Environmental Values

 I think of the environment as a system that everything on Earth is a part of. I would consider the location of the environment to be anything that isn’t man-made, yet as a system it interacts with man-made objects. I often think about the argument of everything being natural because humans are technically just animals too, but at one point we passed the boundary of existing with the same impact as other animals, so we should be categorized differently. This is partly why I support the naming of the Anthropocene. 

The aspects of the environment that matter to me are its resources and the places that I spend time in. I am passionate about doing my part to preserve the environment and treat the land with the respect it deserves. Specifically, I am very concerned about preserving the island of Oahu because I have lived there for a long time. Growing up on Oahu motivated me to become interested in various environmental issues such as climate change, invasive species, and indigenous practices. From volunteering with my school, removing invasive species at the local wetland, to simply seeing microplastics on the beach, environmental awareness is something ingrained with growing up on Oahu. I believe that I would not be as environmentally conscious as I am if I had never moved to Oahu from San Diego when I was a kid. My environmental concerns are mainly motivated by the thought that I want future generations to enjoy nature as much as I have been able to in my lifetime. I would feel guilty if, when I am 80, the next generation has inherited an over-polluted and exploited environment, unlike the one that I am familiar with.

These experiences have led me to be very conscious of my actions, being very careful not to litter, picking up trash, using reusable items, etc. This is also why I am an Environmental Studies major; I hope to gain the skills to help undo some of the damage done to the environment so far.