the tornado came through this summer the division of neighborhoods was evident. There was a lack of urgency for much of the north side. The electricity for some residents was long as 3 weeks coming since the tornado. Many people felt that the city was intentionally not placing high priority to replacing the standard of living over north. I feel that the city has intentionally not placed much emphasis over north side to make it better except for the increase in cop protection. I feel that this is similar to Detroit in the sense of "white flight". These experiences make me who i am and give me a broader sense of importance within my hometown of the twin cities.

Ethical Perspectives Reflection

Out of the 7 different ethical perspectives, one relates to my own personal beliefs. I believe in the principles outlined by Holistic ethics. Holistic ethics is the idea that we have responsibilities to collections of individuals rather than those individuals that constitute the whole. This also includes responsibilities to the relationships between individuals. I feel this idea applies to me beliefs because I believe that everything in this world is connected by a big web of relationships. This includes everything from humans to rocks. Since everything is connected, our actions (specifically those relating to the environment) need to think in the big picture rather than in individual parts. Very little in this world isn't connected to something else, therefore actions that affect one piece of the puzzle also affects other parts. Out of the perspectives we learned about in class I feel that I relate least to anthropocentric ethics. This is because since everything is connected, no once piece is more important than another. Meaning that humans shouldn't exploit the environment because they feel they can or it is their duty. Since humans survive in this environment, they also depend on it. This means that any damage done by the actions of humans will eventually damage humans themselves. I also believe that the earth will survive far longer than humans, and will also be able to recover and flourish once humans are gone. I feel that humans have the ability to flourish with the environment, but only once they have realized that they are just once piece of the puzzle, rather than the once putting the puzzle together.

Bio

Hello all,
My name is Jared and i am a senior environmental studies major, coaching minor at St. John's University. I am from NE Minneapolis where I have lived my entire life. I am currently employed during the summer months at Tomahawk Scout Reservation which is located approx. 30 min north of Rice Lake, WI. I have spent all my summers of my youth at YMCA camps with my best experience being a 50-day canoe trip up into the arctic circle in the Canadian Providence of Yukon (my background is one of my best pictures from the trip). In fall 2010 i studied abroad in Fremantle, Western Australia, which was amazing. I enjoy the outdoors, especially sailing, canoeing, and camping.