It's hard to believe that the semester is already coming to an end! It was, most definitely, an eye-opening journey to learn about the various environmental issues that exist in our global community. I'm leaving this class feeling inspired as I now have the proper tools to keep learning and staying aware of existing issues, advocating for policy changes where current regulations are lacking and taking part in creating a more sustainable future! Walking into this course, I was far less informed about significant sustainability issues. So, when we were asked to post online regarding our values and visions for the future, I was a bit nervous as I was not super confident in my knowledge regarding the topic. But over this semester, we have gone over so many interesting and important topics -from the overconsumption issue present in fast fashion to newer sustainable death care options-that I'm leaving this class having gained much more confidence in my ability to speak regarding a vast number of environmental and sustainability issues. Part of the class structure was that it was encouraged to turn off all screens during class. Coming from a science background, where note-taking becomes second nature, it felt a bit strange at first to not take notes, but I very quickly came to love the opportunity to just sit back and absorb each case study and story presented every Friday afternoon. I wish other classes were taught like this! In the future, I will continue to use the skills that ENVR 430 has provided me by advocating for environmental policy changes where current policies are lacking, spreading awareness regarding sustainability issues in my community, and actively taking part in contributing to a greener environment! I will for sure miss this class!

Despite sometimes knowing that businesses are taking harmful steps to manufacture their products, they tend to look the other way if their changing product means less profit for them. So, even if a company can be more sustainable, they can choose not to be. Such was seen in the orange juice market. PepsiCo had conducted research to see if using tetrapaks, to package their orange juice, was more environmentally friendly than using plastic containers. Their competitor Coca-Cola was, at the time, using plastic containers. The researchers came back and the results showed that using tetrapaks were better for the environment. The news was then sent up to the big office and the research was basically tossed. Plastic containers made the juice look more 'attractive' and market research showed that people were more drawn to products they could see. So Pepsi made the decision to switch from using tetrapaks to using plastic containers. Seems like we took a step backwards there. The battle between profit and sustainability seems to lead many corporations to make decisions that aren't exactly good for the environment. But how can we combat that? I envision a future where there can be a governing body that conducts such research and enforces companies to act on the results. If tetrapaks came out to be better for the environment, there should be a governing body that enforces the use of tetrapaks, bans the use of plastic containers and monitors corporations to ensure these changes are being implemented. I know this vision may sound too ambitious, but as someone in science, it's deheartening to see research, that has the power to may a good change, be disregarded.

It's almost every other day, during the summer months, that you turn on the news and there are reports of either a new forest fire breaking out or reports of the damage that an existing fire has already done. While one may not live in the affected area, the smell and feel of the thick and heavy smog blanketing the air is felt far beyond the source of the fire. And this, in my opinion, shows just how motile fire really is. It doesn't just spread from the source of the fire to burn through nearby carbon-based fuel sources but it also travels across vast distances in the form of smoke to affect air quality hundreds of kilometres away. As we discussed in class, fire is essential and important for our ecosystems. The issue is that wildfires today are (1) being exacerbated by climate change and (2) fires are just hotter now than ever before. The two issues make for a deadly combination. Climate change drys out wood and other carbon-based fuel sources in forests, allowing for faster combustion and the increased heat being emitted from the fires causes the burning of soil and seed beds. So not only is the fire expanding in area affected, it's also affecting the depth of damage. It's hard to think of solutions. What can we really do about it? A potential solution is prescribed fires. I know...that sounds so strange considering I just talked about why forest fires can be so detrimental. But prescribed fires (aka. controlled burns) are actually a method we can implement to control the intensity of forest fires. As the Government of BC defines it "Prescribed fire is the planned and controlled application of fire to a specific land area and is one of the most ecologically appropriate and relatively efficient means for achieving planned public safety and resource management objectives, for example to enhance a habitat, prepare an area for tree planting or, for disease eradication." My vision for the future is the normalization of these fuel management methods, which although sound extreme, actually will benefit the environment, animal health and human health in the long term. To normalize these methods, the government should create more advertisements directed to educate the general public. I hope, together as a society, we can implement the right methods to lower the number of forest fires and if they occur, we implement the methods to lower their intensity in the future!

I think most of us have tried to grow vegetables in our backyard. I, for one, have tried to grow carrots, tomatoes, mint, and peppers. While I was very excited to watch these vegetables grow, I learnt that growing vegetables and plants is a lot more difficult that than I expected. My carrots never peeked through the soil and my tomatoes didn't do to well either. I think that experience and disappointment really put it into perspective just how difficult farming and agriculture is. From our conversation today, it widened this perspective further as we discussed the just how complex farming is. Farmers have to make difficult choices when trying to maintain a steady harvest while still being competitive in grocery stores and local markets. They may encounter the questions 'should we go organic and is it really beneficial?' and 'what about pesticides?' Well, a farmer may not want use pesticides but if that means that their crops, which they have worked so hard to grow, will get destroyed by pests then sometimes farmers may have to make the hard decision to use pesticides, to keep their farm running for another season. My vision for the future is develop effective non-toxic pesticides that are cost-efficient that will allow farmers and consumers to feel better about what they are consuming and using. We know how harmful pesticides can be for our environment (e.g water and soil pollution), and human health (e.g neurological disorders, birth defects, and cancer) but if we were to develop a non-toxic pesticide (which who knows? could even have a health benefit!), then we would not only reduce the stress that farmers face on a seasonal basis but also create a positive impact on the environment. While we develop this solution, an additional intervention that could be to implement the use of natural predators (such as ladybird and ground beetles) against the pests for a more natural solution. I hope we can see these interventions come more to life in the near future!

Picture this: you wake up in the morning and rush to the bathroom to get ready. You brush your teeth, shower, use the toilet...right? Throughout the day, you will drink water, wash dishes, and maybe it's even laundry day. So what are we relying on for all of these actions? A steady availability of clean water. On a bare minimum scale, we require water to drink on a daily basis. But the scary and sad reality is that we don't have a universal supply to clean water. It was estimated in 2019 by UNICEF that 1 in 3 individuals do not have access to safe, clean drinking water....I found this crazy to wrap my mind around. And while there are reports which claim that significant progress has been to provide clean and accessible water, there is still much work to do to ensure that each and every individual has access to safe, drinking water. But first, we will need to shift our perception that water is not to be taken for granted, it's a resource and it's precious. So, what can we do on a global scale to create this change? We need to make federal policies internationally that will work towards providing universal access to safe drinking water. And what does that look like? It may look like creating more water-treating plants. These plants would allow for the safe removal of bacteria, and pathogens, allowing the water to be used safely. It may also look like pricing water more realistically. Although it may seem counter-intuitive putting a price on water, for example, for large corporations which consume mass amounts of water such as textile companies, may allow for them to be more mindful of their consumption, their waste and therefore lead to less wasteful usage. Water is essential and we all need it. Let's take the steps as individuals, as a society, and as a globe to create universal access to a key component of life!

We make decisions every day. What time we need to wake up for work/school, which route to take to best avoid traffic, etc. What is common about these decisions? They are largely individual choices you make for yourself. Now what if you had to plan a family trip. Well you would discuss it as a family. "Where do we want to go? Where should we stay? Should we book that excursion or not?" If the kids want to go to Disney but Mom wants a spa treatment the same day, there would discussion and conversation to see how to make everything work in a comfortable way. The aim would be to have everyone enjoy the vacation and come back happy. So it makes sense then that if we had to make a decision for a group of people, they should all be involved. Right? Unfortunately there are environmental issues that are affecting communities and they aren't given much say in the matter. For example, Indigenous people have felt excluded from the conversation when it comes to the climate crisis. Despite their knowledge and their offering of this knowledge, exclusion still exists. But does that make sense? If the crisis affects their life, their land, their community, then they should get a voice and an inclusive platform to speak out. I guess my vision for the future, therefore, is that everyone involved in a problem, or an issue, should get a say. Whether that's a local, regional or national issue. And maybe more importantly, let's also listen and come to a solution together. So that we are all happy with the decision we make as a collective.

Hi! I am really excited to be here! I enrolled in this course to learn more about creating a future that is sustainable and will continue to create positive change moving forward. I can't wait to learn more about the ways in which we, as individuals, can help in a movement which will work to create and implement solutions to the current and critical ecological and environmental issues faced globally. 😀

Where do we see the world moving towards in the future? I can't predict what will happen, what innovations will be created, and whether or not our actions will create a positive or negative change. That probably sounds pretty pessimistic but I feel we currently live in a world that is more reactive than proactive. We often hear about damage done to the environment and global health rather than the hearing about active research being conducted to create positive solutions that will ensure that the world will still be a viable habitat for life in the future. And I think the way to create solutions is first to accept that there is a problem, and understand the complexity of the issue itself. And the best part is, there's Google to help you do it. My vision for the future is to create a world that is more aware of the world around them. Aware of the issues (local and global), possible solutions that already exist, and aware of the fact that we have to stop being just reactive and learn how to be proactive. I am definitely no expert myself, but I hope to become more aware everyday.