Coming into ENVR430 and after the first class, I didn’t know what to expect. This was the first time I had ever taken a class like this and so there was a mix of nervousness but also excitement. Throughout the term, I engaged with the lecture content with an open mind so that I could absorb as much of the content as I could. I listened to all the in-class discussions (which were very daunting at first because I felt that so many people were more passionate and knowledgeable about what we were learning than I was). However, these discussions ultimately inspired me to want to keep up with global/local issues when it comes to sustainability. So I envision a future where more people are well-informed about what is happening in society and the environment. And this could be possible because people like us, who took this class and led campaigns/workshops, are able to teach people who are willing to learn. We all share the same planet, so we can all learn from one another to reach this envisioned future.

I envision a future where people and wild animals can live in cooperation with one another. Animals play crucial roles in different ecosystems, but too many of these megafaunas have been driven to extinction by humans. The effects of their extinction can be seen for more than centuries after. This could be achieved through campaigns that inform people about the beneficial roles of animals for the environment. Sharing videos (such as the ones that we watched for this class) that show people the adaptability of animals and teaching them about the benefits of fauna can give everyday people a greater appreciation for their relationship with animals. With more everyday people having more appreciation, public perception and demand may result in more rewilding and/or less extinction.

I envision a world that is not plagued by the effects of microplastics negatively affecting their health. Everyone should have the ability to live fulfilling lives and create a bright future for their kids, but with the prevalence of endocrine disruptors and damage due to pollution, not everyone has that ability. By conducting more research and changing the ways that laws are created (legislation) to regulate potentially harmful products, maybe we can reduce the effects that microplastics have on our health. It is important to create effective ways to keep people safe from things they could potentially be exposed to on a daily basis. That way, children can be born into a world where they are not constantly exposed to these dangers, and as a result, can grow up according to natural processes.

I envision a future world where more companies are transparent with their supply chain in an effort to use more environmentally friendly practices. If consumers care about the environment, then they should purchase from good actors, while also understanding the hardships of meeting such environmental groups. If buyers continue to support and understand the efforts of good companies that are risking being the target, then more companies will be willing to change to more ecologically friendly practices (knowing that there will be hiccups, but people will still support them).

The effects of climate change can be seen in many aspects of life, and these components are adding up. An example is the prevalence of forest fires. The modern landscape allows for more heat and as a result, more fires. And while forest fires are a natural thing that happens on Earth, human activity is unnaturally promoting environmental conditions that have altered the prevalence of these fires. Maybe negative human impacts can be lessened by teaching the general public about fires caused by human activity. As fires are affecting more and more people of every age, I feel like increases in informative marketing could be very beneficial at this time. Intentional burns can be used to lessen the amount of fuel takes a high level of planning, and these unnatural fires can have massive adverse effects. The information should also involve teaching the public about prescribed burns and how they can be a solution to many problems. Hopefully, a more informed society will be better at changing habits against promoting excessive, unnatural fires, while also understanding how not all fires are necessarily bad.

This class and pre-lecture material were very intriguing. I think it is very important to change how farming is done to see benefits in both animal welfare and environmental sustainability. I don't think it is impossible to accomplish both tasks simultaneously. The idea of rotating different farm animal species on cultures so that they could have a better quality of life while also using them to mitigate negative impacts on animal/soil health than if they were kept separately is promising. Sustainable agriculture shows promising results when it comes to increases in profits for farmers as well. If soil is healthier, results in more crop yield, and thus generates more income, I believe more farmers would be on board with using different practices. However, switching methods is costly and stressful. We also discussed in class that money is limited and adding subsidies to mitigate the negative effects of other subsidies is not practical when money is finite. So maybe spreading awareness and asking if consumers would prefer to buy goods from sustainable farms encourages farmers to switch to sustainable methods if they know their source of income and living would still be secure.

Many people in developed nations take water for granted. It is more or less always accessible to them and not everyone has knowledge about where their water comes from or how much of a shortage we will be in. To help get people to lessen their wasteful water usage, we could maybe introduce new policies. I liked the idea mentioned in class about changing the price of water while thinking of ways to keep it accessible. The idea of making water free until a limit is intriguing because it promotes conserving water as you end up paying nothing for it if you do not waste it. Rebates are also interesting as it allows people and families who cannot afford the higher water prices to still have access to it. However, I think that even when individuals try to conserve water in their daily lives, corporations must do better in making production more water efficient. If companies keep using an excess of water in their focus on quantity of production instead of teh quality of their goods, more and more water will be used as those goods degrade (for example: making poor quality shirts that inefficiently use water, and when the shirts get ruined quickly, consumers buy another crappy shirt). Maybe governemnts could keep companies truthful and more aware of their own practices by forcing them to survey water usage in their production and get them to openly release these stats/data. As more people come environmentally focused (and thus base their purchasing decisions on environmentally friendly business practices), this information and transparency can make companies change to more efficient means if they want to keep their customers.

I hope we see a world where more people are aware of or educated on the topic of ecology and (in)justice to see how they affect different communities in the world. If more people understand the three dimensions of (in)justice and are aware of how decisions can affect more people, the views of more people can be incorporated into decisions. Being able to have more people participate in meaningful discussions forms important connections. These connections and discussions can create a positive feedback loop that allows for even more learning and awareness.

I believe that transparency from companies is essential in helping consumers understand how their values line up with manufacturers. If someone sees a world problem they are passionate about, then transparency will help them be more knowledgeable about their decisions on which companies to support. Demanding transparency can help highlight ethical and environmental issues in a company's manufacturing chain. In class, we talked about Patagonia announcing how they would be transparent about their down-live-plucking, which stirred lots of controversies. However, I support companies trying to attempt this as it reveals malpractices that even the companies themselves were not aware of. #UnleashValues @cosphereproject

I'm Suragan and am currently enrolled in ENVR 430 at UBC! I registered for the course without any idea of what we would be doing and learning. This class is run in a very unique way, and with an open mind, I am very excited to see where it takes me. By learning about sustainability I hope our small class can strive to make some real positive changes in our community! #UnleashValues