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ENR Scholars Final Reflection

The highlight of my ENR scholars experience over the past two years has to be the camping trip we went on to Hocking Hills last year. I learned a lot over this trip as I had never gone camping before and it has inspired me to go on multiple camping trips including one I will go on with friends in a few weeks! Not only was I able to experience camping for the first time, but I was also able to form valuable friendships. I found this trip to happen at the perfect time during the year because I knew people but hadn’t made any close friends yet. However, this camping trip is really how I bonded with people and made lasting friendships.

Through ENR scholars, I learned how to plan an event and encourage attendance. I planned the Tree Identification Workshop with another member and learned some valuable lessons from it. We learned not only what goes into the planning process, but also how to make an event successful while it is occurring.

I really cut down on my plastic consumption over the past two years. This is most definitely something I will continue and I will hopefully be able to entirely cut out single-use plastic in the future. With my move off campus next year, I am really hoping to begin composting and buy more locally sourced foods. With what I have learned over the past two years, even disposing of biodegradable waste in a landfill is still detrimental to the environment. I think by composting I will be able to have that much more of a positive impact on the planet. Similarly, buying locally will cut down on emissions from shipping and will allow me to really know what is going into the production of my food.

 

I would advise the incoming class of ENR scholars to do their best to make friends within the group as well as really try to make the most out of the different events that scholars has. You will regret it if you don’t!

Year in Review

Before coming to Ohio State, I was a little bit worried about joining the Environment and Natural Resources Scholars program because I thought that I wasn’t “outdoorsy” enough. So, when it came time for the camping trip I was not sure how it would go. However, I realized that I really enjoyed living outdoors for a couple of days. I have made a decision to devote more of my time to being outdoors. In fact, my friends and I are planning another camping trip to Hocking Hills during the month of May. I think spending time outside is always an amazing experience and has allowed me to develop a deeper connection with myself as well as those around me.

While it is good to spend time outdoors, before my year with ENR Scholars I was not aware of all of the ways I affect Earth during my time outdoors. For example, I did not know that when hiking, it is very important to stay on the man-made trails and not stray from them. I didn’t consider how walking off the path could affect the surrounding environment and organisms. I think this newfound knowledge has made me become a much more responsible citizen of the world.

Prior to this year, I considered myself to make environmentally-friendly food choices as I do not eat any animal products. The animal agriculture industry has a huge negative impact on the environment. However, I did not consider the impact of where I was buying my food from. Buying locally could mean better treatment of farm workers and the food would also be more sustainable. I have learned more about human-welfare than I expected to learn through ENR. So, I plan to become more sustainable in my food choices in the future. I think there are many more things I can do in making sustainable choices that I have yet to learn.

During my time at Ohio State, I have also become much more conscious about the amount of waste I am producing. Due to this, I have begun to recycle much more than I did in the past. I have also become much more educated on what materials are able to be recycled and why there are limits at OSU on what we can recycle. This has inspired me to work more in the coming years to educate other students on campus about these regulations. I have discovered that many people do not know what is able to and not able to be recycled. There needs to be better broadcasting of this information to the students and faculty at Ohio State.

The actions I performed for the Earth Month Action Plan were really cool to do and good learning experiences. However, they will be hard to incorporate into everyday life as they were specifically one time actions. By doing this project, I have gained an even deeper appreciation for the ocean as well as a deeper understanding of the issues with dead zones. I think this will translate into everyday life and has inspired me to look into environmental careers and internships focused specifically on the ocean.

Mid-Action Plan Check In

My first two weeks of action have gone well. In my first week, I chose to hold a Mission Blue viewing party. My friends really enjoyed the documentary and said they were greatly affected by it. One friend has since watched numerous other documentaries about the ocean and how to preserve its health. Some friends said it helped them to think twice about eating fish and helped them to realize the seemingly indirect impact humans have on the ocean. For my second week, I decided to hang information around Morrill Tower about actions people can take to decrease dead zones. By doing this, I discovered that by decreasing car usage you can help the ocean because this creates less of a demand for oil companies. I also learned that by consuming less fish, one can help to preserve marine life and ocean biodiversity.

I think one thing I can do that will help with my actions is doing actions that I can directly see the impact from. For example, in my action for the first week, I was able to see how it affected my friends right in that moment. However, in the second week, I do not know if people read the information I displayed or if they gained anything from it. The main challenge I foresee over the final two weeks is actually making an impact. I have seen that small actions I take can and will make an impact in the issue of dead zones. However, over the next two weeks I want to make a larger impact. I think this could be a challenge because it can be hard to make a big impact with oceans from Ohio. Another challenge I foresee is to continue on with actions after Earth Month is over. In order to make a lasting difference, I know it will be necessary to do this though.

Earth Month Action Plan

During Earth Month, in the first week I plan to raise awareness about dead zones and ocean conservation by hosting a viewing party for the documentary Mission Blue. This is one of my favorite documentaries and it is what inspired me to learn more about this issue. I think the most challenging part of this action will be just to get people to come and to watch the documentary with an open mind. I plan to use the TV in my dorm room to show Mission Blue.

For the second week, I plan to hang information around Morrill Tower about the issue of dead zones and everyday actions people can take to conserve the ocean’s resources. One of the actions would be to consume less fish. I will do more research on the internet to see other small things people can do that will promote a healthy ocean. One difficulty that I see with this action is making the posters attractive and eye-catching so people will read them.

For the third week, I will email Senator Steve Wilson, who serves my home district, and tell him about the importance of ocean conservation and why I think more governmental work should be done to protect the ocean. I used the Ohio Senate website to find what senator serves my district. I think the most difficult part about this will be to see if Senator Wilson really reads the letter and listens to what I have to say.

For the fourth week, I plan to present my poster project I created for Intro to Environmental Science about hypoxia areas (dead zones). I put a lot of effort into this poster and am excited to present it and see what my classmates’ reactions to the topic are. I will be presenting at the Ohio Union and used resources provided in class and scientific articles to put the poster together. This will be challenging because so many people are presenting at the same time, that I need to make sure that my poster stands out and pushes people to help in the prevention of dead zones.

Nonprofit Reflection

Before hearing the guest speakers speak in class, I did not realize there was such a need for consistent volunteers in nonprofit work. I always thought of nonprofit organizations as having mostly full time employees and not relying quite so much on the help of outside volunteers. However, I now realize the great need for this. The guest speakers emphasized that consistent volunteers, even if it’s for only one hour a week, make a huge difference in their work. By doing this, the organization does not have to train new volunteers constantly and can instead devote more time to helping and possibly solving the issue they are dealing with. When looking at my issue, I think I need to consider more critically what kind of volunteer work I could be doing now instead of waiting until I am a professional in the Environmental Policy field.

My biggest takeaway from this class session, was that I can get involved more immediately in ocean conservation and recovery than I had realized previously. I would like to take action on my issue by volunteering for the different nonprofit organizations that align with my views on dead zones. For example, I have now realized I can volunteer with Oceana, which is an amazing organization. Another organization that I admire greatly for the work they do is NOAA. On their website, it mentions that volunteers are critical in supporting environmental stewardship. So, while I plan to have a more involved role in environmental issues later in life, that does not mean that I can’t help at all before I have earned a degree.

Nonprofits and Dead Zones

In a situation like the one involving dead zones, nonprofit organizations serve a large role in the protection of the ocean. Mission Blue, Oceana, Florida Oceanographic Society and The Ocean Conservancy are just a few of the nonprofits working to protect the ocean and its lifeforms. Mission Blue, which is one of my favorites, is part of the Sylvia Earle Alliance working to inspire action to explore and protect the ocean. This organization in particular really works to bring the public into the issue and inspires public awareness, access and support for marine protected areas all over the world. The way Mission Blue works is by people nominating Hope Spots, marine areas they want to be protected, because they have a special connection to this area and feel that it is critical to the health of the ocean. Anyone can get involved in the protection of the ocean through this project, as anyone can nominate a Hope Spot. A challenge that comes with nonprofits is that a lot of the work that nonprofits do is to raise awareness. This can be a very rewarding task but can also be quite difficult as people are not always receptive to your cause. I think the most important thing to consider when viewing my issue through a nonprofit lens is that every nonprofit focuses on different aspects of the issue so many times working with multiple nonprofits is the best solution to a problem. At the level of a personally responsible citizen, many are cutting down on the amount of fish they eat and specifically what types of fish they are eating. The consumption of some fish, like Atlantic salmon, is more detrimental to marine health than the consumption of others. Participatory citizens donate money to nonprofit organizations working to protect the ocean. However, social-justice oriented citizens are those who are possibly working for nonprofits and not only working to solve problems presented to us now, but looking to find the cause and end solution of these issues. So, with my particular issue, these are people who are not only working on clean-up crews with oil spills but are working to prevent the oil spills in the first place through various means.

The Ted Talk I chose to listen to was “Save the oceans, feed the world!” by Jackie Savitz. Jackie is a marine biologist and the Vice President for US Oceans at Oceana, one of the nonprofits I mentioned above. She mentions that by saving the oceans, we can do more than solve ecological problems. We need the oceans to be abundant so they can provide food for people. She says that since 1980, there has been an 18 percent decline in the amount of fish in the world catch. She mentions however, that most of the fish we are looking at are located in coastal areas that national jurisdictions have control over. This means that they can control the fisheries nationally, which is much easier and faster to do than internationally. She says there are 3 main things that we need to do in order to bring fisheries back. These things are setting quotas, reducing bycatch and protecting habitats. By listening to this Ted Talk, it has become apparent to me that nonprofits have the opportunity to organize movements and inspire individuals to make change. I also learned that there are many different aspects of ocean conservation and many causes of dead zones in the ocean. It is very effective, however, for nonprofits to focus on one specific aspect of the issue presented.

Political Action Reflection

Before I heard Councilmember Brown speak, I did not think very much about the financial implications of my issue. One topic that Councilmember Brown spoke about was recycling and that the city of Columbus has to obtain bids from recycling companies. However, some of the smaller companies do not have the ability to reach everyone in Columbus that wants to recycle. With my issue, it will be important to consider what companies are able to organize and follow through on ocean clean-ups. Along with this I need to think of who the government can partner with to make positive change in the ocean. My biggest takeaway from the discussion was that there are many behind-the-scenes actions that take place in order to make and enforce policies. Along with this the process often takes a very long time. Those involved in government work are not always working on the most glamourous projects but these smaller tasks need to be accomplished in order to achieve a larger, final goal.

While this is a long term goal, I would personally like to pursue a degree in Environmental Policy and by doing so, my end goal is to work for an environmental agency like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I will then be able to work to create policies to protect the ocean. Currently, I feel I could participate in protests and raise awareness about the issue. I could also volunteer to help with cleaning the ocean or participate in undergraduate research regarding issues with the ocean.

Political Action and Dead Zones

Politics and governance impact the issue of dead zones greatly. Because dead zones are in the ocean, many people see it as not affecting them very much. However, the health of the ocean determines the health of the land. Due to its nature, this issue requires government intervention in order to be solved. Research is being done with government agencies to discover what exactly is causing the dead zones as well as how they are impacting various organisms. The government has also organized ocean clean-ups, especially after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, to try to help prevent more dead zone formations. There have been United States Senators like Mary L. Landrieu who have brought to the government’s attention how important coastal restoration is. A National Commission was formed after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill as well. A way that people can take political action to get involved with the issue of dead zones is to raise awareness about the issue through protests or simply spreading the word to others. People could also volunteer to be in the clean-up crews that help with oil spills. This issue is challenging for the average person to deal with because many of the ways to solve this issue politically take place in higher forms of government. However, if citizens are ever able to vote on things dealing with off-shore drilling or big oil companies they should vote against them. This will help in the issue of dead zones. It is very important to consider the average citizen when looking at my issue through a political lens. The vast majority of people will not hold positions in political office but this shouldn’t mean that they are not able to help prevent the formation of dead zones.

The Ted Talk I chose is called “My wish: Protect our oceans” and Sylvia Earle is speaking in it. Dr. Earle has been a huge proponent for the health of the ocean and has been for me personally a huge role model and led me to my major. She was the first female head scientist of the Environmental Protection Agency. Sylvia Earle points out that an unhealthy ocean not only affects fish and other marine organisms but also us, on Earth. Without water, we cannot survive. She also mentions that the ocean is home to 97 percent of the world’s life. The government has created national marine sanctuaries and state marine reserves to protect the ocean. Dr. Earle argues that many of the fish that we are taking out of the ocean for food are much more valuable alive than on our plates. Many people used to not realize that the ocean is affected by what we take out and put in, but Sylvia Earle points out that we are destroying the oceans with our behaviors. She says that while there are over 4,000 areas of the sea under government protection, this is not nearly enough. It also takes a very long time to recover the organisms in the protected areas. Dr. Earle proposes that we create Hope Spots, we need to campaign and garner public support to create a global network of marine protected areas. Sylvia Earle suggests we do this though anything at our disposal; this could be films, expedition, the web or the creation of new technologies to explore the ocean.

Exploration of Agriculture, the Ocean, and Captivity

One issue that has always been of particular interest to me is that of livestock farming, especially that of dairy cows. I believe that farming animals is ultimately unsustainable. However, this issue is very important to society because so many people rely on the livestock industry for not only food but also jobs. I also feel very personally connected to this issue because I chose to not eat animal products and I think that it would be very beneficial for people to start moving towards plant-based diets. This issue can be related to the society pillar because many people rely on the farming industry for jobs and if those jobs were to be lost this would greatly affect their lives. This would have a negative impact on not only individual families but also on farming communities as a whole. This ties into the economic pillar as well because the livestock industry brings in enormous amounts of money. The government is also extremely invested in agriculture and the money that is produced as a result of livestock farming. The issue of livestock farming is also very important in the discussion of climate change and the environment. One of the biggest sources of methane emissions comes from dairy cows. This has been extremely detrimental to the environment. Along with this, many habitats, especially rainforests, have been destroyed to build farms on the land. Livestock require much more land than other types of farming.

Another issue that I feel very passionate about is the health of the ocean and the recent formation of dead zones. This issue is of extreme importance as the health of the ocean, or lack thereof, is directly related to the health of the world and the people living on it. This is a way that this issue can be related to the society pillar. Many coastal communities, particularly those on the Gulf of Mexico, have been negatively affected due to dead zones off of the coast. The quality of water is very bad there and threatens individuals’ health. Many of the dead zones that have formed recently are due to oil spills. This ties into the economic and environmental pillars because there are many huge oil companies that do drilling along the Gulf of Mexico and when there have been spills this kills much of the marine life in that area. When the marine life dies, this has a negative impact on the environment. However, the oil companies involved are very wealthy and bring a lot of money into the US economy. The government also has close ties with the oil industry. Another aspect of the economic pillar is that an enormous number of people in the United States have jobs in the fishing industry and when the ocean is not healthy that also means that fish populations will not be healthy. This could cause a lot of people to lose their jobs because we will not be able to fish to the extent that we currently do.

The last issue I chose to discuss is animals living in captivity. I’ve always had very conflicted ideas about animals in captivity so I thought it would be interesting to explore it more. This issue relates to the society pillar because many people feel that zoos serve to better society as people, especially children, are able to see and learn about animals that they may otherwise not have the opportunity to interact with. Many think this could help people to gain an appreciation for wildlife and cause them to want to protect these animals. The economic pillar comes in because zoos and other organizations that have captive animals, such as circuses, make a profit and provide jobs for people. Zoos also put money towards research. This relates to the environmental factor because some people would say that zoos work towards conservation and they help to restore endangered species. However, there is also controversy over how well the animals are treated and if animals can really thrive in captivity. By taking some animals out of their natural habitat this can affect their behavior and therefore have a negative effect on the environment.

I intend to further explore the issue of dead zones in the ocean. I plan to watch documentaries about this issue and research more. I would like to discover how the average citizen without a scientific background could have a positive impact on this problem. I think that a possible challenge could be that there is not a whole lot of research about this issue currently. Another challenge is that it is a very time-sensitive problem so a solution needs to be found quickly.

Career Exploration

My resulting code from the RIASEC test was AIS. I ranked the artistic trait the highest with investigative and social coming next. I am majoring in Environmental Policy and Decision Making and at the moment, I am leaning towards going to law school and becoming an Environmental Lawyer. I have known for a while that I wanted to have some sort of environmental job. I think that being an Environmental Lawyer would suit me well because I am stronger in my English and communication skills than science skills. Having a job in law corresponds with both my investigative characteristics and my social characteristics. I do really love to learn and as a lawyer you are continuously reading and learning for new cases. Many cases would require me to question as well as solve abstract problems and talk about ideas. In law I would be working for the welfare of others and I enjoy interacting with people. For these reasons, I can see how a career in Environmental Law matches with my code. However, my dream job would be to make documentaries about environmental issues. I consider myself a very artistic person and I think art is an amazing way to relay information to people. Art is also a great way to influence people’s decisions. I know that personally, when documentaries are made well they can completely change the way I think about a certain issue. Many people could be reached through documentaries and it would hopefully influence how people think about the environment. This type of job would involve many more artistic aspects than a job in law would. As a child, I definitely wanted a more artistic based job. I wanted to be a singer-songwriter then which was actually one of the jobs listed with my code. By reflecting on both my dream job as well as my childhood dream job, I realize that it is very important for me to have art in some aspect of my life. Maybe I won’t have this directly through my job, but to be a happy and whole person I think I need to have an artistic outlet. Based on my dream job, maybe I could edit or make short films on the side. Through this activity I learned that it is definitely important for me to be helping people. Many of the careers O*Net recommended for my code were a type of therapist, counselor or psychologist. These careers represent my strong inclination to help others. These careers are not in line with my current career plan but they are careers I have thought about in the past. My Myers-Briggs test results align with these careers as well. Due to these two “tests”, I am more strongly considering a job in counseling or psychology. While my exact current career plan does not show up as a result of my code, Political Scientist does. This is related to law as well as my major involving policy. One of the jobs that showed up as a result when I only used the letters A and I was a Film and Video Editor. This aligns with my dream job of making documentaries. Environmental Science Teacher was also a result which encompasses my passion for the environment. I’m still planning on going to law school which is not necessarily reflected with the careers listed for me. However, many of the careers that corresponded with my code require graduate school. From all of this information, I think my immediate next steps will be to explore more potential careers. I think I have a good understanding of myself and what I need in life to be a happy person. However, I have not yet thought of all of the possibilities for my future. I can see that there are many different paths I could go down and I’m sure I could make all of them fit into my life and what I hope to accomplish. Aside from academics, the three things that I want in a career is to be creative, to share my passions and to move people to act. With these things in mind, my strongest career path so far, environmental law, still fits well with what I hope to have in a career. It does require some creativity, maybe not art but instead creativity of ideas. I will also be able to share my passions through fighting for the wellbeing of the environment. One of the most important things for me is moving people to act. This is also a very important part of environmental law because I could help create and enforce legislation that would protect the environment.