Taking Time to Care

This course provided an opportunity to write and share as well as reflect on self in concert with nature and in relationships and experiences with others living in a world where many times things are taken for granted. The world is becoming more endangered each year through man-environment interactions that are not often positive and there are compelling reasons we must care about our environment and the dangers posed if we do not take time to care and have open conversation and ongoing dialogue about the world we live in from an environmental perspective. There are many opportunities to engage in slow and incremental change to save our planet and we must care for and be stewards of our environment both now and in the future.

This blog contributes to the larger environmental conversation that we have begun this semester by sharing essential elements of the critical conversation that needs to take place everyday, everyplace in a variety of ways about environmental issues and concerns. The readings and papers, reflections, conversations, and exchange of perspectives are excellent opportunities to increase awareness and sensitivity as a global society of key issues and challenges facing our environment and ultimately society. It is not enough to think someone else will do what needs to be done and carry on the vital conversations that need to occur. If these critical conversations do not occur there is sure to be environmental demise that is irreparable. The environmental focus and global conversations must be sustained and ongoing at every level from the citizen at the grass roots to the highest political office in the land. Key stakeholders and constituents must be at the tables to have these critical, ongoing conversations for global environmental sustainability.

While all environmental issues are important and require initiatives to change sooner rather than later, there are some environmental issues that are more compelling calling for more rapid change than others. For example, it is important to develop hybrid vehicles to decrease environmental pollution. It is hard to imagine living in a world that could have been saved if only someone had taken time to care and model behaviors or create policy that would literally save the planet and provide a future for our children and our children's children but that did happen because everyone thought someone else would take care of this.

There are many opportunities to create positive change in the environment through both immediate and long term strategies. For example, one of the opportunities that can immediately preserve, promote, and sustain our environment is design and creation of energy efficient vehicles thereby decreasing air pollution from current fuel sources like hydrocarbons from gasoline and diesel. One of the most efficient ways to share environment concerns is through teaching young persons about environmental issues and how they can participate in creating and designing the future with the environment as the center of all actions and activities. Every human action has the potential to positively or negatively impact the environment and it is essential to be mindful of the impact of every man-environment interaction.

One of the most effective ways to convey concerns about the environment is to write about and share perspectives with others particularly focusing on issues that may/may not be popular. Critical conversations must be generated to engage people to identify what is happening and what needs to be happening to save our environment. There has to be open dialogue and debate about how all human activity impacts the environment. Another way to share is through debate and open conversation about these most timely and relevant environmental issues whenever oportunities arise and to be able to clearly articulate issues where change can and should occur. It is only through sharing, writing, and frank conversations about critical environmental issues that future generations will have a forum in which to live, share, and experience life in what may well be the most unique relationships with nature and other human beings in a global society at its best.

Slide Show for album :: Walk in the Woods

Slide Show for album :: Walk in the Woods

Cited Source for Slide Show:

http://letkeman.net/Photos/slideshow.php?set_albumName=walkinthewoods