Generational Pressure: Fixing the “Mistakes” of the 20th Century

     Environmental awareness has recently spread to other, less aware generations. With recent environmental disasters such as polar icecaps melting and the extinction of some species, the 20th century American is becoming aware of the dangers of tampering with the earth’s equilibrium. On a recent visit in Palm Springs, I met with my ninety-two year old great grandfather, whom I love to share witty banter with. With tears dripping down the wrinkles of his crow’s feet, he had no words for the happiness he felt in seeing the family. Every once in awhile we drop him a line, but lately, we have rarely spoken to the isolated Rowland Foster. Of all the people in the family, I feel I have a particularly stellar bond with my grandfather because he encourages my writing and studies; he loves to enlighten me with nostalgic memories of his childhood and teenage years.
    As we began to talk, my grandfather mentioned my unique educational opportunity that came to me when I joined a private school. Teeming with gratitude towards my parents, I know the true gift that they have given me; without them, it’s not sure I would have the appropriate resources to further my advanced studies in academics. My grandfather loved to remind me of this frequently.
    He told me, “You better reciprocate what you learn back to the world. Education is no use if you don’t share it with someone! You ol' whippersnapper!”
    Hm. I’ve never really pondered that before. Instead of creating change myself, I can begin a tidal wave of knowledge to kick start others’ creative, world-changing spirit. I could teach others the environmental knowledge I’ve learned in school to create awareness of the Earth’s current trembling state. My Grandfather and I talked fervently about my favorite subject in school—environmental science. Though he knew very little about the topic, he knew I had a vested interest in conservation, naturalism, and sustainability. That’s when he told me how I had to take on the burden of another generation.
Curiously, I couldn’t fathom how the Earth’s problems were mine to change, because I hadn’t lived but sixteen years on the planet! How could I be responsible for the issues? Perhaps I had an outsider’s perspective of the world because I had lived so short on the planet. Had I the perspective to change society’s view of the Earth? Currently, we’re studying aquatic biodiversity and the harms of human interaction with some aquatic animals. Plums of oil from the British Petroleum Oil Spill of 2010, for example, have shown a direct reaction to our own detrimental actions. We could see the dangerous impact on our economy, our wildlife, and our lifestyles. No longer can we safely fish in the Gulf of Mexico, without checking for levels of chemical poisoning. No longer can we rely on our animals to survive in our world, without conserving them in captivity such as zoos or wildlife preserves. No longer can we live the way our grandparents and parents have lived. We are the generation that must change the world, because the world has changed so much for us. We are living in a world unlike anyone else’s world. The burden is ours, because we must show the older generations how to nurse our deathly Earth.

Foggy Redwoods and Rocky Coastlines: Roadtrip to Fern Canyon Oct. 8-11

    Along the way to Fern Canyon, my father and I explored the foggy Redwood forests and rocky coastal regions that clutter Northern California's coastlines. These are some photos that I took on the drive north through the Avenue of the Giants and Redwood National Forest.
    1. Falling couldn't have been easy for this Redwood; it must have taken a mighty lightning storm for  this tree to fall down--that's my best guess. These sequoias found along the coast grow to monstrous proportions, and I sometimes felt as though I would be swallowed whole by these whale-like trees. In fact, it was rare to even see the top of some of these towers..
    2. Roaming the grassy beaches, elk were extremely common along the drive to Fern Canyon. As friendly as the creatures looked, the park rangers cautioned us to maintain a safe distance between the animals and our Jeep. As we drove along, they peered curiously at us through their timid eyes.
    3. This photo illuminates the tranquility of the grasslands in which the elk roamed. My father couldn't help but fall in love with the silence.
    4. Inside the canyon, spiral trees decorated the fern covered corridor. These strange abnormalities reminded me of the bizarre world of Alice in Wonderland; I pondered the irrationalities of the blue highlighted birds that stalked us and the bear claw prints that remained intact on the murky creek bottom. Perhaps nature isn't always what we expect it to be..
    5. Fern Canyon as the marine layer sulks into the coast line..
    In conclusion to my photo journalism, my main hope was to illuminate the hidden beauty and irrationality of nature. Fern Canyon is a beautiful example of how we must embrace the "abnormalities" that nature presents us with. Instead of destroying these masterpieces with deforestation, we must preserve what is left of nature.. not dismiss it just because its different, or bizarre.

Field Study: New Zealand's Biomes Oct. 7

    As part of a field research study on New Zealand, I became curious about the extreme nature of its geography. In fact, New Zealand is one of the smallest countries to have more than four biomes. The North Island consists of mostly deciduous forest and coastal areas, whereas the South Island consists of grassland, what one may call "arctic tundra", and mountainous regions. Overall, one can conclude that New Zealand is a great example of how many biomes can coexist harmoniously for thousands of years. However, most of the animals found on these two islands are not native, but rather brought over from European countries. Therefore, most animals have adapted to what was most familiar to their natural habitat.
    Of all of the biomes found in New Zealand, the deciduous forest is the most abundant, because it takes the greater part of the North Island. The plant life, or producers, is mostly deciduous trees such as oak and beech, along with some evergreen tree species; other producers cluttering the forest floor are moss, fern and wild fungi. Serving as energy sources, these producers work to keep the forest and its inhabitants alive. Keeping with the food chain, the next level up from the producers is the primary consumers. These small creatures harbor the energy of the producers, and they become a valuable source of nutrition for secondary consumers. These creatures are, but not limited to, insects, birds, fish, chipmunks, squirrels, and even some larger animals like elk, deer, and the endemic Moa. Mostly omnivores, these animals are ranked the lowest of animals on the food chain. Next on the food chain, the secondary consumers profit off the primary consumer's nutritional value and protein content. These (mostly) larger animals are amphibians, large mammals like the weasel and raccoon, and larger birds like the nation's symbolic Kiwi bird and Haast's Eagle.  Finally, the largest and most predatorial of the food chain are bears and forest cats. These animals depend on all the lower ranked animals as vital parts of their nutrition. Without these energy sources, the whole food chain would fall apart. Every component of the food chain is necessary for the deciduous forest biome to thrive.

Aspiring to be Influential

Over the last few weeks, I’ve felt more concerned about my environmental worldview and whether it affects the people around me. In my opinion, nature is like a house filled with chores. Though the chores take a long time to complete, they always have a reward. Therefore, I believe my beliefs coincide with the environmental stewardship model. Our success depends primarily on how we manage Earth’s resources.

            Whether my opinion matters or not to the world worries to me. Maybe I’m just one person that cares about our rapid use of scarce resources. Maybe I’m too young to change or inspire other people’s worldviews. But I’m okay with that. After all, it is said, “to the world, you may be one person; but to one person, you may be the world.” Hopefully, I can inspire at least one person with my respectful view of the planet. 

Dissolving Scientific Stereotypes: A Lesson from the Gorilla beringei Lecture

What makes a scientist a scientist? Is it the white lab coat and pocket protector? Or rather, is it the strict, introverted data collecting that makes for awkward conversation? These stereotypes no longer define the successful scientist. In a recent lecture on a primatologists' research on the Gorilla beringei, I've learned education can only mentally prepare one for a field research study; the physical and emotional components develop as the study progresses.

To begin with, most people don't realize that Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey were regular women with little knowledge of the animals they studied. In fact, it was their lack of exposure that made their research so successful. Naming their subjects gave a personable touch to the animals; this revolutionized the way scientists viewed their subjects. Perhaps this approach to the field research formed a bridge from quantitative research to qualitative research.

The best way to approach a field study is with an open mind and a spirit of adventure. Walking into the field with leather boots and an adorable flower-print dress will have no benefit; instead, bring only the bare necessities essential to survive. Luxury has no place in science. You are in a relationship with your work, and you should have no intention to leave it.

Also, dissolve any preconceived image of what you think a scientist is. Culture and science work hand in hand to provide an ultimately enriching experience. Shocking at first, different value systems are hard to comprehend and compare; developing a universal sense of ethics is practically impossible. Instead, begin your research with an open mind. Allow people to introduce their culture to you and accept what it is. If these people have been killing animals their whole lives, there’s a big chance that you probably won't be able to change their lifestyles. Instead, work around this cultural barrier by thinking outside of the box. What can you do to respect their traditions, but also effectively save an ecosystem?  

Science isn’t a grand puzzle where only the selected few have an answer. In fact, it’s a door waiting to be opened! Ordinary people are just as valuable to the scientific world as trained scientists are. Accepting cultural norms into your scientific study will supplement any research study. Leave your glasses and textbooks behind, my friends, and instead, strap on your hiking boots, get out a map, and dive head first into the world of curiosity! The world is waiting to be discovered.  

"Endlessly Ours": A Dangerous Mindset in American Society

            Five and a half Earths. That’s how many Earths it would take to let everyone in the world live as selfishly as I do. I found this fact not only startling, but also repulsive on many levels. First and foremost, I look at myself as one of those people who can preach, but can never really follow their own environmentally friendly advice. Sure, I yell at people for littering my school and complain about cars’ emissions polluting my air—I admit, I have always had an active voice in my community. But when I saw my own ecological footprint, hypocrisy stared straight at me. Why can we always give advice, but never really take it for ourselves? I believe that the ecological footprint concept encourages optimism in the most pessimistic way possible. By showing people’s direct impact on the earth, they can put a measurement to the destruction or sustainability that they’ve created.

            No one likes hearing the truth; however, an ecological footprint needs to be blunt. Pessimism is an extremely valuable tool; ecological debtors are expected to see their damages to the environment along with little leeway for change. Instilled in the footprint’s owner’s mind is the idea of limited options; one can only have so many chances to turn around before the environmental destruction they are causing becomes permanent, or unchangeable. With this in mind, there are two solutions for the footprint’s owner: either follow the guidelines to a sustainable life, or live in an unsustainable world.            

            As if this “life vs. death of all mankind” question was not pessimistic enough, one can also use the option to see how happily and sustainably other nations live. Comparing the average American to the average Ethiopian is like comparing the day's light to the night’s darkness—they are polar opposites. Though this comparison seems like an interesting cultural awakening, it actually shows how far the industrial revolution has destroyed us as a society. Importing, exporting, shipping, driving, flying, manufacturing, sewing, modifying, etc., are all the culprits behind our dark ecological footprints. Unsustainably advancing our technologies and economic empires takes a major, nonrefundable toll on our precious planet. But yet, our greedy politicians and heartless corporations refuse to admit that their concoction of “happiness” is really the source of all of our problems. Like the saying goes, “the first step is admitting you have a problem.”

            In the end, there are only so many opportunities to solve our problems. Our citizens can easily adopt simple tasks such as recycling, installing energy efficient light bulbs, and saving water. These relatively straightforward ideas can be the beginning towards our great leap to a sustainable future. With ecological footprint calculations, our citizens can place an exact value of their personal lifestyle’s consequences. All the opportunities for change lie in our reach; we are ripened with the knowledge of universal sustainability. However, if we do not take heed to the warnings of our disastrous lifestyles now, our future generations will grow up with our same dangerous mindset: the world is endlessly ours.