Sustaining Our Future

"Tree-hugger!" A term that is often met with disdain and resentment. For years in the United States the environment was simple seen as a toolbox for human development. Not much attention was given to preservation or conservation of land or natural resources. As a matter of fact, most people had little regard for the natural world. Industrialization and expansion were much more important. However, as the human world began leaving a bigger footprint on the natural world it became obvious that "mother earth" was suffering.

The first president to notice was Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s. The "rough rider" took early steps towards conservation by creating national parks and starting to regulate industry, although laws had little environmental impact initially. Most of the rest of the years from 1908 to 1960 in the United States was spent worrying about World Wars, economic disaster, the Cold War, and economic expansion. However, in 1962 at the heart of the Civil Rights Movement, Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring, which chronicled the effects of the pesticide DDT on the environment. This book, many argue, started the modern environmental movement. By 1970 Richard Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and it appeared the United States had developed an environmental consciousness. However, economic problems in the 1970s pushed the environment into the background and many to this day believe that environmental protection has economic consequences and will not take the risk of harming the economy. How true is this? Hard to say.

In recent years there has been an environmental revival, now called the Green Movement. More Americans are buying products that are considered eco-friendly and corporations are beginning to market "green" products to meet buyer demand. Although the environmental impact of the Green Movement is hard to measure at this point, it appears that it is here to stay. Even in Walworth County, events like EcoFair 360 have attracted area businesses and patrons. America's environmental conciousness appears to be at a tipping point. Green products and building techniques are becoming commonplace and standardized. It is entirely possible that the Green Movement could even lead to economic growth as the industry becomes more widespread.

Personally, in the past I never had much of an environmental conciousness. Did not even cross my mind for the most part. The reality is that there are only so many things that we can use on the planet and it is the only home we have. I encourage you to become educated about the issue as it impacts us all.

"Live in the is, not in the was."

I am often asked why I teach and why I decided to teach Social Studies...well the answer is easy. Initially in college my goal was to get into business and hopefully make a lot of money but taking business classes never made me happy. During my first year of college and in high school I always loved my history and geography classes plus I had a great experience running a youth basketball camp in high school for my senior project so for one reason or another I felt a "calling" to teaching. And to go along with that I do feel strongly that the things I teach and what we learn about the world is very significant, but others do not always see it that way.
A challenge I frequently get from students when teaching geography and history is "Why is this important?!?". Well my response to that is understanding the world is now more important than ever. With advances in technology the entire world is more interconnected than ever before. Other countries around the world are emerging as direct competitors to all students and workers alike in the United States (and that will not change):

Shift Happens Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q

Read this Article: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2056610,00.html

So as everyone in the world becomes closer, more connected, and more countries produce large and educated work forces, it is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that the United States prepares and takes on the challenge. In no way shape or form am I promoting an us-against-the-world mentality but changes in the world order must be acknowledged. It will require effort and understanding by everyone and a great first step is becoming familiar with the rest of the world. In order to figure out where the world is going we need to undertand what has happened and what the world is currently like. No longer is living in the past of unchallenged American dominance acceptable. The new global society needs to be embraced and Americans need to understand the world around them to survive. My favorite radio show host, Colin Cowherd, always says "Live in the is, not in the was". And I cannot think of a better way to sum up this blog entry. Welcome to Global Studies and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.