My vision for ENVR was to learn about ecosystems and sustainability in ways that weren’t obvious. Values I found important when venturing into this class was the willingness to learn, have my mind changed, and be open to sharing my thoughts with my peers. An intervention would be to foster a similar approach to learning in other classes because I really enjoyed my time in ENVR 430 every Friday, as it has probably been the only class at UBC that has nurtured my pursuit in exploring my own values and visions of the world through a unique lens of factors that link ecology and sustainability. I came into class everyday knowing that I would be guided in the right direction, eager to learn, and explore issues without a fear of scrutiny or judgement. I think the sheer density of what I have learned is something that I will always carry with me and will serve me well in any vertical I venture into. I now have an invaluable arsenal of knowledge about the environment, climate change, and sustainability through the dissection of these issues at the systemic level which will be relevant conversations for many years to come. I am leaving this class with a new appreciation of climate change issues, some of which I have changed my stance on simply due to previous misconception or lack of understanding surrounding the topic. Thank you Kai, Dana, and everyone in the class for making this experience so wonderful! #UnleashValues

I envision a world in which people embrace and live in harmony with nature in a way that coincides with with their values in an informed way. Values associated with this vision would be the willingness to be vulnerable and open to talking about difficult topics like death-care that is significant to us all and affects the planet we leave behind. This will augment the awareness of our final contribution to nature while respecting our wishes for the body that we occupy. Corporations shouldn’t be providing selective choices (like only cremation or anti-ecological burial) for post-death care to families who are in a vulnerable state. There should be strict policy that force at the very minimum for funeral businesses to present and disclose all available options to the loved ones with the associated cost, processing procedures, and relevant environmental considerations of the post-death care so they can make an informed decision on what to do with their loved ones body that either coincides with the values of the deceased or what they believe would coincide with the wishes of the deceased if no explicit instruction is left behind. #UnleashValues

I envision a world free of disposable plastic and a circular economy in which the recycling of compostable materials are more readily adopted. Values associated with this vision would be leading with care for all living things on our planet to ensure its futurity and the willingness to invest in change whether that be monetary or through action. The reformation of production and recycling systems is imperative to the sustainability of plastics. The allocation of funds and resources is necessary to improve the current system in place for plastic design and recycling to foster a more circular economy. An intervention for this proposed vision would be to work towards the banning of single use plastics that aren’t compostable with measures in place to protect businesses. This will hold private enterprises and industries more accountable for the negative impact that disposable plastics have on our landfills and environment. However, this may not be universally feasible and will require gradual implementation. For example, if there were a uniform set of plastics that were collected by passing strong laws requiring extended producer responsibility, the sustainability of this system would be greatly increased. As a result, improving the system which is lacking on a product and recycling design front will provide a more long-term viable, equitable, and bearable solution for all. At a smaller scale, a step in this direction could be for grocery stores to implement plastic free aisles to promote consumers to make better packaging choices. #UnleashValues

I envision a world in which the private sector is more transparent in its pursuit of sustainability, businesses seek environmental responsibility, and the taxes and philanthropy from the wealthy is better regulated. Values associated with this vision include the desire to pursue an equal world with integrity such that wealth is fairly distributed, everyone contributes to the economy more equitably depending on their income, and the institution of environmental laws that hold parties more rigorously accountable. With money comes power and where these entities lie together, corruption ensues. The voice, influence, and power of the masses are too easily drowned by the wealthy 1%. Billionaires are not the way of the future. Interventions include reducing the fortune of these billionaires by eliminating philanthropic loopholes in tax, increasing CRA oversight, and taxing the rich at a fair margin such that their fortune will decrease over time from the ridiculous scales that it exists today. It is naive to believe that philanthropy coming from the very wealthy will save us or that all of their intentions are innately pure. It’s time a long overdue change in our system is made by exercising the right to vote and electing representatives with the goal to tax the wealthy and implement these changes I proposed so that injustices can no longer persist under a guise of philanthropy. Moreover, further intervention would be to institute strong environmental laws with rigorous reinforcement and severe consequences for parties that fail to abide by them. It makes no sense that the average person bears the brunt of harmful environmental change and taxes while the rich find loopholes to hold onto their fortune through tax loopholes and philanthropy ruses to push the agenda of a few against that of an entire nation. #UnleashValues

My vision for the future is a world where the air quality is clean for everyone, the climate stabilizes, and regenerative fire cycles can occur in a more healthy way. Values associated with this vision would be the willingness to learn, become educated, and passion to support practices that help mitigate the volatility of forest fires. Fires are now qualitatively different with massive ecological, social, and economic implications which are the three pillars of sustainability. It is a complex system that we are seeing at unprecedented scales and intensities due to the intricate combination of our inputs creating optimal conditions for these superfires. The better management of our forests can help decrease the volatility of wildfires. The removal of thinning trees can mitigate fire volatility because they lack the moisture that help cool the fire temperatures. Further interventions could include the greater implementation of controlled/prescribed burns which are the most effective way humans can regenerate and replenish lands with fire resistant species that are beneficial to the landscape to reduce dangerous and intense wildfires. These prescribed burns done are performed under very controlled circumstances and generally not done during hottest times of the year that would permit fires to become volatile. Barriers that hinder the more widespread adoption of these practices include economic incentive and the lack of education towards prescribed burns and how they affect people and infrastructure. #UnleashValues

My vision for the future of food is that our agricultural systems grow resiliency and allow us to feed the planet and people such that resources are not depleted. Ecosystems are complex adaptive systems that can’t be managed, but we need to use them and work with them for regeneration. This starts with regenerating our soil which would positively benefit a lot of systems that are intimately interconnected. This will require systemic intervention. Values such as the willingness to adapt to lifestyle changes, compromise, learn, and patience are all essential virtues that will support and elicit this change. We can flourish under an agricultural system, it just needs to be amended in more sustainable ways. There are ridiculous amounts of food waste that occur globally. Food waste can be collected from cities and turned into compost which can be directed to local farms that will assist with water retention as compost acts as a sponge, instead of it getting incinerated and to be dealt with in our already overflowing landfills. Fines could be introduced to residents who do not properly separate compost from other materials. This incentivizes the implementation of compost facilities as it would help grow the economy in a sustainable way that gives back and supports agriculture, the carbon, and water cycle. The use of no till drills could be made legally mandatory for farmers to prevent soil erosion and water loss by implanting directly into the soil without disturbing the topsoil and instead nurturing it. This will allow rain to penetrate into it and cause more dependable rainfall for our crops instead of run off, evaporation, and pollution of our water supplies as well as facilitating microbe growth which leads to more plant growth. Moreover, herbivorous livestock that is an essential part of our food can also be used to combat desertification and pull down carbon into the soil through controlled grazing. Adopting silvopasture, which is an agroforestry system being implemented more in Canada, merges trees, forage, and grazing of domesticated animals such that it is mutually beneficial allowing us to maintain our current systems in a more sustainable way. These simple changes can come to fruition but one of the many obstacles we face at the forefront is currently implemented policy as well as a lack of education. Subsidies exacerbate the problem. As a result, overhauling subsidies in general to drive change and implement programs that allocate and invest these funds to assist farmers in these transitions for long-term sustainable agriculture. At the root of this issue again, lies money and the incentive to invest. #UnleashValues

My vision for the future of water is embedded around the notion that every living being that needs access to water to lead a comfortable life has enough to meet their basic needs. This will require us to lead with values rooted in compassion, care, and willingness to adapt for our environment and each-other. Recognizing the implications of our actions, ways to remedy them, understanding the value of water through education, and making the appropriate adjustments needed now will save us in the future. We use water like we have no budget, when in reality our habits are not sustainable in the slightest. At the core of the issue, water pricing is really low meaning there isn’t the incentive to invest money into safeguarding infrastructure and technology. Interventions at a legislative level could be to cap daily water usage calculated based on their inventory such that it is enough to live comfortably, but prevents wastage. For example, humans could be allocated 200 L/day per person after which payment is required beyond this threshold. This pricing could be based on household income to protect people of all classes. This would collectively protect the basic human right and need for water and allow everyone to contribute what they are able to towards a common goal which is preserving our water supply. This could be applied globally, but with different constraints depending on the water stock of each respective region. Furthermore, strategic municipal intervention and action to protect assets can pay off for decades. This could mean that regional budgeting should be required so that we know how to allocate funds to protect and ensure the longevity of our natural services. Moreover, agriculture which accounts for the largest portion of water use in the world, needs to have more incentive to regulate their water use as they do not pay the full price for the amount that they use. As such, this is what allows product to be priced so low because it does not reflect the true valuation of the water that went into its production. Preventative intervention would be to allocate a certain amount of water to crops based on size and quantity required, after which they are priced to prevent overuse. Product prices could be increased to reflect the true investment of water. The greater implementation of soil moisture monitoring devices would help regulate when water is needed. There could also be implementation of timed water availability which allows for agriculture water to be used during certain times of the day to prevent loss of efficiency due to weather or climate patterns. #UnleashValues

A world that I want to live in is one that balances justice and reconciliation, with ecology in respect to environmental sustainability through a compassionate lens. Values that are associated with my vision for this future would be rooted in equity regarding the distributional, procedural, and recognitional pillars of justice for all parties involved; wildlife and humans alike. At the most basal levels of equity, indigenous communities deserve to have at the bare minimum a seat at the table to make their voices heard that have long been suppressed and neglected. Moreover, introducing the consultation of indigenous communities would only be a step in the right direction, contingent on the notion that their point of view is not only acknowledged but valued as well. This will require a cultural shift rooted in compassion and require the re-building of relationships that have been strained for so long. While I don’t think we will ever be able to truly rectify the the suffering inflicted onto indigenous communities, our actions even today pour salt into their wounds that doesn’t foster equity amongst all, especially on lands that weren’t ours to begin with. There is an inherent inequity in the distribution of ownership on a myriad of fronts in regards to ecology, so the fact that we are lacking on a procedural and recognition front shows the lack of respect on a humane level that still exists today. I believe that equity must be built on a foundation of trust, respect, and the willingness to learn and grow alongside these communities with compassion for each other and the planet that we occupy together. Interventions at the most basic level would include increased representation in positions that are heard by policy makers. This could be to increase the number of seats in the federal council to increase indigenous voices in politics. By having all parties voices at the table, including ingenious peoples, social activists, environmental specialists we have the capacity to foster policy that is well rounded on multiple different fronts. Not only can we approach change differently in the future, but it is also our responsibility to rectify wrongdoings of the past. For example, there was no consultation of the indigenous peoples when re-introducing sea otters into their communities. While the damage has been done, it is our responsibility to approach them and see what can be done now to ensure they are heard with any future decisions or how to rectify the consequences of these unfiltered actions. The ultimate goal being to save our planet and live in a state of harmony and equity amongst each other can be achieved by approaching communication through compassion and mobilizing initiatives together with equal valuation of all perspectives. #UnleashValues

I think we all are guilty of falling into the trap of instant gratification, but our present society largely thrives on it. As such, breaking this pattern will be difficult, but from an individual and societal front, it is necessary to avoid dangerous repercussions in the future. In a society that glamorizes luxury, we often don’t see or even want to see the ramifications of our actions. I think the phrase ignorance is bliss, unfortunately, rings true for a lot of us. My hope for a better future is that people go out of their way to remove themselves from their social bubbles and seek discomfort. Welcoming a state of vulnerability is the only way that we can foster growth and change to hopefully move away from some of the instant gratifications of luxury placed at our fingertips. Socializing with different circles and people from different walks of life, ideologies, and backgrounds could help foster a sense of community back into a world that is so highly networked but fosters such little true human connection. It is so easy to fall into a cycle of instant gratification because it always ends up leaving you wanting more due to the lack of long-term satisfaction. For example, the reason that Tik Tok is largely as successful as it is today is due to its ability to cater specialized content to its consumer through short-form content that can be scrolled through for hours. We consume what we think we desire through popular trends that allow us to become puppets driving what is the next big thing that fills a new niche, resulting in more sources for instant gratification. The only thing that holds any semblance of meaning in this world is what we as humans give meaning to. Arguably, social constructs like diamonds are only as valuable or necessary as we deem them to be compared to other rocks. They are rooted in tradition signifying matrimony that in my opinion isn’t necessary. The chokehold that we allow materials and consumerism to hold over us as indicators of power, identity, status, and relationships can change if we slowly deviate from their symbolic nature that is spoon-fed to the masses. While I think it is natural for humans to indulge in the occasional want versus need depending on their values, nowadays the want has become prioritized as a need. I envision a positive future in which people allow themselves to be open to vulnerability, seek discomfort, and question their consumption of materialistic goods relative to their own values. If we as individuals can identify triggers that drive our desires for instant gratification, we could truly mobilize change in consumer culture. Not only is the potential to benefit our environment immense, but the social change, mental health awareness, and healing that it could bring to so many people is an irrefutable step towards healthy living that should not be ignored. #UnleashValues @cosphereproject