I really enjoyed the semester- really- but it was also illuminating. I can't see myself spending my life slogging through obtuse environmental statutes (that seem to miss the point half the time) and dealing with the fact that for most people, money is more important. I'm too much of a tree hugger. I really have more interest in how day-to-day people can make a difference; how I can, as an individual live my life to make less of an impact. (I have a long way to go). I struggle with the idea of working for some industrial company and helping them either a) find loopholes to skirt their air permits or b) spend my time finding ways for a company to decrease their emissions/recycle their products, only to have those suggestions shelved because they're inconvenient or cost money.
I want to stress that the program I enrolled in in NO WAY promoted these things-but they illustrated quite clearly that these were the challenges that I would have to deal with. This program, actually, I thought was quite progressive as it stressed the idea of pollution prevention and looking at the "big picture"- instead of simply trying to meet the regulations, let's try to improve them and not just shift pollution from one state (air, water, land) to another.
In the long run I can't see a solution. I can't see how we can continue to live in a modern world without destroying the planet. And I can't see myself being happy beating my head against a wall.
I still plan to do what I can as an individual, reduce my impact and educate my family and friends on what they can do to make a difference. I still plan to support those damn tree huggers financially. But I came to a conclusion as an undergrad that I was not an immoral person for choosing not to go into medicine-for not doing something amazing- and I have to allow myself to come to that conclusion again.
So what do I do now?
I guess we'll see.
