This blog entry is part of a project for the class Anthropology of Nature.
Class Reflections:
This week we did presentations based on the book
Conservation is our Government Now
by Paige West. The book itself is very interesting, especially after
taking Environment and Society with Professor S. She was a
geologist by training, petrologist by trade, and it was very interesting
to see Environmentalism through her eyes, and I think I see that same
representation of it through Dr. West's eyes. These educated people are
looking at environmentalism from the perspective of one other than the
environmentalist. Now, Professor S was an environmentalist, but she
showed us much about greenwashing and I had to (and constantly try to)
re-evaluate my own views on environmental acts. I did not agree with her
all the time, just as I do not always agree with Dr. West, but both
tend to have one major view in common: that politicising and
governmentalising environmentalism tends to do more harm than good, in
one way or the other. This is, of course, a very broad and sweeping
generalizations on both of their opinions, and could be struck down when
investigated critically, but serves its purpose here.
I will also note that I was grateful that I was not the only person
to point out the societal damage caused by the reformation of the
Maimafu peoply by the Seventh Day Adventists. I really truly try to
leave religion out of conservations and lessons, especially when the
conversation is scientifically based, but as soon as you mention
politics it's almost impossible NOT to mention religion. Especially when
the politickers are the religionists! I did get an odd high-five from a
fellow student over "telling it out", whatever that means. I'm not sure
if he was more impressed by the religion part or the rest of it, but I
would guess the latter.
Some of the other presentations were quite interesting, and some, of
course, were less interesting. I had already planned on finishing the
book, since it is actually really intersting. Funny how my motivation
waned when I realized it was assigned and no longer intrinsic! Weird.
Observations of Environmental Anthropology in the Specimen "Me":
I've been thinking hard about how to articulate what I want to do
with Environmental Science: what I want to get out of it and what I want
to "do with it" when I get done with the masters. I met with a
professor about being my graduate advisor in the program, and the
answers I gave did not seem to satisfy him. It also turned out that
though he's worked with birds via population genetics, it's not really
his focus, and he thinks I should try someone else. Le sigh. It also
seems that even though I'm taking the GRE right after finals, he (and it
seems most) won't want to risk getting involved with me until after
they see the scores. It makes sense, but does put a hitch in my plans.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to secure a letter from an advisor over
Winter Break, and my paperwork needs to be completed by Febrauary, when
they make the funding decisions. They have some assistanceships
available, and I honestly cannot afford to go to graduate school without
one. At least, not anywhere near full time. I will find a way, one
class at a time, but that resulted in a very long bachelors experience I
am hoping to not repeat. So. I need to hone my desires, not so sharp as
to already have an idea for my thesis, but sharp enough to be able to
articulate (better) what I want out of a masters in Env Sci. Apparently,
"doing research and applying that research to conservation projects",
was not specific enough. Granted. Now to fix it. Soon.
Ethnography of the South Floridian:
I do not have much to go in this slot this week. At least, nothing positive.
I volunteered with MGSA at the football game. We set up recycle bins
and Clearstream recycle bins, and then cleaned up after the tailgate
parties. Oh, my. I could not believe the waste and garbage. It was...
painful. Seriously. The amount of recycleable materials (glass, plastic,
and aluminum) just strewn about, near recycle bins, overflowing from
black waste bins, was, unbelievable. I found near a dozen 8 oz water
bottles, full, unopened, mired in a 1.5ft diameter puddle of uneaten
potato wedges and fry grease. It was so stomach-turning that I could not
bring myself to recover the bottles to donate somewhere. Just,
unbelievable disgusting. The pile itself was less than a foot from the
garbage can, which was full, mostly of recyclables. Cigarette butts,
glossy postcard-style ads, plastic bits from decorative whatnots, just,
everywhere. Broken thong sandals, hats, reusable cups, just everything.
It looked like the opening scene from a post-apocalyptic movie, only
instead of dead cars on a dusty road it was party waste on a very green
lawn. Ugly. It was so ugly. And all those drinking laughing dancing
playing people, seem so ugly.
A man threw his cigarette butt on the ground in front of my house,
after buckling his small daughter into the backseat of their Honda CRV
style vehicle. I used to think that if I was the
facist-dictator-of-America, I would have executed people who littered,
because it evinced a certain lack of participation in the continued
upkeep of civilization and therefore denoted a uselessness in the human.
I've grown up a little, now, were I the facist-dictator-of-America, I
might just demand a pinky joint. Especially for cigarette butts. Those
things take forever to decompose, and a lot get eaten by animals. I
could link a bunch of resources and inundate you with my empassioned
disdain for the habit and the waste it causes, but I think I've already
painted myself in a negative light this time around.
Cest la vie.
But if you get curious, http://www.cigarettelitter.org/index.asp?PageName=Facts