Conviction, Action, and Food

Hearing a presentation about wind energy in Indiana was interesting and informative. It is hard to imagine how large these structures must be even though there were comparisons given. Although wind power is slowly becoming more common, I am not sure how I feel on the multiple ones that are springing up within the boundaries of a few counties. I am sure there has been opposition from some, as we saw evidenced by the white splotches on the county map. These windmills completely change the look of the landscape, but can generate mass quantites of energy. It's an interesting dilemma! Perhaps if the wind farms were farther apart and not consolidated in such a small area I would agree with their existence more. I wonder if there will be any longterm ramifications of individuals living in this area generations down the road? Nevertheless, it was an interesting presentation that showed how some companies are attempting to fix our excessive energy use of coal.

The panel discussion with key individuals associated with Merry Lea was a delightful way to finish out the discussion/lecture portion of our class. It reiterated the fact that although much of what we talked about in class focused on the doom and gloom of environmental education, these people are visible evidence of what advocating for environmental education looks like in real life. Through the sharing of their struggles and hopes they brought the entire course into perspective. We will be met with opposition when sent out into the field, but by remembering the hope we possess and striving for a better world, we can all accomplish great things! (It was also neat to hear once again how focused we are all becoming on what we want to get out of this program!)

Finally, the food program with Jennifer was interesting as well. She shed some light on different ways that stories in the Bible correspond to communion and the food we eat. I look forward to taking a look at the curriculum we received! Food choice is one way that we can all make an immediate change to better our world.

Thank you to all for the great discussions while in this class! I am glad we are able to openly discuss some of these issues with each other.