Thanks to all who sent a blessing or affirmation. You don't know how much they meant to all of us. It was good to see that we were in your thoughts and prayers and we all appreciate it greatly. We loved to hear from you all and we miss you all very much. Our last day of discovery is finally here and we are all very sad. Our little community has grown together and formed into a big family. With all of the interesting and thought-provoking things that we learned, we are sure to get together in the future. We thought of many things to do to help improve the environment in our own individual lives and as a community. It will be hard, but I'm sure we will try our hardest to make a difference. Well, thanks again for all of the love and support from all of you. We look forward to seeing you all at home tonight.
Sincerely,
Allen B. Carter III
The ending to this Discovery 2007 trip couldn’t have been any more appropriate. We rolled onto the Goshen College campus on Saturday evening to find pizza waiting for us provided by the admissions office. We then split up into three smaller groups and got a short tour of the campus. After that, we headed to the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College, about 45 minutes away. We got a short introduction to what the place was about from Luke Gascho, the executive director, and then went to bed. In the morning, we had an amazing breakfast of pancakes and eggs, along with some extra special cinnamon rolls brought by Kate’s grandparents, Emery and Mary. We then began a time of worship with singing, some thoughts from Lars, and Luke led us in a devotional time through a walk around the area, pulling out excerpts in Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective where we are called to understand our responsibility of caring for the land and acting that out in our everyday lives. After we returned, we watched a video called “Is God Green?” and ate a lunch of lasagna and salad. After a bit of time to digest our food, we went down to a lake on the property where we canoed, swam and relaxed for a few hours. The canoeing, however, actually ended up being more like canoe flipping. We dried off and headed back to take a tour of the green LEED-certified Platinum buildings where environmental science students at Goshen spend much of their time. It was interesting to learn how the buildings were constructed using recycled materials, and how it now produces much of its own energy. We finally had a dinner cooked on a fire, hobo dinners, which is a general favorite. After eating and playing a few games of cards, we went back inside where we met Ryan Sensenig, one of Mr. Blosser’s good friends from trips past and had a debriefing time where we shared many thoughts and reflections on our trip. We shared ideas we have for things to do when we get home to implement what we’ve learned, and brainstormed ways we can stick together and fight environmental issues as a group. We said goodbye to Mr. Steve Yoder and Rachel, who had to leave, and after a pitiful water-balloon fight, went to bed for a few hours, only to wake up around 5:30 and crawl onto the coach for the ride home. Everything learned and experienced on this trip has benefited every one of us. I believe many of us have been changed in ways not many other people will ever understand, and we hope to carry that over into our everyday lives once we attempt to get back into the swing of things at home. Overall, nothing tops a cross-country trip with friends and teachers who have created a community environment geared towards learning and growing in our thought-processes and relationships.
After a quick breakfast at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mt. Lake, Minnesota, we hit the road once again and headed off to Baraboo, Wisconsin. While on the coach, we read from and discussed some of Aldo Leopold’s writings in his book, A Sand County Almanac. Once we arrived in Baraboo, we visited the Aldo Leopold Foundation, and the Leopold shack and farm. At the Foundation, our tour guides showed us around and spoke to us about the Foundation’s efforts to keep their buildings sustainable. They have an extensive solar power setup, and a geothermal heating system. Most of the wood they used in the building was from the local forest planted by Aldo Leopold
We then drove a couple miles down the road to the shack where the Leopolds spent time together as a family enjoying nature. This is the shack where Aldo Leopold made many of the observations for his book, A Sand County Almanac, which he wrote there as well. After walking through the shack and exploring the surrounding area, we hiked into the forest, where we sat for a while, reading excerpts from his book. Our guide challenged us to think about ways we can live sustainably in our own lives.
When we reached our campground at Mirror Lake State Park, we set up our tents, and then had some free time before supper. Some of us went to splash around in the lake, and others played a game of Ultimate Frisbee. After supper had been cleaned up and put away, we gathered around the campfire to end the day with singing and reflection before retiring to our tents.
The previous blog entries posted by students were written in response to reflection questions about climate change. In many places during the trip, we have touched on the theme of climate change and how it is affecting different communities. In Davis, California, we heard from a community member who talked about how the local fruit trees have been affected by the warmer winters. In Glacier National Park, Ranger Rick told us about the extent of melting of glaciers throughout the park. The student essays you will find under the climate section of the blog discuss the various dimensions of this issue. Individually, the students wrote essays about their individual responsibility regarding climate change. In groups the students tackled the following questions:
1.Why do you think there are such divergent beliefs as to the reality of climate change?
2. Why do you think you would need to do/know to resolve this dilemma and figure out who is right about climate change?
3. What is the potential cost if humanity does not do anything significant about is CO2 emissions? What is the potential cost if humanity takes large steps in the near future to combat climate change?
4. What is the responsibility of churches to help combat climate change? Why?
5. What is the responsibility of the government to combating climate change?
6. What is the responsibility of businesses to combat climate change
Diverse views on Climate Change
Why do you think there are such divergent beliefs as to the reality of climate change?
I am of the opinion that [global warming] is one of the greatest hoaxes ever perpetrated on the American people.
Bill Gray, hurricane expert.
"We are discharging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere faster than nature can absorb them, setting the stage for a rise in the earth’s temperature well above any since agriculture began."
Plan B 2.0, Lester R. Brown
The phrase “climate change” inspires a diverse and divisive host of views, due in part to the complexity of global ecology, in part to the politicized nature of the discussion, and in part to differing views on caring for the environment.
So many natural processes make up the global climate that some have found claims about humanity’s influence on it absurd. Skeptics point to natural cooling and heating cycles of the earth, the Little Ice Age etc., and argue that blaming human activity when so many other factors exist is lunacy. Inconsistencies with theories of climate change also lend credence to the arguments of skeptics. The sea level is actually dropping around certain islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 1940, at the start of energy intensive WWII, global temperatures actually leveled off and began to fall for 35 years, seemingly contradicting theories of global climate change.
Within the United States, discussions on climate change nearly always occur between party lines. “This issue forces Americans to sort through a great deal of science, technology, and economics, all of it saturated in divisive politics,” says Joel Achenbach of the Washington Post (The Tempest). Stereotypically, if one is a conservative Republican, climate change is not in fact happening, or if it is, humans have no responsibility, for the liberal Democrat, the opposite must hold true. In the midst of heated political debate, it is hard for people to sort solid science from political maneuvering.
Even when some consensus on climate change exists, great varieties of opinion emerge based on the differing perceptions of the place of humanity within nature. “Wilderness is the least natural part of this planet,” stated Fred Smith, head of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a think tank for global warming skepticism. As a part of nature, he argues that human beings are completely natural and that everything we therefore do is equally so. Skeptics argue further that more CO2 is actually a good thing. Plants need CO2, and with more of it growing seasons will be longer, everybody wins.
Nels Akerson and Nathan Hershberger
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