ENVR 430 has been a course nothing like the courses I have taken in the past. The structure of the course allowed everyone to freely speak their thoughts and interact during class time with other like-minded people. I also enjoyed the stress-free environment the course provided since everyone was accepting of all ideas and there was no exam to test you on the amount of knowledge you learned. One goal I had coming into ENVR 430 was to enjoy learning about the environment and the issues surrounding it. I believe the class did a great job of meeting this goal since I actually enjoyed listening to all the anecdotes in class as well as the final projects due to the passion I could feel from the people delivering the content. From this class, I have learned lots of information regarding the environment, but most importantly the message and value that we as individuals can make a difference. With this value in mind, I want to spread this message to other people as well through campaigns or by simply educating the ones around me and I envision a future where everyone is aware of the power they hold. #UnleashValues

I see a future where people are able to discuss openly about death care and environment-friendly ways to approach it. A value that we can pay attention to is to not be afraid to discuss heavy topics, especially if the outcome can significantly impact the environment. I believe that since death is such a taboo subject, a lot of people are unaware of the options they have. So, if there is a campaign geared towards raising awareness about this topic and educating the public, this could help people choose environmentally-friendly options that fit their needs for their death.

I see a future where the general public is aware of the truth behind plastic recycling and strive towards using less plastic in general rather than relying on recycling. A value that people could keep in mind is using less in the first place will save us from the consequences in the long run. Only a small portion of plastic can actually be recycled, and the rest is thrown out in landfills, contributing to more waste and pollution. By informing the public of this via posts on social media or campaigns for companies to explicitly state this on their plastic products, people will be able to make more conscious decisions when using plastic products and reduce plastic use and therefore plastic waste. #UnleashValues

I picture a future where the government regulates the acquisition of companies by ensuring the values of the cooperative being merged are not modified by this acquisition. A value that people should pay attention to is preserving and supporting ethical cooperatives in their journey. There are many cases where ethical cooperatives do not last due to the lack of support and are taken in by richer companies and then lose their original values. Thus, if there are legislations in place to prohibit these wealthier companies from changing those values this could help cooperatives pursue their ethical ways for longer.

I envision a future where campsites care about the wild as much as they do about the campers. A guiding principle for this movement would be to leave the wild as it was if you happen to inhabit that space for some time. Campsites are known for damaging the wild, especially due to the campfires that are not properly put out. Campsites should ban campfires in the wild and should implement lanterns or other methods of heat and light to decrease the risk of wildfires starting. #UnleashValues

I envision a future where sustainable agriculture is not centred around incentives from the government but from the support of the people. In this economy and state, governments are already investing too much in agriculture-related areas and are unable to give out extra incentives for sustainable agriculture methods. This is when we have to turn to the people, the people who actually consume this food. A guiding principle that could be used to promote consumers to buy products which are created through sustainable agriculture is what tastes good should also feel good. This is not a way to promote veganism, but a method to get consumers to think about the consequences of their actions and to promote ethical choices. These values can be enforced through a campaign that is supported by the government. I strongly believe that government-connected campaigns hold great power, and this power should be used to push these sustainable ideas forward. The government could start campaigns on social media platforms using the stated guiding principle as a slogan and also include statements from environmentalists to back up their campaign. This will cause consumers to consume mainly from these sustainable agriculture farms and the rise for sustainable methods of farming will increase. #UnleashValues

My vision is a future where companies invest in technology for water recycling because the outcome of it outweighs the initial financial cost. My values are that individuals and companies need motive to make a difference and that motive does not always have to be a reward, but can be fear of a disadvantage or penalization. There needs to be a change in legislation to encourage these companies to actually invest largely in these technologies which sometimes can cost the company a fortune. I believe The Extended Producer Responsibility legislation is a great starting point for my intervention since this rewards companies for not creating water waste and pollution. However, my intervention would be to turn this around and penalize companies that do not participate in preventing water pollution. The penalization would most likely have to be something financial such as taking more environmental tax since this is usually what hits the company the hardest. This may cause an uprise from the companies since they are stakeholders. However, it also motivates them to invest more in technology for water recycling, since in the long run, the financial cost of investing may be less than the financial loss due to penalization. This could be a leap towards substantial water recycling that could help millions on our planet. #UnleashValues

I envision a future where everyone’s voice is represented and heard and where everyone's perspective is acknowledged. Marginalized communities have the least say when environmental decisions are made, but are affected the most by these decisions. This needs to change. I believe change can be made if every marginalized community elects one representative that they trust will pass on their true ideas and beliefs. Then, this elected representative will become a member of the decision making committee without any intervention or say from the majority. This will solely be a decision within the community. This somewhat ensures that these voices are accounted for when making environmental decisions, not only in areas that directly affect the community but decisions at a larger scale as well. These marginalized/indigenous communities have abundant valuable knowledge regarding nature and the environment that can help the planet as a whole and their opinion should be taken into consideration for both small and large scale environmental issues. At the least, this will ensure that these communities will be informed of these decisions as soon as they are made. I do still think that this does not solve everything since the voices of the more “powerful” majority communities might overshadow them, but it is a step towards justice that we should be willing to take. #UnleashValues

As an individual, it is easy to think that your actions have no power in the grand scheme of the world. However, small actions can start movements by inspiring friends, family, and maybe in the end a larger audience. What I envision is a world with a longer longevity for clothing. My intervention is to start a movement to help prevent the overconsumption of clothes caused by fast fashion. I believe the main reason that people consume clothes so frequently is due to the rapid change in trends. So, what I could do is start a movement with my friend who is an expert at sewing, patching, and designing and offer to transform people’s clothes into something that fits the new trend. All clothing starts from fabric, and with this, something seemingly old-fashioned could turn into something trendy and allow people to enjoy the clothes for much longer. I think this movement is important since I strongly believe that clothes which everyone owns so much should last a longer period than merely a year or two. Even though this movement does not target the core of the societal problem which is the rapid change in trends, it is something I can realistically do to make a change. Also, if this movement reaches a larger audience, it has the potential to become the next “trend.” #UnleashValues

Hello! My name is Ari and I am currently enrolled in ENVR 430 for the semester. I am a 4th year Biology student at UBC and I am greatly looking forward to this class because I firmly believe that I will be enlightened in many ways regarding sustainability as I progress through the course. I have always wanted to learn more ways to part take in a movement to help this Earth but was always unsure where to start, and I hope to find the starting point through this class. Just like this is a learning journey for everyone in ENVR 430 and me, it can also be one for everyone that follows #UnleashValues. Let's do this together! #UnleashValues