Why are you in this course? What do you think of "green values"? Which "green value" did you most agree with and least agree with? What surprised you the most about the readings?
I decided to take Green Explorations to learn more about what “green” really is. I think that the readings definitely showed some of that. Before them, I thought that “green” simply meant environmentally friendly. From these, I realized that there is a lot more meaning to green than that. It was surprising to find out the major differences between green and traditional values. For example, as shown in Defining Environmentalism, the time it takes for economic planning varied from “5-10 years” for traditional values to “several hundred years” for green values. Green values seemed to be exactly opposite from traditional values for more than just economic issues. They also seemed to be opposite for political and social issues. Overall, I feel that green values would contribute to society, but should not be followed exactly. For example, I feel that scientific and technological advances are very important to our society. “High” technology, I believe, can contribute to society. I believe that this, along with “green appropriate” technology, will help us move forward. Another aspect of green values that interested me was the green viewpoint on social hierarchies. Greens believe that they are “unnatural, undesirable, and avoidable.” I believe that this is true to a certain extent. A few wealthy people should not rule everybody else. On the other hand, some sort of hierarchy is needed to keep order, prevent crime, and keep society organized. I feel that with this issue and many others, green values are useful but not completely correct.
Thanks for your insight Suneil and welcome to the class. I think we will see a common theme of members of the class really struggling with the issue of thwarting high technology as part of a "green value". We must take notice of when this piece was written b/c it could very well be before the big push for "green technology" took place +2
I was interested in the Green Community and the Green Explorations class out of curiosity and the desire to compare my values to those of 'Greens'. With more of a mutual stand point as far as environmental issues go, I believe that it is absolutely neccesary to encourage sustainabilty in every way possible but I disagree with the concept that humans are one with nature. In this world where political dominance is unfortunately the goal in many societies, I believe that the focus needs to be shifted from industrial growth to a more green perspective. Instead of competing to have the newest technology, nations could be challenging themselves to improve through efficiency. However, many political goals are focused more on achieving economic success and some of the machine methods, though they save money and time, are a sign of ignorance. Instead of the typical green belief, I think that human nature is to be aggressive and competitive and politics are a perfect example of this. This has caused the world to be too materialitic. I strongly agree with the green values of respecting nature and its laws along with learning to appreciate the simpler things. No Green efforts will have a significant impact until the goals of these economic minded leaders shift and everyone works together for it. I disagree with planning for hundred years ahead, and instead think focusing everything on what can be corrected now is most important. The comparison of values in these articles surprised me a lot. Prior to reading them I did not realize the vast differences in beliefs.
Welcome Stephanie and thanks for your responses. When you state that you think "political dominance is unfortunately the goal" and "human nature is to be aggressive" do you believe we are taught/socialized to be this way or is it somehow instinctual in our DNA? You will notice a major theme in green values that many green-focused scholars are critical of certain economic systems- especially those that are very focused on materialism, wealth and the "winner take all" attitude. Planning for hundreds of years is the mindset of sustainability- to try and prevent us from having to "correct" problems harming the environment. " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" type scenario. +2
I personally am taking this course out of naïveté of the course's intent and purpose. I needed to switch out of an English class I no longer needed and into a science and this class is one of the only ones that had open space. Having been to the first class, I am excited to expand my views and appreciation for nature, ecology and sustainability, for these are things for which I previously have never had must interest or opinion. After reading the Green Values and various articles I am very surprised at their implications, intent and ideologies. I have many personal and ideological issues with many of the green values and it is hard to say which one I support most. I disagree strongly with demilitarization and decentralization. I believe demilitarization is not the concern of the green party but for those with military experience and knowledge. The green party may have good intent, but I personally believe that human lives are more valuable than nature. However, I do believe we should respect nature and do our best to protect and sustain it. Also, decentralization sounds a little too much like socialism and may be ideologically ideal; however, impossible to create in society. It is impossible to encourage and persuade all people to put the concerns of nature and sustainability over their desire for progress, money and industry. Some of the green party's ideas are theoretically positive goals, however, I highly doubt they will ever become the ruling principles of society.
Hi Meagan- thanks for your thoughts and insight. I think that demilitarization issue really arises because of domination and forced political ideologies. Who is to say we ( the U.S.) should "spread democracy" at the barrel of a gun or tank? Some would say that is hyprocritical and devalues other cultures. Additionally we could also argue that military action could be used to help those who are tortured, oppressed etc (such as in Libya). Still we may also see that the U.S. and countries of the global "West" will pick and choose which oppressed societies to help and which to ignore (Libya is much more of a strategic value than Syria for example)- therefore we really seem like we value certain peoples other others- which leads to domination. Is "human lives are more valuable than nature" yet we depend on nature to live- how is that rationalized? Its interconnected- if we value human nature we have to value the nature around us because we depend on its resources. We can not have one with out the other. These value have been embedded within some societies and have made great change. Yet you are right- it seems like a long long up hill battle for them to be the ruling class in the US. That is one main criticism of our binary party system. +2
I am in this course because I am very interested in learning about environmental policy and green living. I thought this would be a great class to take for my major (Environmental Science). While I believe that "green values" sound nice I don't think the majority of them would work in the real world. My life stance is that of a secular humanist, I believe in humanity and all the things that it can achieve. That being said I am also extremely for the advancement of high technology or technology of any sort. I believe through science and technology humans can solve any problems that we may face in the world. I believe in a balance between nature and humans and while I believe nature should be exploited for the benefit of humans I don't believe it should be taken to the point where in the long term it is detrimental for humans. I believe in most of the green views on politics. However, I believe in these principles for reasons other then the ones the green party gives. Humans should naturally want to work together in a social or communal society for the betterment of the many, not the few. I believe through science and industry humans can create a utopian world. I believe the first steps to this utopian world is though the acquisition of cheap, almost free (renewable) energy. I believe that through this cheap energy humans will begin to see major changes in the infrastructure and economy of the world. Things that may have been too expensive in the past could be feasible and commercially viable. I hope for a world that exists post-capitalism, a world where people care about one another, where business isn't the driving factor of the economy. I believe this world will come to fruition even if it does take hundreds of years.
Hi Alex- thanks for your responses. Like I mentioned to Suneil- you will find that the adversarial views against high-technology doe seem problematic to many. Additionally the time this piece was written may before the real push for "green technology" came about. There are several people i know who are mostly 90% green-minded but really struggle with the issue of technology. It is possible green ideology would be accepting of technology that was focused on righting the wrongs done to the environment and prolonging the use/changing the use of non-renewable resources. This is something very worth discussing in class! +2
My original reason for joining Green Explorations was partially because I needed another class, but also because this is a subject that interests me. I thought it could be useful to learn more about being "Green" and what exactly falls into that category. As for the "Green Values" I feel that they introduce multiple very good ideals but I also feel that there are many ideas expressed within the values that I simply disagree with. Based on the fact that no two people are the same I find it nearly impossible for all of the listed values to apply to everyone. For example, "Science and technology can't be relied on: we have to find other ways to solve environmental problems." In my mind this is completely wrong. I believe that through technology we can gain a better understanding of these problems and then through greater knowledge produce better solutions. The value I most agree with is that of the spiritual quality of life being more important than material things. If more people in the world lived by this value it would be a better environment in which to live. I was most surprised by the mass amount of political involvement introduced in the "Principles of the Left Green Network" because I did not realize they category of "Green" contained so many ideals.
Hi Jake- yep many are surprised that Green Values are actually very political in nature- although some people believe that many of these values are common sense and should not be political. Yours insight about the spiritual quality of life is quite insightful from such a young person! Welcome to the class +2
The main reason for me taking this class is because it is a pre-req. for me, but I'm an advocate of green innovations and strong believer in co-existing with nature. Unfortunately we live in world that can not survive in such a simplistic coexistence with nature. Our country and the rest of the world thrive on ones own gain instead of the good for the eco-system. I believe that living one with nature and living purely to live would be idea. The way the world is it is simple unfeasible because the majority of the WORLD lives where we work to buy things we want, not need to survive. We can never go back to way of life where people life of the land and live peacefully wiith just nature. I believe that turning to greener and more eco-friendlier ways are only a start to a process that can never reach 100%. i believe that being totally green, is a complete transformation of eliminating any form of hierarchic to ensure that no capital is gained to one or a certain group. Removing social classes where everyone works to survive. and many others but thats the reasoning why we try to go green. Anything to start preserviving the earth, the only place we have to survive.
Welcome Dario- thanks for your responses. You are right- for people of all societies to adopt green values would be such a global shift that it may be impossible. If we were to pick the top 10 ideals we would want to be globalized, what do you think they would be? Thanks again! +2
I am taking this course to expand my knowledge of the environment and gain different stand points on the "green revolution". I took a basic Environmental class in HighSchool and I feel like this course will extend my knowledge and open my mind more. I think the "green values" are accurate for the most part and most should be adopted as the new conventional values. Although I support most of the values, I disagree with some of them. One I strongly disagree in is the idea of the abolishment of social hierarchies. I believe that the world needs classes and ranks to run in an effective and productive manner. I also do not agree with the idea that science and technology can not be trusted. Over the past couple hundred years, science has changed the world completely, teaching us much more than ever imagined. Another green value I completely agree with is the idea of obeying the laws of nature, such as the carrying capacity. I feel like we, as a general population of the world, are pushing the earth to its limit. There are problems arising left and right, and I believe that if we planned our existence better, than these problems would not be as prominent. The part of the reading that surprised me the most was the list of Principles of the Left Green Network. I did not realize that Gay and Lesbian Liberation and Human Rights had any part of a green network. I agree with their thoughts but it was shocking to learn that they have a say in things other than the environment and actions. Already, one day in to the class, my eyes have already been opened to an entire party of people, supporting logical and beneficial ideas.
Hi Jessika- it seems like the green values and green movement did start in amsaller realm of environmental issues- but then when they evolved to analyze and criticize systems of domination and opression then those involved realized that such oppression is every where- against the environment, against classes of people, people of certain ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender. If the green revolution were to create a utopia then such oppression/domination of not only the environment but against people also had to be addressed. And as I have mentioned before- you will see the issue of technology and science to be a main them of contention with greens today. Maybe this piece needs to be updated to focus on green-technologies? +2
Throughout high school, I have always been considered “the hippie” of my class because I cared about the environment, sustainability, and I supported a local food culture. It always slightly upset me when I was titled thus so because I felt like my ideas and values were not taken seriously by my peers. My perspective of the American culture has changed throughout the years after reading various books and watching various documentaries and I began to feel discontent in an environment that I felt was empty, meaningless, and unsustainable. Because my perspective and opinion on what is valuable was so different from everyone else around me, I began to feel isolated, frustrated, and trapped; I felt like I could not live in the real world if this was what reality looked like: People who thoughtlessly live their lives with no regard towards future generations; who make decisions with no regard for the environment or sustainability; People who are blind to their own emotional and spiritual needs and try to fill the void with consumerism, an empty substitute for fulfillment. I am in this course because I can rightly say that “green values” are a passion of mine as well as a lifestyle. These core values embody my belief system, which is why I am excited to in this group and make a difference in the community I am a part of. I am eager to stop feeling like a helpless minority and actually take action. I am especially eager to promote local initiatives and to change a culture that is run by corporate America. I have experienced working for a large corporation this summer and I must say, the work was far from fulfilling or creative. I don’t believe in “Giantism” or division of labor, which creates alienating, robotic and impersonal work. That system is like a mindless monster, or a fat kid at an all-you-can-eat buffet where the overall message is “more is better”, regardless of how stuffed the kid already is. I am also eager to promote local culture. Unfortunately, I am cynical when it comes to American culture because I think a lot of our culture’s unique and individualistic attributes have been lost. Our “industrial society” has taken away our holistic community. What industrial society gives us instead is a hoarder’s closet full of unnecessary junk because of our consumerism, higher depression rates because of job unfulfillment, and high medical bills because of the drugs we take to numb the effects of emotionally and physically unhealthy lifestyles. It’s all a vicious cycle that I fully believe in changing. I feel more empowered to reach people and make changes in this course. I am now no longer offended at the term “hippie”. I am proudly a “Left Green” and am a firm believer in environmentalism. I embrace these values I have and hope to share them with the world.
Oh Laura have i been in your shoes- the feeling of isolation and desire to be among liKe-minded people. Having green ideals in such a materialistic culture can be difficult. I appreciate you being here in the South East, its often easy to move to Austin, Portland or elsewhere where you may feel you "fit in". I grew cyncical and then i grew happy about being in a place that actually needs the change. When i first moved here 13 years( I grew up in North Miami- talk about materialism!) ago the farmers market and sustainable agriculture was like a counter culture, a niche that was not addressed. There was no green dorms or many community gardens at all, but over the last decade i can say we have had actual change :) Its worth sticking it out and enduring the feelings of isolation sometimes, but its hard. Welcome to class +2
I am taking this course because my adviser suggested that I take it. I am not a person you would associate with the term "green." I usually take long showers, I don't recycle as much as I should, and I don't buy a lot of things made out of recycled materials. Although I'm not "green" in those ways, I do care about the environment.While reading, I noticed that when defining environmentalism, the conventional values about nature stated "nature can and should be exploited and dominated for human benefit." I felt that this was terribly disturbing. In no way shape or form should we ever just dominate nature. I feel that it is best if we respect nature and ensure its safety. It was also stated under the conventional values that "science and technology can solve environmental problems, so we must go on perfecting them." The green values stated that " science and technology can't be relied on: we must find other ways to solve environmental problems." I have a relative that works for the state of North Carolina in their department of environment and natural resources. Science is almost the only way they are able to accomplish the things that they do, and most of what they accomplish helps save the environment. Without the science, they are not able to do the research needed to help make a change. A lot of the views between the conventional and green values surprised me. Most of them seemed a little bit drastic.
Welcome Hallie :) Yes i think we will see that science and technology issues have evolved to encompass many green technologies. I think we are seeing a real divergence between "green " science and destructive science. This issue should be raised in class. Thanks for responding! +2
The reason why I chose this course is for myself to get a better grasp on “green politics”. I have always had an interest in helping environments and becoming more eco-friendly. Being a political science major, I feel by taking this class it will help me gain a broader spectrum of how “going green” enhances ones view on politics. After reading “green values”, it really helped me go deeper into detail with certain issues that I already thought I knew about. They really expressed the different ways of how things should get done in their own perspective and why certain choices shouldn’t be made. The “green value” that I agreed most to was Grassroots Democracy. The reason being because they point out that the left greens do not seek to get elected to public office, this does not help get things through the government, which I strongly agree with. The Grassroots Democracy actually wants to restructure political institutions to replace the centralized state. They also would like to get their communities involved more in helping by sponsoring community assemblies, and town meeting to help gain a tighter support. The “green value” that I disagree with the most would have to be Direct Action. I feel that spreading direct action solves very little. Having them use terms such as “bureaucratic inertia” and “military repression” just shows how unstable they are in trying to solve their own problems with business that they must always bring force. They feel that voting isn’t enough to help change circumstances, then they must need to focus on our nation’s democracy a little better. What surprised me the most about the readings is how much information filled in the blanks for me. For most of the topics that I was reading about, I thought I knew exactly what they had to say but I was completely wrong by all means. After reading more in depth on these topics I am glad they educated me a little bit more on their standpoints.
Welcome Poli-Sci major! I am wondering if it would be a productive research project to find some environmentalists who are Republican or right leaning. I bet they exist but probably do not encompass all these stated values. It would be interesting to evaluate the right/Republican environmentalist agenda, if there is one. +2
My decision to take this course was initially based on my minor in the area of Environmental Science. I feel that nature is the gateway to things beyond human reach. It is something that we cannot create, yet we have created the tools to destroy it so easily. It is one of the wonders that is beyond our grasp, an inspiration that reminds us that there is more to life on this planet than only humans wants and materialistic progress. If humans expect to live on this planet and continue to progress, something has to be done about the current standard for our way of life. Human laziness and ignorance are two major factors contributing to the global crisis of pollution today. We can’t expect to continue to exist until we start taking care of our surroundings. They support us, so we should support them. I am interested in exploring the various aspects of Green ideologies and examining the practicality of reformative ideas for society. Many of the “Green Values” are ideas that I strongly agree with. The one stating that the spiritual quality of life is more important than the materialist aspects of it is something I closely relate with. I have experienced and viewed this firsthand. Having traveled to third world countries on mission trips has extended my view of the world and made me realize how unnecessarily materialistic our society is. People with fewer possessions seem legitimately happier with their quality of life than we as greedy Americans are. I also related to the concept of society with respect to efficiency. The text states, “Social and environmental damage is economically inefficient.” Even if society makes great leaps in progress and technology, there will be a point where everything must stop because the world is so polluted and changed from its original form. It seems to me that the decrease in the quality of human life (a separation from nature) will undo the successes of society’s previous leaps of progress. The ideals that I did not agree with as much with those relating to the necessary changes in political structure. Some decentralization would have to take place in order to implement change in society, but moving to such drastic measures with so little governing patterns seems like it would decrease the amount of guidance people would need to continue to peacefully coexist with the environment. Change would have to be gradual, but a complete switch to small communities implies that large scale taxing (as mentioned in the “Principle of the Left Green Network”) would be very difficult to regulate and maintain. With such little governing powers, I’m not sure how laws protecting the environment could be as strongly enforced as those promoting Green Values desire. I was a bit surprised about how strong the decentralization opinions were, as well as the overlap of human rights with environmental ideals in the Left Green Network. I never considered green ideals on that scale or related to human rights such as those.
Kira- Hi and thanks for such great insights. I agree with what you said regarding "Human laziness and ignorance are two major factors contributing to the global crisis of pollution today" I think many people are of the "so what, i dont care" mindset and just aren't open for change. I also think its really interesting, as i mentioned to one of your classmates, for such a young person to appreciate the spiritual quality of life. I have also visited many developing countries and the ideas of sustainability really took on a different tone when i realized that their so called progress depended heavily on working with in factories that service the United States and Western Europe. I find that a turn towards small-scale local community is hard to conceptualize, especially for us who are so accustomed to larger urban living. What would that mean for mega-huge cities such a Chicago and New York? What is "local" in a city with millions? +2
I signed up for this class to gain knowledge about possibilities of going green in ways that are outside the box. I really plan to go to law school for Environmental Law and this seemed like a good idea. I didn't agree with all of the "green values", but I could understand where the values were coming from and from my position could respect the different opinions of what values should be. It's understandable to see things those ways, but generally yes we need to keep in mind the beauty of nature and conserve and preserve it, but at the same time there are things unknown to us about nature that we need to explore. Especially with the ideas that there could be cures for diseases in parts of natural places that there is no question whether or not we should explore it. The "green value" I least agreed with was that humans are naturally cooperative, from personal experience that isn't entirely true. Guaranteed, that yes, there are certain people out in the world whom are cooperative regardless of the situation, however, when it comes down to it, we are competitive beings and that's been in our genetic coding for ever. If we weren't competitive we realistically wouldn't have made it this far in advancing ourselves, considering the idea that the environment weeds out the weakest link. What had surprised me the most with the readings was the non-aligned internationalism, I strongly believe in national boundaries. I am all for countries bettering their own countries and becoming as well supported as we are as a nation, but wholly to share what most of us have worked so hard to protect, and keep the rights to and of, with others, personally doesn't seem fair to those who have helped make this progression possible. It almost seems as punishment to our nation for al our hardwork.
Hi Laura- thats for your contribution! What "hardwork" are you referring to by "our nation"? I will assume you speak of the United States. Because we worked hard, created a democracy and advanced technology, economic dominance and military strength does that also mean we have the right to change a the culture of a separate country? In order to make them more like the US or to dominate them so that we can "invest" in cheap labor and resources? We do work hard, but many "Greens" would claim that our hard work comes at the dominance of other ethnic groups within and without of our nation. Of course there are positives that our nation's wealth have helped to spread as well USAID and other aid programs, but often there are strings tied. It seems you take a Social Darwinistic flavor to your statement "If we weren't competitive we realistically wouldn't have made it this far in advancing ourselves, considering the idea that the environment weeds out the weakest link."- Do you consider some lesser developed countries and cultural groups as the "weakest links" and therefore are entitled of being dominated? +2
I am in this course because it is recommended for first year students who are members of the USC Green Learning Community, which I am, but also because I am deeply interested in and passionate about making our world and our lifestyles more environmentally sustainable. I think that most green values are interesting and positive ideas which were developed with the intent of rethinking the ways in which humans relate to our surroundings and to one another. I believe that although green values may seem radical and nearly implausible, they are really meant to serve as tenants of an ideal global way of life which we can merely strive to reach, and thus in making even the slightest movement towards these values we simultaneously improve the health of our planet and the quality of our lives. Although I agree with most green values, the green value which I agree with the most is that full equality and civil rights for all humans regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or geography. I believe that full equality and civil rights should be a global standard which is unwavering because universal human equality could then serve as a foundation for other, more complex and challenging, green values to take hold. A green value which I disagree with is the idea that decisions are best made through a process of direct democracy instead of our current system of representative democracy. Although I will be the first to admit our current political system is far from perfect, I do not believe that effective decision making can take place through direct democracy due to the complexity of reaching real “consensus decisions” among the population. I was most surprised by the “green value view” of decentralization because I feel that for great and radical changes to be implemented in their early stages across a large area or population it would much more effective to have a central idea of what change is taking place, where it has and hasn’t occurred, and how that change will actually be brought about; all of which could likely only be conducted at a centralized level.
Jonathan, I really like your view of the purpose of green values, where you state that they should serve as tenants for a way of global living that should be strived for globaly in order to improve the value of life. Your view helped me to recognize that although some of the green values may seem to be unreachable, perhaps these values are the utopian perception of the world and by taking small steps towards these ideals would be the most efficient method to promoting change. Thanks for helping me understand that better!
Greetings Jonathan- i really value your contributions to this discussion and the extension of green values being linked to human rights and serving as tenets for which we can use to improve our world. Very insightful:"I believe that although green values may seem radical and nearly implausible, they are really meant to serve as tenants of an ideal global way of life which we can merely strive to reach, and thus in making even the slightest movement towards these values we simultaneously improve the health of our planet and the quality of our lives." I also find myself in agreement, at times, that to instill large scale change it will need to come from a more centralized power structure +2
When I was 8 my family picked up and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. The culture shock was a lot to handle at the time. Although I missed the southern hospitality, y'all, and sweet tea, one of the cultural influences that stayed with my family was the understanding of the crisis that our Earth is in. When I saw the “Green Explorations” title I saw an opportunity to become more involved in my current community and raise awareness of this crisis. When living in a more green conscious culture the effects of the ten key values were seen throughout the city. Each person takes on a personal responsibility to protect nature and the resources that have been graciously provided for us. The cultures do not so much mix, yet they are all displayed and respected throughout the city. However, their government has come into control. Their liberal view of politics has provided socialized economic values. I believe that the government should not be as centralized as it is in many of the areas that are focused on green values. I believe that the most important value is future focus and sustainability. If we don't fix the current crisis the standard of living and ability to have communities will disappear. Our future is dependent on the decisions that we make today. I was surprised by the extent of involvement of the “Left Green Network.” Their involvement with equal rights for gays grasped my attention as my best friend is currently struggling with the judgement of close minded people.
Caroline, my husband and I have noticed that in many countries in Europe such as Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Germany green values were instilled in the culture- and not so politicized, which made them easier to adapt to. I am wondering if in BC, that is the same situation. We seem to over politicize so many cultural values that it does not allow for real change to take place. How do we undo such politicization? Good insights +2
I have always been the tree-hugger among my friends; I'm the one who picks up everybody's trash, yells at my friends for littering, and holds on to bottles until I can get to a recycling bin. My major here at the University of South Carolina is Environmental Studies, so what better course to take than Green Explorations/Environmental 121? I live in West Quad B so getting to classes is not a problem, and I can already tell I'm gonna love the class. Green values are some of the things I try to live by. I'm not a super activist who only wears and eats certain things and starts riots, but protecting this Earth that we live on is very important to me. Learning about and caring for the environment has always been my passion, and I am looking forward to this class as a way to expand that interest.
Hi Jack- Welcome to the class. Since you are a tree-hugger by nature, i think this class will be in your comfort zone. Can you elaborate in specific green values from the readings you found that you agree with or did not agree with? Be mindful of the needed criteria for our blogs. +1
I was enrolled in this course as a requirement for being a freshmen and in the Green Living and Learning Community. However, I am extremely glad that I was automatically added to this class or else I may not have even known such a course existed. The readings on green values were both enlightening and slightly different from my prior perception of what green values entail. The green value that I most agree with from the chart is the notion of “think globally: act locally”, because the local community is the most important part of an individual’s immediate surroundings, and if local communities do not thrive how are entire countries supposed to do so? Strong local communities translate into a stronger economy as a whole. Moreover, the economical shift that the author mentions in this article, that greens follow the principle that as resources are finite, which is “a fact never appreciated in the short time perspective of conventional economics”. Thus, this is why greens support that the time-scale for economic planning should be several hundred years. However, I do not completely agree with this value because I think that the fast-paced world that we irrefutably live in would not support such an extensive period of time for economic planning. If there were to be a moderate shift from 5-10 years to 20-25 years this might be possible, because I agree with the conventional argument that investors must see return from their investments in order for additional budgeting purposes. My favorite part of this article was the definition of what a green critique includes, the author states “it is a discontent at the alienation of urban-industrial capitalism and some of its central institutions such as the nuclear family, or hierarchical power relationships”. I believe that if one analyzes society from a green view, there will be many examples of areas in which change could happen. For example, there are numerous hierarchies in almost every facet of life, in schooling with teacher-student relationships and teacher-administration relationships, in the workplace, and even in family life. Most surprising to me was the fact that greens argue against all nuclear technology, and that they believe science and technology are not reliable methods to solving environmental problems. This surprises me because I am aware of various ways that technology has been invented to try and alleviate the strain of humans on the environment, such as wind power and solar power to reduce the amount of fossil fuels humans burn for energy consumption. I just have a hard time understanding how greens can be against science when science has proved in the past to have a valuable role in aiding against environment and resource depletion.
Hi Megan- thanks for your thoughtful contribution. You are right that in our economic system "investors must see return from their investments in order for additional budgeting purposes"- but is monetarily return the only type of return that could be valuable to a business? Wouldn't a business want to know that their practices are sustainable but can also earn a profit, and therefore the business can have more longevity? I have to agree with you that science and technology are now important components and can be used to fulfill green goals. Pay attention to when the piece was written, because i am not sure the green technologies that are around today were actualized at that point in time. +2
In high school I took AP Environmental Science and absolutely loved it. My interest in that course led me to be here today. In addition, I am an undeclared major trying to pilfer through the numerous possibilities in order to figure out what direction I want to go in. Ironically, I wrote my entrance exam to the honors college on social ecofeminism. I guess I can say therefore that I agree most with this principle seeing that I have more background information about it. The empowerment- or lack thereof- of women plays a key role in population growth, standard of living, and environmental ignorance among third world countries. WIth the smallest bit of insight that I have into the political spectrum, I know that third part candidates' chances of election are slim to none. I would have to say then that radical municipalism would be the principle I can most easily disagree with. "Independent Green Candidates" almost never win because of the set up of the electoral college, so the likelihood of this idealist principle actually working are not promising. Large parties should instead face insurmountable pressure to appease the demands of the environmentalists. WIth enough size and voter clout, incumbents for re-election are most easily susceptible to satisfying larger groups of voters. Most surprising to me was the incredible amount of politics embedded in ever single principle. Clinging ro my naivety and idealism, I come into things assuming that there is always a good side and a bad side. This black and white concept of environmentalism make it sound more like a corny movie than the living concept that it is.
Hi Hannah- thanks such such interesting comments. I especially found your insight on women; "The empowerment- or lack thereof- of women plays a key role in population growth, standard of living, and environmental ignorance among third world countries" I find it especially telling that you focused on women of third world countries- there is a huge connection there between their lack of empowerment and many other "green" issues. Of course in our country these values have become so politicized, yet in other countries many of these green values are just part of the everyday norm.I wonder how we can shift this level of consciousness here. +2
When I was in high school I took multiple environmental science courses including AP Environmental. These courses are still some of my most favorite that I have taken thus far! I love nature and all things leading to the “green” way of life. My immediate family advocates constantly about sustainability, and my ancestors did as well. My family created a wildlife nature preserve called Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Myakka, FL. It is a nonprofit organization specifically designed to show people how to live a sustainable lifestyle as well as showing them the purest forms of beauty in nature. (Crowleyfl.org ) Although I’m taking this course because I need a science credit, I'm also interested to learn how current curriculum is incorporating green values into the classroom. As for the readings, the green value I most agreed with is definitely the social implications. Large corporations need to be broken up into smaller entities so that the “little people” have a bigger chance to own resources and feel a sense of importance. As stated in the paragraph, “A green society will be less hierarchical and more participatory that present society and definitely more communal.” When this concept can finally be implemented, society will be able to set forward in a direction that is not only beneficial to humans but to the rest of world as well. I also most definitely agree with the article, Principles of the Left Green Network. The entire article gave me the urge to stand up and shout, “Yes! Everyone, listen up!” As for disagreeing with a green value, there is not one that I could find. But I’m not completely congruent with all politics in the environmental society, I do not agree with the media portraying the green life as lavish. People need to really know what saving the environment means; whether it be getting your hands dirty to plant a tree, or walking the streets to pick up trash. It is not as glamorous as TV makes it out to be. What surprised me most would be some of the terminology used that I had never heard of prior to reading the articles. Overall I know I am going to enjoy all that there is to learn from ENVR121, and I’m very excited to progress through the course!
Its funny that you mention the green lifestyle as lavish, at the time this article was written organic food and green-focused goods/services were much more expensive. What i also find funny is that often people have a idealized concept of how green value,s such a community garden, can be supported but when it comes to that person actually working/getting dirty in the garden- then they aren't so quick to get on board. How exciting that your family has created a nature preserve. Maybe we can take an extended community building filed trip :) Seriously though, if your family's organization has any internship or long term volunteer opportunities then we at Sustainable Carolina would love to know more! +2
I decided to take this class because I'm from a farming town in Pennsylvania that truly values enviromental preservation. Growing up , all the fruits, veggies, and meats I consumed came straight off a local farm. Due to the proximity of the farms in which our foods were harvested, my local community really supported enviromental sustainability. Even after leaving Pennsylvania for college in South Carolina, I have found myself staying strong in my efforts the stay green. I almost always purchase organic and green food, cleaning products, and beauty products, amongst other things.I have found that sometimes in college it is easy to lose sight in what is important,such as preserving the enviroment, and I am really impressed that at such a large school there are so many people interested in Green Explorations, something much bigger than themselves. I think that Green Values are really important, because the condition of our enviroment does not only affect us in this day, but it will continue to affect our children and greandchildren and so on and so forth. One value I really agree with is the spiritual value, and the belief that material goods are less important than life.I think this is really true because our society is far too materialistic and it struggles to focus on whats really important. One value i disagree with is the Independent Green Candiates. These candidates never win a position of power, but I think they deserve to because they stand for ideqals that are really important. Something that really surprised me from the readings was that the Gay and Lesbian Liberation and Human Rights had a part in the left green network. There was a wide variety of ideals, that I did not realize had anything to do with green living and explorations.
Welcome Joelle and thanks for your comments. It is intriguing that you were able to grow up with certain green values because of your community. On a local level did these values become politicized or were they a core set of values that were supported by people from the "left" and the "right" (politically speaking) Make sure to get the blog handout since you were not able to make it to our first session. +2
I decided to take Green Explorations to learn more about what “green” really is. I think that the readings definitely showed some of that. Before them, I thought that “green” simply meant environmentally friendly. From these, I realized that there is a lot more meaning to green than that. It was surprising to find out the major differences between green and traditional values. For example, as shown in Defining Environmentalism, the time it takes for economic planning varied from “5-10 years” for traditional values to “several hundred years” for green values. Green values seemed to be exactly opposite from traditional values for more than just economic issues. They also seemed to be opposite for political and social issues. Overall, I feel that green values would contribute to society, but should not be followed exactly. For example, I feel that scientific and technological advances are very important to our society. “High” technology, I believe, can contribute to society. I believe that this, along with “green appropriate” technology, will help us move forward. Another aspect of green values that interested me was the green viewpoint on social hierarchies. Greens believe that they are “unnatural, undesirable, and avoidable.” I believe that this is true to a certain extent. A few wealthy people should not rule everybody else. On the other hand, some sort of hierarchy is needed to keep order, prevent crime, and keep society organized. I feel that with this issue and many others, green values are useful but not completely correct.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight Suneil and welcome to the class. I think we will see a common theme of members of the class really struggling with the issue of thwarting high technology as part of a "green value". We must take notice of when this piece was written b/c it could very well be before the big push for "green technology" took place
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I was interested in the Green Community and the Green Explorations class out of curiosity and the desire to compare my values to those of 'Greens'. With more of a mutual stand point as far as environmental issues go, I believe that it is absolutely neccesary to encourage sustainabilty in every way possible but I disagree with the concept that humans are one with nature. In this world where political dominance is unfortunately the goal in many societies, I believe that the focus needs to be shifted from industrial growth to a more green perspective. Instead of competing to have the newest technology, nations could be challenging themselves to improve through efficiency. However, many political goals are focused more on achieving economic success and some of the machine methods, though they save money and time, are a sign of ignorance. Instead of the typical green belief, I think that human nature is to be aggressive and competitive and politics are a perfect example of this. This has caused the world to be too materialitic. I strongly agree with the green values of respecting nature and its laws along with learning to appreciate the simpler things. No Green efforts will have a significant impact until the goals of these economic minded leaders shift and everyone works together for it. I disagree with planning for hundred years ahead, and instead think focusing everything on what can be corrected now is most important. The comparison of values in these articles surprised me a lot. Prior to reading them I did not realize the vast differences in beliefs.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Stephanie and thanks for your responses. When you state that you think "political dominance is unfortunately the goal" and "human nature is to be aggressive" do you believe we are taught/socialized to be this way or is it somehow instinctual in our DNA? You will notice a major theme in green values that many green-focused scholars are critical of certain economic systems- especially those that are very focused on materialism, wealth and the "winner take all" attitude. Planning for hundreds of years is the mindset of sustainability- to try and prevent us from having to "correct" problems harming the environment. " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" type scenario.
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I personally am taking this course out of naïveté of the course's intent and purpose. I needed to switch out of an English class I no longer needed and into a science and this class is one of the only ones that had open space. Having been to the first class, I am excited to expand my views and appreciation for nature, ecology and sustainability, for these are things for which I previously have never had must interest or opinion. After reading the Green Values and various articles I am very surprised at their implications, intent and ideologies. I have many personal and ideological issues with many of the green values and it is hard to say which one I support most. I disagree strongly with demilitarization and decentralization. I believe demilitarization is not the concern of the green party but for those with military experience and knowledge. The green party may have good intent, but I personally believe that human lives are more valuable than nature. However, I do believe we should respect nature and do our best to protect and sustain it. Also, decentralization sounds a little too much like socialism and may be ideologically ideal; however, impossible to create in society. It is impossible to encourage and persuade all people to put the concerns of nature and sustainability over their desire for progress, money and industry. Some of the green party's ideas are theoretically positive goals, however, I highly doubt they will ever become the ruling principles of society.
ReplyDeleteHi Meagan- thanks for your thoughts and insight. I think that demilitarization issue really arises because of domination and forced political ideologies. Who is to say we ( the U.S.) should "spread democracy" at the barrel of a gun or tank? Some would say that is hyprocritical and devalues other cultures. Additionally we could also argue that military action could be used to help those who are tortured, oppressed etc (such as in Libya). Still we may also see that the U.S. and countries of the global "West" will pick and choose which oppressed societies to help and which to ignore (Libya is much more of a strategic value than Syria for example)- therefore we really seem like we value certain peoples other others- which leads to domination. Is "human lives are more valuable than nature" yet we depend on nature to live- how is that rationalized? Its interconnected- if we value human nature we have to value the nature around us because we depend on its resources. We can not have one with out the other.
DeleteThese value have been embedded within some societies and have made great change. Yet you are right- it seems like a long long up hill battle for them to be the ruling class in the US. That is one main criticism of our binary party system.
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I am in this course because I am very interested in learning about environmental policy and green living. I thought this would be a great class to take for my major (Environmental Science). While I believe that "green values" sound nice I don't think the majority of them would work in the real world. My life stance is that of a secular humanist, I believe in humanity and all the things that it can achieve. That being said I am also extremely for the advancement of high technology or technology of any sort. I believe through science and technology humans can solve any problems that we may face in the world. I believe in a balance between nature and humans and while I believe nature should be exploited for the benefit of humans I don't believe it should be taken to the point where in the long term it is detrimental for humans. I believe in most of the green views on politics. However, I believe in these principles for reasons other then the ones the green party gives. Humans should naturally want to work together in a social or communal society for the betterment of the many, not the few. I believe through science and industry humans can create a utopian world. I believe the first steps to this utopian world is though the acquisition of cheap, almost free (renewable) energy. I believe that through this cheap energy humans will begin to see major changes in the infrastructure and economy of the world. Things that may have been too expensive in the past could be feasible and commercially viable. I hope for a world that exists post-capitalism, a world where people care about one another, where business isn't the driving factor of the economy. I believe this world will come to fruition even if it does take hundreds of years.
ReplyDeleteHi Alex- thanks for your responses. Like I mentioned to Suneil- you will find that the adversarial views against high-technology doe seem problematic to many. Additionally the time this piece was written may before the real push for "green technology" came about. There are several people i know who are mostly 90% green-minded but really struggle with the issue of technology. It is possible green ideology would be accepting of technology that was focused on righting the wrongs done to the environment and prolonging the use/changing the use of non-renewable resources. This is something very worth discussing in class!
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My original reason for joining Green Explorations was partially because I needed another class, but also because this is a subject that interests me. I thought it could be useful to learn more about being "Green" and what exactly falls into that category. As for the "Green Values" I feel that they introduce multiple very good ideals but I also feel that there are many ideas expressed within the values that I simply disagree with. Based on the fact that no two people are the same I find it nearly impossible for all of the listed values to apply to everyone. For example, "Science and technology can't be relied on: we have to find other ways to solve environmental problems." In my mind this is completely wrong. I believe that through technology we can gain a better understanding of these problems and then through greater knowledge produce better solutions. The value I most agree with is that of the spiritual quality of life being more important than material things. If more people in the world lived by this value it would be a better environment in which to live. I was most surprised by the mass amount of political involvement introduced in the "Principles of the Left Green Network" because I did not realize they category of "Green" contained so many ideals.
ReplyDeleteHi Jake- yep many are surprised that Green Values are actually very political in nature- although some people believe that many of these values are common sense and should not be political. Yours insight about the spiritual quality of life is quite insightful from such a young person! Welcome to the class
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The main reason for me taking this class is because it is a pre-req. for me, but I'm an advocate of green innovations and strong believer in co-existing with nature. Unfortunately we live in world that can not survive in such a simplistic coexistence with nature. Our country and the rest of the world thrive on ones own gain instead of the good for the eco-system. I believe that living one with nature and living purely to live would be idea. The way the world is it is simple unfeasible because the majority of the WORLD lives where we work to buy things we want, not need to survive. We can never go back to way of life where people life of the land and live peacefully wiith just nature. I believe that turning to greener and more eco-friendlier ways are only a start to a process that can never reach 100%. i believe that being totally green, is a complete transformation of eliminating any form of hierarchic to ensure that no capital is gained to one or a certain group. Removing social classes where everyone works to survive. and many others but thats the reasoning why we try to go green. Anything to start preserviving the earth, the only place we have to survive.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Dario- thanks for your responses. You are right- for people of all societies to adopt green values would be such a global shift that it may be impossible. If we were to pick the top 10 ideals we would want to be globalized, what do you think they would be? Thanks again!
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I am taking this course to expand my knowledge of the environment and gain different stand points on the "green revolution". I took a basic Environmental class in HighSchool and I feel like this course will extend my knowledge and open my mind more. I think the "green values" are accurate for the most part and most should be adopted as the new conventional values. Although I support most of the values, I disagree with some of them. One I strongly disagree in is the idea of the abolishment of social hierarchies. I believe that the world needs classes and ranks to run in an effective and productive manner. I also do not agree with the idea that science and technology can not be trusted. Over the past couple hundred years, science has changed the world completely, teaching us much more than ever imagined. Another green value I completely agree with is the idea of obeying the laws of nature, such as the carrying capacity. I feel like we, as a general population of the world, are pushing the earth to its limit. There are problems arising left and right, and I believe that if we planned our existence better, than these problems would not be as prominent. The part of the reading that surprised me the most was the list of Principles of the Left Green Network. I did not realize that Gay and Lesbian Liberation and Human Rights had any part of a green network. I agree with their thoughts but it was shocking to learn that they have a say in things other than the environment and actions. Already, one day in to the class, my eyes have already been opened to an entire party of people, supporting logical and beneficial ideas.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessika- it seems like the green values and green movement did start in amsaller realm of environmental issues- but then when they evolved to analyze and criticize systems of domination and opression then those involved realized that such oppression is every where- against the environment, against classes of people, people of certain ethnic groups, sexual orientation and gender. If the green revolution were to create a utopia then such oppression/domination of not only the environment but against people also had to be addressed. And as I have mentioned before- you will see the issue of technology and science to be a main them of contention with greens today. Maybe this piece needs to be updated to focus on green-technologies?
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Throughout high school, I have always been considered “the hippie” of my class because I cared about the environment, sustainability, and I supported a local food culture. It always slightly upset me when I was titled thus so because I felt like my ideas and values were not taken seriously by my peers. My perspective of the American culture has changed throughout the years after reading various books and watching various documentaries and I began to feel discontent in an environment that I felt was empty, meaningless, and unsustainable. Because my perspective and opinion on what is valuable was so different from everyone else around me, I began to feel isolated, frustrated, and trapped; I felt like I could not live in the real world if this was what reality looked like: People who thoughtlessly live their lives with no regard towards future generations; who make decisions with no regard for the environment or sustainability; People who are blind to their own emotional and spiritual needs and try to fill the void with consumerism, an empty substitute for fulfillment. I am in this course because I can rightly say that “green values” are a passion of mine as well as a lifestyle. These core values embody my belief system, which is why I am excited to in this group and make a difference in the community I am a part of. I am eager to stop feeling like a helpless minority and actually take action.
ReplyDeleteI am especially eager to promote local initiatives and to change a culture that is run by corporate America. I have experienced working for a large corporation this summer and I must say, the work was far from fulfilling or creative. I don’t believe in “Giantism” or division of labor, which creates alienating, robotic and impersonal work. That system is like a mindless monster, or a fat kid at an all-you-can-eat buffet where the overall message is “more is better”, regardless of how stuffed the kid already is.
I am also eager to promote local culture. Unfortunately, I am cynical when it comes to American culture because I think a lot of our culture’s unique and individualistic attributes have been lost. Our “industrial society” has taken away our holistic community. What industrial society gives us instead is a hoarder’s closet full of unnecessary junk because of our consumerism, higher depression rates because of job unfulfillment, and high medical bills because of the drugs we take to numb the effects of emotionally and physically unhealthy lifestyles. It’s all a vicious cycle that I fully believe in changing.
I feel more empowered to reach people and make changes in this course. I am now no longer offended at the term “hippie”. I am proudly a “Left Green” and am a firm believer in environmentalism. I embrace these values I have and hope to share them with the world.
Oh Laura have i been in your shoes- the feeling of isolation and desire to be among liKe-minded people. Having green ideals in such a materialistic culture can be difficult. I appreciate you being here in the South East, its often easy to move to Austin, Portland or elsewhere where you may feel you "fit in". I grew cyncical and then i grew happy about being in a place that actually needs the change. When i first moved here 13 years( I grew up in North Miami- talk about materialism!) ago the farmers market and sustainable agriculture was like a counter culture, a niche that was not addressed. There was no green dorms or many community gardens at all, but over the last decade i can say we have had actual change :) Its worth sticking it out and enduring the feelings of isolation sometimes, but its hard. Welcome to class
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I am taking this course because my adviser suggested that I take it. I am not a person you would associate with the term "green." I usually take long showers, I don't recycle as much as I should, and I don't buy a lot of things made out of recycled materials. Although I'm not "green" in those ways, I do care about the environment.While reading, I noticed that when defining environmentalism, the conventional values about nature stated "nature can and should be exploited and dominated for human benefit." I felt that this was terribly disturbing. In no way shape or form should we ever just dominate nature. I feel that it is best if we respect nature and ensure its safety. It was also stated under the conventional values that "science and technology can solve environmental problems, so we must go on perfecting them." The green values stated that " science and technology can't be relied on: we must find other ways to solve environmental problems." I have a relative that works for the state of North Carolina in their department of environment and natural resources. Science is almost the only way they are able to accomplish the things that they do, and most of what they accomplish helps save the environment. Without the science, they are not able to do the research needed to help make a change. A lot of the views between the conventional and green values surprised me. Most of them seemed a little bit drastic.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Hallie :) Yes i think we will see that science and technology issues have evolved to encompass many green technologies. I think we are seeing a real divergence between "green " science and destructive science. This issue should be raised in class. Thanks for responding!
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The reason why I chose this course is for myself to get a better grasp on “green politics”. I have always had an interest in helping environments and becoming more eco-friendly. Being a political science major, I feel by taking this class it will help me gain a broader spectrum of how “going green” enhances ones view on politics. After reading “green values”, it really helped me go deeper into detail with certain issues that I already thought I knew about. They really expressed the different ways of how things should get done in their own perspective and why certain choices shouldn’t be made. The “green value” that I agreed most to was Grassroots Democracy. The reason being because they point out that the left greens do not seek to get elected to public office, this does not help get things through the government, which I strongly agree with. The Grassroots Democracy actually wants to restructure political institutions to replace the centralized state. They also would like to get their communities involved more in helping by sponsoring community assemblies, and town meeting to help gain a tighter support. The “green value” that I disagree with the most would have to be Direct Action. I feel that spreading direct action solves very little. Having them use terms such as “bureaucratic inertia” and “military repression” just shows how unstable they are in trying to solve their own problems with business that they must always bring force. They feel that voting isn’t enough to help change circumstances, then they must need to focus on our nation’s democracy a little better. What surprised me the most about the readings is how much information filled in the blanks for me. For most of the topics that I was reading about, I thought I knew exactly what they had to say but I was completely wrong by all means. After reading more in depth on these topics I am glad they educated me a little bit more on their standpoints.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Poli-Sci major! I am wondering if it would be a productive research project to find some environmentalists who are Republican or right leaning. I bet they exist but probably do not encompass all these stated values. It would be interesting to evaluate the right/Republican environmentalist agenda, if there is one.
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My decision to take this course was initially based on my minor in the area of Environmental Science. I feel that nature is the gateway to things beyond human reach. It is something that we cannot create, yet we have created the tools to destroy it so easily. It is one of the wonders that is beyond our grasp, an inspiration that reminds us that there is more to life on this planet than only humans wants and materialistic progress. If humans expect to live on this planet and continue to progress, something has to be done about the current standard for our way of life. Human laziness and ignorance are two major factors contributing to the global crisis of pollution today. We can’t expect to continue to exist until we start taking care of our surroundings. They support us, so we should support them. I am interested in exploring the various aspects of Green ideologies and examining the practicality of reformative ideas for society. Many of the “Green Values” are ideas that I strongly agree with. The one stating that the spiritual quality of life is more important than the materialist aspects of it is something I closely relate with. I have experienced and viewed this firsthand. Having traveled to third world countries on mission trips has extended my view of the world and made me realize how unnecessarily materialistic our society is. People with fewer possessions seem legitimately happier with their quality of life than we as greedy Americans are. I also related to the concept of society with respect to efficiency. The text states, “Social and environmental damage is economically inefficient.” Even if society makes great leaps in progress and technology, there will be a point where everything must stop because the world is so polluted and changed from its original form. It seems to me that the decrease in the quality of human life (a separation from nature) will undo the successes of society’s previous leaps of progress. The ideals that I did not agree with as much with those relating to the necessary changes in political structure. Some decentralization would have to take place in order to implement change in society, but moving to such drastic measures with so little governing patterns seems like it would decrease the amount of guidance people would need to continue to peacefully coexist with the environment. Change would have to be gradual, but a complete switch to small communities implies that large scale taxing (as mentioned in the “Principle of the Left Green Network”) would be very difficult to regulate and maintain. With such little governing powers, I’m not sure how laws protecting the environment could be as strongly enforced as those promoting Green Values desire. I was a bit surprised about how strong the decentralization opinions were, as well as the overlap of human rights with environmental ideals in the Left Green Network. I never considered green ideals on that scale or related to human rights such as those.
ReplyDeleteKira- Hi and thanks for such great insights. I agree with what you said regarding "Human laziness and ignorance are two major factors contributing to the global crisis of pollution today" I think many people are of the "so what, i dont care" mindset and just aren't open for change. I also think its really interesting, as i mentioned to one of your classmates, for such a young person to appreciate the spiritual quality of life. I have also visited many developing countries and the ideas of sustainability really took on a different tone when i realized that their so called progress depended heavily on working with in factories that service the United States and Western Europe. I find that a turn towards small-scale local community is hard to conceptualize, especially for us who are so accustomed to larger urban living. What would that mean for mega-huge cities such a Chicago and New York? What is "local" in a city with millions?
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I signed up for this class to gain knowledge about possibilities of going green in ways that are outside the box. I really plan to go to law school for Environmental Law and this seemed like a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI didn't agree with all of the "green values", but I could understand where the values were coming from and from my position could respect the different opinions of what values should be. It's understandable to see things those ways, but generally yes we need to keep in mind the beauty of nature and conserve and preserve it, but at the same time there are things unknown to us about nature that we need to explore. Especially with the ideas that there could be cures for diseases in parts of natural places that there is no question whether or not we should explore it.
The "green value" I least agreed with was that humans are naturally cooperative, from personal experience that isn't entirely true. Guaranteed, that yes, there are certain people out in the world whom are cooperative regardless of the situation, however, when it comes down to it, we are competitive beings and that's been in our genetic coding for ever. If we weren't competitive we realistically wouldn't have made it this far in advancing ourselves, considering the idea that the environment weeds out the weakest link.
What had surprised me the most with the readings was the non-aligned internationalism, I strongly believe in national boundaries. I am all for countries bettering their own countries and becoming as well supported as we are as a nation, but wholly to share what most of us have worked so hard to protect, and keep the rights to and of, with others, personally doesn't seem fair to those who have helped make this progression possible. It almost seems as punishment to our nation for al our hardwork.
Hi Laura- thats for your contribution! What "hardwork" are you referring to by "our nation"? I will assume you speak of the United States. Because we worked hard, created a democracy and advanced technology, economic dominance and military strength does that also mean we have the right to change a the culture of a separate country? In order to make them more like the US or to dominate them so that we can "invest" in cheap labor and resources? We do work hard, but many "Greens" would claim that our hard work comes at the dominance of other ethnic groups within and without of our nation. Of course there are positives that our nation's wealth have helped to spread as well USAID and other aid programs, but often there are strings tied. It seems you take a Social Darwinistic flavor to your statement "If we weren't competitive we realistically wouldn't have made it this far in advancing ourselves, considering the idea that the environment weeds out the weakest link."- Do you consider some lesser developed countries and cultural groups as the "weakest links" and therefore are entitled of being dominated?
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I am in this course because it is recommended for first year students who are members of the USC Green Learning Community, which I am, but also because I am deeply interested in and passionate about making our world and our lifestyles more environmentally sustainable. I think that most green values are interesting and positive ideas which were developed with the intent of rethinking the ways in which humans relate to our surroundings and to one another. I believe that although green values may seem radical and nearly implausible, they are really meant to serve as tenants of an ideal global way of life which we can merely strive to reach, and thus in making even the slightest movement towards these values we simultaneously improve the health of our planet and the quality of our lives. Although I agree with most green values, the green value which I agree with the most is that full equality and civil rights for all humans regardless of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or geography. I believe that full equality and civil rights should be a global standard which is unwavering because universal human equality could then serve as a foundation for other, more complex and challenging, green values to take hold. A green value which I disagree with is the idea that decisions are best made through a process of direct democracy instead of our current system of representative democracy. Although I will be the first to admit our current political system is far from perfect, I do not believe that effective decision making can take place through direct democracy due to the complexity of reaching real “consensus decisions” among the population. I was most surprised by the “green value view” of decentralization because I feel that for great and radical changes to be implemented in their early stages across a large area or population it would much more effective to have a central idea of what change is taking place, where it has and hasn’t occurred, and how that change will actually be brought about; all of which could likely only be conducted at a centralized level.
ReplyDeleteJonathan, I really like your view of the purpose of green values, where you state that they should serve as tenants for a way of global living that should be strived for globaly in order to improve the value of life. Your view helped me to recognize that although some of the green values may seem to be unreachable, perhaps these values are the utopian perception of the world and by taking small steps towards these ideals would be the most efficient method to promoting change. Thanks for helping me understand that better!
DeleteGreetings Jonathan- i really value your contributions to this discussion and the extension of green values being linked to human rights and serving as tenets for which we can use to improve our world. Very insightful:"I believe that although green values may seem radical and nearly implausible, they are really meant to serve as tenants of an ideal global way of life which we can merely strive to reach, and thus in making even the slightest movement towards these values we simultaneously improve the health of our planet and the quality of our lives." I also find myself in agreement, at times, that to instill large scale change it will need to come from a more centralized power structure
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When I was 8 my family picked up and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia. The culture shock was a lot to handle at the time. Although I missed the southern hospitality, y'all, and sweet tea, one of the cultural influences that stayed with my family was the understanding of the crisis that our Earth is in. When I saw the “Green Explorations” title I saw an opportunity to become more involved in my current community and raise awareness of this crisis. When living in a more green conscious culture the effects of the ten key values were seen throughout the city. Each person takes on a personal responsibility to protect nature and the resources that have been graciously provided for us. The cultures do not so much mix, yet they are all displayed and respected throughout the city. However, their government has come into control. Their liberal view of politics has provided socialized economic values. I believe that the government should not be as centralized as it is in many of the areas that are focused on green values. I believe that the most important value is future focus and sustainability. If we don't fix the current crisis the standard of living and ability to have communities will disappear. Our future is dependent on the decisions that we make today. I was surprised by the extent of involvement of the “Left Green Network.” Their involvement with equal rights for gays grasped my attention as my best friend is currently struggling with the judgement of close minded people.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, my husband and I have noticed that in many countries in Europe such as Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Germany green values were instilled in the culture- and not so politicized, which made them easier to adapt to. I am wondering if in BC, that is the same situation. We seem to over politicize so many cultural values that it does not allow for real change to take place. How do we undo such politicization?
DeleteGood insights
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I have always been the tree-hugger among my friends; I'm the one who picks up everybody's trash, yells at my friends for littering, and holds on to bottles until I can get to a recycling bin. My major here at the University of South Carolina is Environmental Studies, so what better course to take than Green Explorations/Environmental 121? I live in West Quad B so getting to classes is not a problem, and I can already tell I'm gonna love the class. Green values are some of the things I try to live by. I'm not a super activist who only wears and eats certain things and starts riots, but protecting this Earth that we live on is very important to me. Learning about and caring for the environment has always been my passion, and I am looking forward to this class as a way to expand that interest.
ReplyDeleteHi Jack- Welcome to the class. Since you are a tree-hugger by nature, i think this class will be in your comfort zone. Can you elaborate in specific green values from the readings you found that you agree with or did not agree with? Be mindful of the needed criteria for our blogs.
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I was enrolled in this course as a requirement for being a freshmen and in the Green Living and Learning Community. However, I am extremely glad that I was automatically added to this class or else I may not have even known such a course existed. The readings on green values were both enlightening and slightly different from my prior perception of what green values entail.
ReplyDeleteThe green value that I most agree with from the chart is the notion of “think globally: act locally”, because the local community is the most important part of an individual’s immediate surroundings, and if local communities do not thrive how are entire countries supposed to do so? Strong local communities translate into a stronger economy as a whole.
Moreover, the economical shift that the author mentions in this article, that greens follow the principle that as resources are finite, which is “a fact never appreciated in the short time perspective of conventional economics”. Thus, this is why greens support that the time-scale for economic planning should be several hundred years.
However, I do not completely agree with this value because I think that the fast-paced world that we irrefutably live in would not support such an extensive period of time for economic planning. If there were to be a moderate shift from 5-10 years to 20-25 years this might be possible, because I agree with the conventional argument that investors must see return from their investments in order for additional budgeting purposes.
My favorite part of this article was the definition of what a green critique includes, the author states “it is a discontent at the alienation of urban-industrial capitalism and some of its central institutions such as the nuclear family, or hierarchical power relationships”. I believe that if one analyzes society from a green view, there will be many examples of areas in which change could happen. For example, there are numerous hierarchies in almost every facet of life, in schooling with teacher-student relationships and teacher-administration relationships, in the workplace, and even in family life.
Most surprising to me was the fact that greens argue against all nuclear technology, and that they believe science and technology are not reliable methods to solving environmental problems. This surprises me because I am aware of various ways that technology has been invented to try and alleviate the strain of humans on the environment, such as wind power and solar power to reduce the amount of fossil fuels humans burn for energy consumption. I just have a hard time understanding how greens can be against science when science has proved in the past to have a valuable role in aiding against environment and resource depletion.
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DeleteHi Megan- thanks for your thoughtful contribution. You are right that in our economic system "investors must see return from their investments in order for additional budgeting purposes"- but is monetarily return the only type of return that could be valuable to a business? Wouldn't a business want to know that their practices are sustainable but can also earn a profit, and therefore the business can have more longevity? I have to agree with you that science and technology are now important components and can be used to fulfill green goals. Pay attention to when the piece was written, because i am not sure the green technologies that are around today were actualized at that point in time.
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In high school I took AP Environmental Science and absolutely loved it. My interest in that course led me to be here today. In addition, I am an undeclared major trying to pilfer through the numerous possibilities in order to figure out what direction I want to go in. Ironically, I wrote my entrance exam to the honors college on social ecofeminism. I guess I can say therefore that I agree most with this principle seeing that I have more background information about it. The empowerment- or lack thereof- of women plays a key role in population growth, standard of living, and environmental ignorance among third world countries. WIth the smallest bit of insight that I have into the political spectrum, I know that third part candidates' chances of election are slim to none. I would have to say then that radical municipalism would be the principle I can most easily disagree with. "Independent Green Candidates" almost never win because of the set up of the electoral college, so the likelihood of this idealist principle actually working are not promising. Large parties should instead face insurmountable pressure to appease the demands of the environmentalists. WIth enough size and voter clout, incumbents for re-election are most easily susceptible to satisfying larger groups of voters. Most surprising to me was the incredible amount of politics embedded in ever single principle. Clinging ro my naivety and idealism, I come into things assuming that there is always a good side and a bad side. This black and white concept of environmentalism make it sound more like a corny movie than the living concept that it is.
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah- thanks such such interesting comments. I especially found your insight on women; "The empowerment- or lack thereof- of women plays a key role in population growth, standard of living, and environmental ignorance among third world countries" I find it especially telling that you focused on women of third world countries- there is a huge connection there between their lack of empowerment and many other "green" issues. Of course in our country these values have become so politicized, yet in other countries many of these green values are just part of the everyday norm.I wonder how we can shift this level of consciousness here.
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When I was in high school I took multiple environmental science courses including AP Environmental. These courses are still some of my most favorite that I have taken thus far! I love nature and all things leading to the “green” way of life. My immediate family advocates constantly about sustainability, and my ancestors did as well. My family created a wildlife nature preserve called Crowley Museum and Nature Center in Myakka, FL. It is a nonprofit organization specifically designed to show people how to live a sustainable lifestyle as well as showing them the purest forms of beauty in nature. (Crowleyfl.org ) Although I’m taking this course because I need a science credit, I'm also interested to learn how current curriculum is incorporating green values into the classroom. As for the readings, the green value I most agreed with is definitely the social implications. Large corporations need to be broken up into smaller entities so that the “little people” have a bigger chance to own resources and feel a sense of importance. As stated in the paragraph, “A green society will be less hierarchical and more participatory that present society and definitely more communal.” When this concept can finally be implemented, society will be able to set forward in a direction that is not only beneficial to humans but to the rest of world as well. I also most definitely agree with the article, Principles of the Left Green Network. The entire article gave me the urge to stand up and shout, “Yes! Everyone, listen up!” As for disagreeing with a green value, there is not one that I could find. But I’m not completely congruent with all politics in the environmental society, I do not agree with the media portraying the green life as lavish. People need to really know what saving the environment means; whether it be getting your hands dirty to plant a tree, or walking the streets to pick up trash. It is not as glamorous as TV makes it out to be. What surprised me most would be some of the terminology used that I had never heard of prior to reading the articles. Overall I know I am going to enjoy all that there is to learn from ENVR121, and I’m very excited to progress through the course!
ReplyDeleteIts funny that you mention the green lifestyle as lavish, at the time this article was written organic food and green-focused goods/services were much more expensive. What i also find funny is that often people have a idealized concept of how green value,s such a community garden, can be supported but when it comes to that person actually working/getting dirty in the garden- then they aren't so quick to get on board.
DeleteHow exciting that your family has created a nature preserve. Maybe we can take an extended community building filed trip :)
Seriously though, if your family's organization has any internship or long term volunteer opportunities then we at Sustainable Carolina would love to know more!
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I decided to take this class because I'm from a farming town in Pennsylvania that truly values enviromental preservation. Growing up , all the fruits, veggies, and meats I consumed came straight off a local farm. Due to the proximity of the farms in which our foods were harvested, my local community really supported enviromental sustainability. Even after leaving Pennsylvania for college in South Carolina, I have found myself staying strong in my efforts the stay green. I almost always purchase organic and green food, cleaning products, and beauty products, amongst other things.I have found that sometimes in college it is easy to lose sight in what is important,such as preserving the enviroment, and I am really impressed that at such a large school there are so many people interested in Green Explorations, something much bigger than themselves. I think that Green Values are really important, because the condition of our enviroment does not only affect us in this day, but it will continue to affect our children and greandchildren and so on and so forth. One value I really agree with is the spiritual value, and the belief that material goods are less important than life.I think this is really true because our society is far too materialistic and it struggles to focus on whats really important. One value i disagree with is the Independent Green Candiates. These candidates never win a position of power, but I think they deserve to because they stand for ideqals that are really important. Something that really surprised me from the readings was that the Gay and Lesbian Liberation and Human Rights had a part in the left green network. There was a wide variety of ideals, that I did not realize had anything to do with green living and explorations.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Joelle and thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteIt is intriguing that you were able to grow up with certain green values because of your community. On a local level did these values become politicized or were they a core set of values that were supported by people from the "left" and the "right" (politically speaking)
Make sure to get the blog handout since you were not able to make it to our first session.
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