I do not recommend the removal of any topics covered in this online course. I appreciated that we covered many different aspects of environmental science and felt consistently interested in the material we discussed. A few topics that I have enjoyed learning about in the past that could be interesting to explore in greater depth in this course are different forms of energy and their benefits/drawbacks, the process of cleaning drinking water, and GMOs.
I truly feel that each assignment related to some aspect of my personal life in some form--sometimes merely by making me a more informed environmental advocate. I found there to be numerous philosophical insights revealed in the assignments that stuck with me and which I have adopted. Further, each assignment provided me with content that will inform my decisions in the future in some regard. Whether I am determining the best way to preserve/harvest water, choosing which sustainable foods I should shop, or even planning for a family, I am certain I will utilize the information which I collected throughout this semester. From this course I even became understanding and less afraid of Mountain Lions, a species I had feared for a large portion of my life!
I felt most provoked to learn more during the research assignment where we explored our relationship to food. I also really enjoyed learning more about the benefits of shopping locally.
I am not currently considering pursuing a career in environmental science; though, I am sure that I will apply the principles of environmental resilience covered in this course to my personal and professional life throughout my future.
Thank you for such a great semester and first experience with online classes! I hope you have an incredible and peaceful retirement--it's well deserved!!
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Personal Resilience Guide
It can be overwhelming thinking of learning about the many changes we may encounter in the future. With economic, environmental, and energy challenges in store, what can we do to prepare ourselves and our families for this changing world and where can we begin? Author Christ Martenson helps us with that question with his six concepts for the basics of preparing which include becoming resilient, acknowledging that our actions are both very necessary but simultaneously insufficient, setting realistic goals, preparing yourself, taking small steps towards change, and working with your community.
*The essence of resilience is having multiple sources and systems in place to provide for a needed item so that we are not dependent on only one source. This can be seen with water in having multiple sources such as an existing well, a shallow well, and rainwater basins. One should strive to make decisions based on what would increase their resilience.
*The essence of resilience is having multiple sources and systems in place to provide for a needed item so that we are not dependent on only one source. This can be seen with water in having multiple sources such as an existing well, a shallow well, and rainwater basins. One should strive to make decisions based on what would increase their resilience.
*The second concept of preparation is that actions are both necessary and insufficient. We must become the change that we wish to see. With that in mind, we should acknowledge that any action that we take will be insufficient but very necessary.
*The third concept of preparation is to set realistic goals. It is important to be realistic with your goals, given the amount of money and time that you have to devote. You can only do so much and whatever you can do is a great change in and of itself.
*The fourth concept of preparation is that your community needs you to get yourself prepared. Should a crisis occur, there will inevitably many people who are scrambling, unprepared and desperate to meet their needs. You should consider it your duty to not be among those people. This will enable you to be a good community member and put yourself in the position to be an asset to your community.
*The fifth concept of preparation is to start with small steps. To make your transition into preparedness easy, you should find the smallest and easiest thing you can do and then do it. This minor act will lead you to bigger acts. Small acts could be buying a bit more food each week so you can stock up your pantry or simply reading about how to increase your resilience with something that you deem important to your future such as food, water, or energy. The action itself is not as important as the fact that you've taken action.
*The sixth concept of preparation is that community is essential. Communities can provide invaluable support in transforming your life into one of resilience. By working with your community members you can find people whom you can count on in an emergency, rely on for support and guidance, and even perhaps know who will look after your family should you be out of town if when something goes awry. Further, by working with your community members to develop resilience, your community as a whole will become more favoring towards resilience and that will beneficial to you.
If you're looking for ways to take action towards your resilience and preparedness, Christ Martenson has some tips for that, as well. Some ideas include increasing your food storage, increasing your use of locally sourced foods, developing a backup plan for water, making your house as efficient and self-sustaining as possible, and increasing your resilience with your sourcing of electricity.
*The fifth concept of preparation is to start with small steps. To make your transition into preparedness easy, you should find the smallest and easiest thing you can do and then do it. This minor act will lead you to bigger acts. Small acts could be buying a bit more food each week so you can stock up your pantry or simply reading about how to increase your resilience with something that you deem important to your future such as food, water, or energy. The action itself is not as important as the fact that you've taken action.
*The sixth concept of preparation is that community is essential. Communities can provide invaluable support in transforming your life into one of resilience. By working with your community members you can find people whom you can count on in an emergency, rely on for support and guidance, and even perhaps know who will look after your family should you be out of town if when something goes awry. Further, by working with your community members to develop resilience, your community as a whole will become more favoring towards resilience and that will beneficial to you.
If you're looking for ways to take action towards your resilience and preparedness, Christ Martenson has some tips for that, as well. Some ideas include increasing your food storage, increasing your use of locally sourced foods, developing a backup plan for water, making your house as efficient and self-sustaining as possible, and increasing your resilience with your sourcing of electricity.
For food storage, Christ recommends that everyone has at least three months of food stores up. While many people find the concept of saving up food to be a little paranoid, if you consider the fact that most communities have, at most, a total of three to five days' worth of food on hand in their local grocery stores and supermarkets, it becomes more understandable. It only takes one thing to disrupt the food distribution chain. To start building your food supply, try stocking up your pantry with some foods that you already eat that have a shelf life of at least a year. An easy way to increase your use of locally sourced food is to take up gardening or reach out to some local farmers that you know of in your area. To become more resilient with your water sourcing, you can consider a water storage system or, in the interest of starting small, perhaps invest in a ceramic filter. If you'd like to increase the resilience and energy efficiency of your house, you can look into obtaining additional ways of heating your home and water or make sure that your house is as insulated and airtight as possible. If you want to increase your resilience with regard to your sourcing of electricity, one way of doing this would be to get solar photovoltaic arrays to create a modest amount of electricity and a modest battery bank for limited storage.
For more information, read the article which this information was gathered from:
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