I couldn't agree more Vy! The future I want to see play out also involves better education and more discussion about these critical matters so we are better able to raise awareness and fight climate issues as a collective unit.

Hey Persephone, I also really enjoyed the wide breadth of topics that we got to discuss in this class. I wonder what next year's students will get to talk about (if it'll be the same topics of it Professor Kai will tailor it to the current issues).

I agree Tyson. I also think that the final project was such a great option instead of a traditional final and it was so lovely to get to work with you!

This course was also one that was a last-minute addition to my schedule (after one course didn't get enough enrolment and got dropped). It's funny how some of the most random things you do turn out to be some of the most interesting!!

Aaaah Lisa, I'm so so glad that you enjoyed this course so much!!

Your take on the psychological side of death care is really interesting Sophia! I think the desire for people to "prolong their physical existence" is really one of superiority. When it's our turn to be used by the nature we've spent our lives using, we don't want to give back because for whatever reason, humans have placed them above everything else in the natural world.

I agree. I think that having accessible information on alternative options for death care is really important because the public isn't able to make an informed decision unless that information is readily available to them. Adding a note within the BC site's death section about more environmentally friendly options would be really handy.

I went to the site you linked and looked at the list; it really surprised me! Not only were there critically endangered and endangered species, but they also included some at-risk and vulnerable species. The names of animals like tuna, dolphins, and turtles (which I would have never imagined to be on this list) were staring back at me. I wish lists like this were more accessible so we could realize how many species we are putting at risk because it's a lot more than I thought. I also think it might be a good idea to compile a list of species which have gone extinct so we can properly visualize the diversity we're rapidly losing.

I had no idea that this alternative even existed. Thank you for sharing it Sharon, I feel like lots of people will benefit from knowing there are more options than the traditional cremation as a form of death care.

I really like that there are more and more rewilding initiatives regarding urban gardens and meadows. Personally, I really love the look of more "wild" areas because they just look so full of life- and that's because they are! I'd love to see more areas adopt this idea, not only for the sake of aesthetics but because we're finally realizing that monocultures aren't that great for any of our natural systems, not just agriculture.

I also had NO IDEA that there was BPA in our receipts. Sneaking plastic into things like that feels like we're being tricked because how did we just learn about this? Who was planning on telling us had we not chosen to take an environmental science course where topics like this might come up. The average person likely has no idea about things like this which makes me concerned for what else we might not know and therefore might not be aware needs fixing.

Plastic is so unavoidable in modern, every day, life and it's awful. Just to mention a few, we even unnecessarily use plastic for packaging oranges and securing bananas in bunches. Why are we packaging items that have their own natural packaging?!? It's silly that we do this but that just means there are so many things we can cut back on in regard to our plastic usage that would have virtually no impact on us considering it's unnecessary usage in the first place.

I think that's one of the scariest parts about plastic waste and pollution. It's not just that we're finding it in almost every ecosystem on the planet. It's presence is horrible but the side effects of plastic leaching chemicals and microplastics bioaccumulating in different tissues is right out of a horror story.

That's the key: communicating effectively so everyone is aware of the issues and therefore is better able to help resolve them. Unfortunately we've seen that thus far good communication is much easier said than done.

While we certainly aren't directly eating plastic, it's incredibly concerning how many we do ingest because of the bioaccumulation of microplastics within the food chain leading up to us. Even though the accumulation starts at the very bottom of the food chain, the effects we see are because of humans all the way at the top so we need to make changes for the health of the entire food web/system.

I couldn't agree more! If we're going to use something for such a short period of time, why does it need to have any plastic in it at all to "make it last"?! If things were intentionally designed to either a) be reused for an extended amount of time or b) are fully recyclable or biodegradable or even in some select cases, edible, then there'd be so much less waste and even less reason to need plastic to later make it into waste.

It absolutely stinks that multi-million dollar companies who don't need the extra money still chose to eek out a marginal profit rather than make more environmentally friendly decisions or keep the ones they currently have. Unless more people with the values we share sit on the board of a company, I don't know if businesses will ever chose the sustainable option over the profitable one. As it is, lots of companies choose to ignore environmental studies about their products :(((

Absolutely this would cause changes within the economy. One of the main things I imagine happening is that we'd see a reduction in the monopolies that rich individuals hold within the economy. Moreover, I think it'll be easier for smaller businesses and associations to enter the market and therefore economy, ultimately giving the consumer more options about where to spend and invest.

You explained this so incredibly well: Billionaires "have no reason to make systematic change because those very systems are what made them wealthy". I am curious how you'd like to see the DAF reformed though. What are the things you'd most like to see changed?

Despite (very) vaguely knowing about the existence of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act, I did not know that these three amendments were made in 2019! Thank you for sharing this Megan and I too look forward to seeing if/how they cause changes.