Journal 5 - Pachamama Alliance - Awakening the Dreamer Course

Where Are We?

I found the section on Where Are We very informative, as it touched on topics I knew some things about and covered them extensively, such as our current overconsumption of natural resources. It also covered social injustice, which isn't something we commonly think about when discussing sustainability and the environment. Majora Carter, during the Delving into Social Justice and Spiritual Fulfillment video, stated. "Environmental Justice is the belief that no community should have to bear the brunt of a disproportionate amount of environmental burdens and not enjoy any environmental benefits". This made it clear to me that even when looking at our society from an environmental perspective, we are currently in a state of injustice, whether you consider the quality of life from one country to the next or the way people are treated compared to one another in the face of discrimination. This section made it clear overall just what a poor state our world is in.

How Did We Get Here?

The How Did We Get Here section was honestly surprising as everyone is aware of climate change and different things that are proof of the negative impact people have had on the environment as well as the things that led to them, such as pollution or the overconsumption of resources. I found it fascinating the role human ideals play as we continue to have a negative impact on our environment. When discussing the assumptions commonly held by people during the Examining Our Worldview and Assumptions video, the narrator stated, "People assume that polluting the environment is an inevitable byproduct of progress or that economic growth will necessarily leave some people behind". This made it clear the shared ideas that many people consider normal, and it is that sense of normalcy in these negative ideals that leads to our harmful impact on the environment. It is through the normalcy of negative ideals that social injustices, such as racism, are brought about, and it is this normalcy of negative ideals that creates an impasse for those trying to create a positive way forward. This section puts into perspective that we need to change the way we think about products, the environment, each other, and our ideals.

A New Story

The section A New Story made me reflect a lot on the way I view the world, as I tend to believe that the world is like a machine made up of a bunch of parts that come together to form a functioning world however I believe the parts although they may collaborate are ultimately separate and each have their part to play. I tend to live my life according to this idea, so while I understand I will need to rely on my surroundings and the people around me at times, I believe the life I lead is ultimately an individualistic experience, and I tend to keep collaboration to a minimum by this idea. Jeanette Armstrong, during the A New Story and the Illusion of Separation video, stated, "The foundational understanding from my point of view or an indigenous point of view is that you are a part of the land in a very interdependent way". This made me think that rather than separate cogs in the machine, we should think of ourselves and our environment as one machine rather than as its individual parts. Ultimately, while we each individually need to do our part to pave a positive path forward, we should do so as a collective, being considerate of the environment in the process. This section of the course made it evident that our perspective of life as we know it needs to change to move society in a positive direction.

What is Possible Now?

The What is Possible Now section truly showcased human perseverance and gave hope to me as I learned about how in the past people have triumphed over many struggles and that currently there is a way forward in a positive direction, we just have to take the opportunity to pave that path and put in the work to get to a better future. There are many positive endeavors currently taking place, such as moves to more sustainable energy sources and efforts to reduce things like carbon dioxide emissions. We need to support these endeavors in order to get to a better future. It is clear that we are capable of moving forward despite our past wrongdoings against nature and should continue to put the effort into living sustainably. The interconnection of people and the environment is important to our way of life and will always be constant in our life as we know it so it is important to care for others and the environment. This section makes it clear that there are opportunities and efforts being made toward a better future, we just need to support these endeavors and continue to make innovations in order to move forward in a positive direction.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Where Do We Go From Here makes it clear how we should move forward and that there is a current call to action to take a stand against harmful environmental practices and social injustices. We need to leave the world better off than it was before we got here, so that those after us do not struggle the way we did, and we can truly promote welfare within our society. It is important to take action to reduce our harmful impacts while supporting our more positive ones. It is our duty to take a stand against social injustices so that people after us do not grow up in a society where discrimination exists, and they can be more trusting of their fellow humans in their ability to do good and not spread harmful ideals. There is a positive path forward but it will be closed off in the face of inaction, so it is important to do our part so we can truly lead sustainable and just lives. That is the key to a future we can be proud of and a world where those who come after us do not suffer. This section made it clear just how important it is for people to take action for the betterment of society.

Wow Moment

During this course, I had a wow moment while going through the Where Are We section as the videos explained that while our quality of life is improving, our harmful environmental impact is as well. It made me think back and say, "Wow, to truly live sustainably, there is a lot that society would need to forfeit, which truly puts into perspective how difficult positive environmental change can be". During the video The Challenges Facing the Environment, Susan Burns stated, "Humanity is living off of its' ecological credit card". This truly made it clear that currently, Humanity is incurring a debt to nature that we may never be able to pay, which will have catastrophic repercussions for life as we know it.

Overall Reflection

Overall, this course makes it clear just how much change is necessary in order to reach a positive, sustainable, and socially just future. It is important to change the way we think, our perspective, the way we live, and our ideals. This change is the key to a better life for us all.