Sustainability: The War in Washington

Last week Furman graduate Emily Wirzba, who now works in Washington DC as a political consultant with a Quaker lobbyist organization. I was very enthralled with her passionate description of the excitement of working in Washington and I found her description of the application of Quaker ideals in politics even more interesting. While some of her comments on political negotiation regarding climate change were reassuring (reassuring in that there are actually legitimate environmental negotiations going on in DC), I did not feel totally convinced that some of the hard-line climate change deniers she consults with are serious about their commitments. Her comments about the installation of the Keystone Pipeline alone, and how barely half of Republicans in the Senate would even acknowledge climate change as being real, and hardly any saying that it was influenced by humans, were very sobering. As long as these politicians continue to be subsidized by big companies (especially oil companies) and as long as they are afraid to speak what they really feel for fear of losing their vote, I don't think we'll see significant change in how the country addresses sustainability. Those who actually do feel that climate change is an issue are closeted for their beliefs. The media does not bring attention to it - the fact that Fox News is even considered a valid news source I think is a travesty in itself. Money, ratings, and conformity are the names of the game still. Change is present but stunted because of these things... My biggest fear is that we will not enact the change that we need soon enough to save our lifestyle and those of the lives after us.  

Forest-bound

This past week, the cohort took a field trip to Clemson University's experimental forest during our designated lab time. The forest, located just away from Clemson's main campus, is an attempt at taking an area that was heavily logged and desecrated by development once and reestablishing it as a healthy, biodiverse forest. While some parts of the forest were farther along in recovery than others, the general format was apparent: alternating, spacious stands of pines and hardwoods. Most of the trees were mast-bearing (releasing acorns or some other form of casting) to allow the forest to fill out faster. Other features of the forest included simulated wetlands to allow amphibians to flourish, uncut dead trees to serve as food and homes for woodpecker species, as well as areas prescribed for burning in the winter to prevent the undergrowth from becoming too thick. These control burns may seem destructive, but they are done according to a strict science that has been practiced and has been an important part of the ecosystem since the time of the Native Americans. In fact, the disappearance of controlled burns has led to the decline of animal species and tree species in certain areas, like the gopher tortoise and the longleaf pine tree whose cones only open in the presence of fire. After stopping in the forest for a lecture on features of the forest and some analysis of statistical forestry data, we took a trip to the large beaver-made pond present at the site. Here I got to see some of the species unique to the area, including some introduced, endangered longleaf pines, Virginia pines, red cedars, and large red and white oaks. The pond also apparently sports a healthy wood duck population, which really reminded me of home, back on the Ocmulgee River in Georgia where we had wood ducks nesting in the trees around our house. Then again, nature being out and about, seeing nature makes me feel at home no matter where I'm at.

No Rock, No Matter How Small...

This past week has been a rocky one. Our field trip to the Vulcan quarry in Greenwood was a good place for me to apply some of the deeper knowledge on geological features I've been gaining in Surficial Processes (in which I had my first test), and it was very cool to see those processes literally in action. Supplemented with Dr. Ranson's extensive lesson on lithology, I pretty much feel like a certified geologist already! My Surficial class also embarked on a trailblazing field trip to Jones Gap, collecting data (while not collecting sleep) on the unique geomorphological processes that shaped and are still shaping the pristine area. We left the beaten path to get up close and personal with an icy waterfall and a fairly recent landslide debris field, from which I took it upon myself to collect some souvenirs...I mean, rock specimens for further analysis. The Reedy River project is also ago, and I'm excited to tackle it full swing as soon as possible and start some local trouble! 

Now, if there's one thing I've learned from this past week, it's that no rock, no matter how small, is JUST a rock. It's part of a much greater, older, and more massive whole. I think that has something to say about each of us and our role as part of a collective species  to shape our world as we want future generations to see it. The difference between us and a rock is, we can shape our own destinies. We shouldn't just be along for the landslide. Just as one small rock's movement can cause an entire mountain face to move, each one of us can start a movement of our own. So don't be sedimentary, ignite the spark and cause a metamorphosis.