Reflection

    I have enjoyed this course and have learned many valuable things. Throughout this semester I have learned to analyze how and why I do things, along with consider if it is the efficient and most eco friendly way I can be doing things. I have learned that caring for the environment is much more than just  the physical aspects. It also means considering how we interact with each other and ensuring everyone has equal rights and opportunities. It is also about how we view ourselves in respect to the physical environment. This course has raised my interest in environmental studies and I look forward to taking more enviro courses.

Reflection

     The unit on food has really opened my eyes to where my food comes from and the environmental impacts of buying cheaper food that is imported from around the world and is provided by unsustainable practices. It really doesn't make sense to buy food that is imported from across the country or globe when we can and do grow the exact same food locally. It just creates excess use of fuel and excess emissions through transportation of the good. Locally grown foods should be made more available in large grocery stores, its fresher, supports the local economy and reduces reliance on transportation. Now when I am buying foods I try find better quality foods and food that is grown locally. Price is no longer my deciding factor.
    I don't think that GMO's are necessarily a bad thing. I think they are an important technology in future food development and can help increase our food security however, more research and funding needs to go into the development of GMO's so that we are more certain of what the effects will be one both humans eating the food and on the surrounding environment. The idea of patenting life is a scary one, I think the line needs to be drawn there, otherwise we are going to end up with a world dominated (more so than already) by a select few very powerful multinational corporations.

Zoo reflection

    I think zoo's should continue there role in conservation by breading endangered species along with taking in endangered species that have been injured and likely wouldn't survive on their own. I also think it important that zoo's continue to educate people through use of informational signs and guided tours. 

I don't think it is very ethical to keep any animals in a zoo (aside from ones that otherwise wouldn't be able to survive on their own due to either abandonment or injury) because they are living creatures that are meant to be wild and free, not put on display in some cage or confined area. I do however enjoy going to a zoo because I get to see animals that i would otherwise never get to see, but I still feel they shouldn't be captivated simply for our own entertainment and education. 

My Food System

    What i like about my food system is that most of my meals are relatively easy to make, I eat foods that taste good. However I don't pay attention to where the food comes from and whether it is organic or not, I hadn't thought about these things until they were brought up in this class. I usually try buy cheaper food, however I don't like the price of some items particularly healthy foods, they are rather costly. Another thing I don't like about my food system is that because I buy primarily cheaper and easier to make foods the nutritional value isn't always what it should be and I don't eat the healthiest sometimes. Also I have come to realize that most of my food is transported a long ways which is leaving a larger carbon footprint than I would like. The last problem with my food system is that because I buy a lot of cheap food I know that I am likely helping to support cruel and harsh animal conditions.