Energy and Place Project
Essential Questions:
a. How does energy production and consumption impact place?
b. How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions relating to energy production and consumption?
a. How does energy production and consumption impact place?
b. How does your sense of place, environmental ethic and understanding of our energy needs influence your perception and decisions relating to energy production and consumption?
Sence of Place Written Piece |
Take Action ProjectTake Action Project RefletionThe project I chose to undertake with my group was to run a plant give away; the goal of which would be to encourage innovationism and sustainability by giving people the opportunity to bring useful plants into their homes and to encourage them to think about their relationship with the land. While the give away, named Peas on Earth, has not yet commenced however my group has made newspaper pots and planted a variety of seeds. The giveaway will happen at the local farmer’s market during the second week of June, once the plants will have reached a significant size.
My sense of place strongly connects me to the worlds more wild, pristine locations and my environmental ethic, innovationism, or the idea that we should incorporate nature into our cities and buildings were both strong contributing factors to this action plan. My hope is that it will encourage people to make better lifestyle choices like starting their own garden to get fresh fruits and vegetables that help people become healthier while helping the Earth. This project has inspired me as I hope it will others. I want to do something like this again, and maybe someday, start a non-profit based off of this idea. At very least, I will be more aware as to how my decisions affect the world around me and be more eco-friendly. |
Sence of Place Project Reflection
This project allowed us to explore our connections to th
e world and how the energy issue fits in with that sense of place. To do this, we first learned about several different types of environmental ethics and environmental connections. After this, we were taught several aspects of nature writing, the type of writing we used to create our sense of place essays. After mastering these basics, we began to draft, critique, and refine both our own and each other's drafts. After that we needed to create or find an image of our place to put at the top of the written aspect of our projects. When the written portion was done, focus shifted to the Take Action portion of the project. This portion of the project is not finished as I write this refection as I decided that I would run a stater-plant give-away. To achieve this, I found a group of like-minded individuals and we collaborated to make pots, and obtain dirt and seeds. When the seedlings have grown large enough, we will go to the local farmer's market and give away free plants to anyone who will take one.
Throughout this project, we also completed a series of journal assignments to help us develop environmental ethics and refine out writing styles. Through these journals and other assignments I decided that my environmental ethic is a combination of innovationism and conservationism. At first I had trouble coming to this conclusion. I had never heard of this concept of an environmental ethic before which is why it took me the amount of time that it did to find the perspective I would write from. I also had difficulties deciding on the location I would write about. Eventually though I narrowed down the environmental ethics down to the two I chose, however I was unable to do this with my locations, so instead of choosing one, I chose three; the Boundary waters, the Florida Keys, and the back-country of New Mexico.
I was able to overcome those challenges and create work that I am proud of. I am most proud of my work on the sense of place essay. I was able to apply vivid imagery and a semi-sarcastic tone reminiscent of the example author we read Edward Abbey as shown through the following excerpt from my essay. "I stand victorious on the rubble that marks the top of the steep rock face, peering over the edge. “The Tooth” is what they call this mountain, the Tooth of Time. I can see why. A few days ago when we were camping below it, on its gums so to speak, that’s exactly what it appeared to be; one large, lone incisor jutting out of a wilderness that was a rare green for any part of New Mexico. The contrast is made even more evident by the fire raging to the south."
e world and how the energy issue fits in with that sense of place. To do this, we first learned about several different types of environmental ethics and environmental connections. After this, we were taught several aspects of nature writing, the type of writing we used to create our sense of place essays. After mastering these basics, we began to draft, critique, and refine both our own and each other's drafts. After that we needed to create or find an image of our place to put at the top of the written aspect of our projects. When the written portion was done, focus shifted to the Take Action portion of the project. This portion of the project is not finished as I write this refection as I decided that I would run a stater-plant give-away. To achieve this, I found a group of like-minded individuals and we collaborated to make pots, and obtain dirt and seeds. When the seedlings have grown large enough, we will go to the local farmer's market and give away free plants to anyone who will take one.
Throughout this project, we also completed a series of journal assignments to help us develop environmental ethics and refine out writing styles. Through these journals and other assignments I decided that my environmental ethic is a combination of innovationism and conservationism. At first I had trouble coming to this conclusion. I had never heard of this concept of an environmental ethic before which is why it took me the amount of time that it did to find the perspective I would write from. I also had difficulties deciding on the location I would write about. Eventually though I narrowed down the environmental ethics down to the two I chose, however I was unable to do this with my locations, so instead of choosing one, I chose three; the Boundary waters, the Florida Keys, and the back-country of New Mexico.
I was able to overcome those challenges and create work that I am proud of. I am most proud of my work on the sense of place essay. I was able to apply vivid imagery and a semi-sarcastic tone reminiscent of the example author we read Edward Abbey as shown through the following excerpt from my essay. "I stand victorious on the rubble that marks the top of the steep rock face, peering over the edge. “The Tooth” is what they call this mountain, the Tooth of Time. I can see why. A few days ago when we were camping below it, on its gums so to speak, that’s exactly what it appeared to be; one large, lone incisor jutting out of a wilderness that was a rare green for any part of New Mexico. The contrast is made even more evident by the fire raging to the south."