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Four years ago in grade eleven,  I had the opportunity to travel across Europe, among the places I visited, Paris and Gimmelwald, Switzerland. These are the two that I most prominently connect to the environment. The juxtaposition between these two was astronomical. Paris, known for the romantic scenes and high class fashion, was by far the least environmentally friendly looking place I had been to. The streets were filled with litter, smelled of cigarette smoke, and did not correspond with the preconceived notion I held. It is shocking to me that they are a leading nation of sustainability in Europe (Sustainability in France, 2022) Switzerland however, was a much different experience. The air was fresh, the rain water didn't have that dirty smell created in Calgary, and locations to dispose of waste were endless throughout the mountains. Switzerland is known for its stance on sustainable development, ranking top five in the UN (Sumas, 2017). I actually had a store owner approach me as I was throwing out garbage to ensure it was going in the correct bins! The site I have attached shows the ample ways that Switzerland preserves its land, and even more can be found quite easily as it is widely known. I will not be delving into these, as my intention is to speak on my experience. Overall, my environmental perspective shifted immensely after returning from Europe, as I decided the place I would be most keen to return was Switzerland, and the cleanliness is one of the reasons.

Sustainability in France (September 26, 2022)
https://snowdropsolutions.co.uk/sustainability-in-france-trends-2022/#:~:text=In%20many%20ways%2C%20France%20is,rethinking%20unsustainable%20infrastructure%20and%20practices.

5 Examples of Sustainability in Switzerland (2017)
https://sumas.ch/5-examps-of-sustainability-in-switzerland

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I was raised in a Catholic school, which coincides with the religious and spiritual question I have removed. Growing up in a religious setting, we were told that God was the creator, and all other living things were to be cherished. I do not find myself being as religious in a literal sense, but rather spiritual on a very broad scale. This means that the values I was taught growing up, in my school community, allowed me to develop my own sense of spirituality. Rather than imagining any speific being at the top, I believe in the power of the universe and energy. What is given to the earth, returns back to you. Therefore, my position environmentally is that in order for the planet to continue to give to us, we must give to it but preserving what we can, occupying less and offering more. Offerings can include innovating ideas to change how processes are run, planting trees, and giving back to the environment by learning the ways in which we can help.

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Knowledge I have acquired about the environment has come from the Netflix documentary, ‘Chasing Coral’. Divers document the death and elimination of coral due to rising temperatures as a result of climate change. The emotional documentary taken over the course of 3.5 years reveals that “75% of corals suffered or died from heat stress” (Chasingcoral.com). This documentary truly opened my eyes to the scale of the impact of climate change. I believe the documentary puts into visual perspective cases that are happening across the globe, making it more apparent. Being able to see the ecosystems dying in the ocean bring facts into visuals. Documentaries are always where I head to gain information about world issues, which leads me to the next one I watched...

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Chasing Coral - A new Netflix Original documentary

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Coral reefs around the world are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. A team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.

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The site above allowed me too understand how to connect language to our environmental worldview. It states that, 'language is more than just a communication tool, it determines our perception of reality and influences our behaviour" (Argos). Our perception of reality changes by the vocabulary we use to describe various phenomenon. Words such as sustainability, conservation, and preservation allow us to encapsulate the ideas that environmentalists share. These terms express efforts in developing processes that will endure long periods of time without using up limited resources. Conservation and preservation explain the protection of all living and non-living beings. These terms in the English language are necessary to communicate ideas about the environment and give us a sense of understanding among the group. The English language has shaped my worldview as it highlights a deeper understanding of the concepts and the reasons we should incorporate them into our daily lives.

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Your source of news from Argos and the translation industry all in one location.

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My core values : Honesty, Loyalty, and Trustworthiness. These each shape my environmental view in different ways. Honesty is essential in gathering accurate information about our world and the environment. The more we educate ourselves on reliable information, and learn about the direction of climate change, we can make changes based on facts and supported opinions. Loyalty and trustworthiness go hand in hand with personal relationships and relationships with living beings around us. Loyalty in an environmental sense refers to being loyal to the land we have been given. Loyalty to our planet means taking it upon ourselves to make the change, as it cannot repair itself from our actions.  Environmental issues can only be reversed through collective change. As a society we are stronger as a whole, so we must be able to trust that each individual is doing their part to make a difference.

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"The western worldview believes the planet is an asset to manage and that humans are the managers" (study.com)

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Growing up, I never felt as though my family had a very strong connection to culture. I never found that we had many cultural views around the environment either. I was raised in a household that did not place emphasis on the value of taking care of the planet. Leftover or rotten food was thrown out, the garbage and recycle were rarely divided, and the use of plastics in all forms were normalized. I was raised in a very Western household. As mentioned in class, the pyramid that we followed places humans at the top, followed by all other living things. The image I have placed above depicts this view. A fist around the earth represents the belief of humans grasping the planet, treating it as their belonging.

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I was born and raised in Canada, specifically Calgary, Alberta. Only recently have I begun to shape my view on the environment and truly delve into what opinions I hold. Protection of national parks, wildlife conservation and recognition of indigenous communities that acknowledges their view of the land, are all prominent in Canada. Protecting national parks includes prohibiting mining, chopping of trees, hunting, fishing regulations, and a high stress with signage about packing away food and disposing of everything correctly. Wildlife is preserved in these areas by taking these actions, therefore protecting their habitat and allowing them to relatively undisturbed by humans. Acknowledgement of indigenous land protects wildlife as it gives them ownership. Indigenous communities do not abuse the ability to capture animals, but they use all parts of it to sustain themselves. Western worldviews having control of these areas results in the over extraction of natural resources, so prohibiting this, protects those environments in Canada

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Another Documentary that has impacted my sense of environmental worldview is Blackfish. The film showcases captivity of wildlife of the mental and physical stress they face when contained. Watching documentaries about wildlife has completely changed my view on our purpose in the world alongside other living beings. Living creatures in these facilities are used for nothing but human entertainment. Over the years I have recognized the inhumanity around the world. Through learning and researching about the truth of these places I have recognized that life on the planet is not to be used for enjoyment, and that's exactly what is portrayed in Blackfish.