There is no question about the fact that there are many species facing extinction each day. Looking on WWF’s list of endangered species (https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status), there are 17 species currently critically endangered (including one with the scientific name “gorilla gorilla gorilla”) that we know of. With regards to this, I value co-existing with the wildlife around us and making sure we respect their boundaries. Animals play such an important role in our ecosystem and it’s only fair that we treat them with the same respect and care that we do with other humans. There are many species that have been forced to adapt around our human lifestyles and have therefore turned to a nocturnal way of living. This isn’t natural for them and so my vision is one where we don’t drive animals away from their natural cycles, nor do we drive them towards extinction. An intervention for this could be stricter laws towards the protection of species, as well as educating the public about the importance of certain species and how their actions and choices as consumers have an impact on the populations of wildlife around them.

Regarding plastic pollution, I envision a world where we are more conscious of the things we buy and dispose. As plastic pollution was my topic for my hard conversation, as well as will be the topic of my final project, I had been researching a bit about this topic and was shocked to find what types of plastic pollutants were in the water. One of these microplastic pollutants that shocked me was microbeads. Microbeads are often found in cosmetics and, most notably for me, was found in cleansers and hand sanitizers. As a child, I used to use anything with microbeads in it... because of this, it was eye-opening when I realized what a negative effect it had on our oceans as it was not easily filtered and was non-biodegradable. I value bringing awareness towards topics as a good start towards change, as well as making small differences in our daily lives whenever we can. From this, I want to promote more education towards the public regarding plastic pollution and other environmentally friendly alternatives as consumers can have a big impact on companies. Additionally, being more strict against companies that continually use plastics such as microbeads can help deter the usage of it. As we rely on the ocean and it's inhabitants a lot, it's important that we take action as soon as we can as this affects all of us.

The relationship between companies and consumers play a big part in environmental sustainability. While I want to believe that most companies will do the right thing regardless of their consumer's choices, I learned today through the example of orange juice that companies will focus on improving shareholder/member values more than the risks they have to take. As I hold lots of value towards sacrifices that individuals make for the greater good, it is a bit upsetting to hear that companies will willingly choose less sustainable methods even when research finds and gives solutions to be more environmentally-friendly. I vision a world where companies don't ignore environmentally-friendly solutions given to them for the sake of higher rates of consumerism. To do so, an intervention that I feel is necessary is spreading more awareness to consumers about the choices they make. As companies are focused on consumer's choices, the blame is not solely on the company alone for not choosing the environmentally-friendly method. If more information is spread in a more urgent manner regarding the environment, I feel that we could shift consumers to make better decisions that will motivate companies to make better decisions as well.

The effects from unplanned forest fires are one of the most prominent things for me during this time of year. I still remember around this time 2 years ago when Vancouver was ranked as having the worst air quality in the world according to the World Quality Index. The smoke from the fires were unhealthy for the public and we were recommended to stay inside. Having experienced the air pollution from forest fires, I have learned to value the importance of keeping fires controlled whenever possible, as this not only impacts us but also the wildlife in that forest AND the environment overall. I envision a world where people are more motivated to be more mindful of any possible fire starters when they go into the forest. Although I don't go camping much, I do go hiking during the summer and near the end of summer when forest fires are most likely to happen. I am not very knowledgable of the regulations put into place to avoid uncontrolled fires, so I feel that having more information that is given to the public more accessibly will be helpful. The more informed people are of the preventative actions that can be taken, the fewer the chances are of an uncontrolled fire breaking out. Additionally, more strict regulations can be put into place to deter people from acting too carelessly in the forest.

Coming from a background in biology, this week's discussion was really interesting for me as I've always been fascinated by the entire aspect of something being so complex, due to it's ability to learn and evolve, that we are unable to truly predict how they will work despite the abundance of information we may have. Regarding food, my positive vision for the future ties a bit back into the topic of justice. After hearing that no real action was taken to increase salmon returns as 0 smoking guns were found, I envision a future where leaders are better informed when it comes to trying to preserve and improve complex adaptive systems. For instance, scientists and environmental leaders could have a greater impact on decisions being made for the sustainability of ecosystem services. As the lack of action during the 2009 Fraser River sockeye salmon crisis was due to missing key concepts of how complex adaptive systems work, it shows how valuable it is to be well-informed and aware of how complex the systems around us are. If scientists and environmental leaders are able to have a greater influence on environmental decisions being made, the general public is also given a chance to learn more accurately about what is happening to the ecosystem services they receive.

This week, we spoke about ecosystem services: the process by which nature renders benefits for people. My biggest concern from this week's discussion was that we often take water for granted. As it is so readily obtained, it's easy for us to forget about where and how it comes to us. For a positive future, I envision a world where water sustainability increases. Specifically, we talked about putting a price on water. This may not sound that great (especially to me because I always think of The Lorax and how people were being made to pay for air) but it may be needed to increase the sustainability of water. I know that I'm always leaving the water running when I do things like brush my teeth or shower, so something like adding a fee to increased water usage may deter me and those around from keeping the tap on. The idea that big companies should pay more is one I also agree with. For my vision, although water has a price tag, I don't want those that struggle financially to have to worry about having enough water and I want those that are able to pay (and will likely use more water) to contribute more. As water is so cheap compared to what we get, if we increase or add additional prices (such as a required fee once you use past a certain amount of water), we are also allowing more money into water recycling sanitation technology which works out in the long run for all of us :)

An environmental injustice I am quite passionate about relates to communities impacted by the formation of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are an important energy source for us but can leave negative impacts and consequences where they are formed. Bigger industries in charge of fossil fuel formation are often not the ones directly affected by the pollution in the area. In the future, I envision local communities to have the opportunity to speak out and have a bigger influences on the decisions made on the land around them. It is unjust to have those living in the area to not have a voice and to bear the brunt of the damage done by the negative consequences of forming fossil fuels. Air pollution can lead to damaged crops, forests and wildlife, and water pollution can endanger the water quality for the locals. I may be wrong, but currently it seems both equity and equality are not present for many smaller groups in many situations. I hope this can change in the future and more equity can be seen between bigger corporations and smaller groups- whether its by bringing more awareness to the negative consequences on the environment, or by the addition of a law that states an educated representative must be present when these decisions are made.

I believe in a world where money and status doesn't control our way of thinking. Although this is definitely not something easy to achieve, I am a firm believer that any change, big or small, has the opportunity to become something huge. In the future, I am hopeful that our views and reasons of buying items that trigger environmental and social misery change. While it may be more difficult to get big industries to change the way they manufacture things in order to reduce negative externalities, change can happen starting with ourselves- we don't necessarily need to spoil our partner a big diamond ring to tell them that we love them :) The little things can be just as meaningful (if not, sometimes even more meaningful!). As consumers, we have a lot more power than we think on big companies. Additionally, with increasing urgency to act on the environment, I'm optimistic that positive changes can happen to reduce the negative effects we leave on this Earth.

My name is Destinie and I am currently a 4th year student majoring in Biology. While I don't have much of a background focused on environmental sciences, I'm excited for the chance to learn about how we affect the ecosystem around us, as well as have the opportunity to generate ideas on how we can improve sustainability together. With how gloomy the news can be nowadays regarding the environment, I look forward to working together with everyone's brilliant minds to create positive changes that will provide for generations to come :)