In our first class, when Kai asked us if any of us had ever felt that hopelessness when it comes to climate action, and thought "What can I do to make lasting change?" I realized I finally felt both seen and heard and that I had to take this class... and I'm so glad that I did.
This class has been so different from any other science course I've taken at UBC, but in the best way possible. I felt like it was such a great, discussion based, safe-space classroom environment, where we got to learn about the real nitty gritty of climate change and climate action in a low pressure/low-stakes way. I honestly had no idea what to expect from this course, but the goals that I set out for myself were to become more knowledgeable about what's going on within our planet, to become more brave when it comes to discussing climate change, to help educate others on what I've learned, and to attempt to foster real, tangible change. I can confidently say that through our class discussions, Kai's lectures, our "hard conversations", these weekly journal posts and reflections, and our group workshop that we taught on the water crisis, I have achieved all of these goals.
I have learnt to not second guess myself or my knowledge, to be more forthright with what I know, and I've learnt how important self awareness and community discussion is to almost all of the issues we've discussed - we cannot make change without first being aware that change needs to be made.
This class has helped me to approach climate issues in unique and alternative, novel ways and I hope to continue tackling climate change issues in these ways - with an open heart and open mind.
Thank you so much for an amazing class, Dana and Kai!