16 Weeks of Researching Environmental Self-Help; Here’s What I’ve Gained

Becoming a better writer and patron of the environment

An interesting semester

I never expected to write for a social media audience when I declared my major in environmental science. Now in my third year at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, I decided to take my required writing-intensive course. With the help of professor and essayist Lance Cummings, I have written more than 20 short essays on Twitter and Medium.

In the 16 weeks, I researched and wrote about various topics of environmentalism. Exploring my interests such as climate change, environmental justice, and conservation among others. I then attempted to redistribute this information in at least 200 words. But writing for an online audience was not as simple as I first thought.

Starting Out as a Sorry Storyteller

The first thing that I learned early in the course is that not everyone is passionate about the environment. This introduced the challenge of capturing the attention of the reader. At first I thought this would be impossible in the hyperactive social media world of today. But through subsequent acclimation and learning, I was able to gain more perspective on my work.

In order to get more attention on my writing, I tried to:

• Incorporate narrative
• Gain the trust of the reader
• Create a connection with the reader

In the beginning my writing had little narrative, only information smeared onto a page. I thought I lacked the ability to formulate a story, but realized I rarely talked about myself. I began to incorporate my personal accounts and found more passion in what I was writing. When you do anything with passion, you tend to get good results.

My first real focus on narrative came in an essay about Red-shouldered hawks. Recalling a bike ride through UNCW campus, I amplified minute details to capture the serenity of the moment. Following that essay I maintained my descriptive style, using it to make stories more lifelike.

With my scientific background I did not struggle to find reliable sources. Although this is not the only way to gain a reader’s trust. Building a connection cracks the inexpressive face of social media and makes the writer seem more human.

Expanding an Environmental Mindset

Besides the growth of my writing ability, I have also expanded my environmental knowledge and awareness. I have learned that there is a ‘green’ solution to almost every aspect of human existence.

I wrote about international efforts as parties in the United Nations meet every year to make climate plans. I found a new model of environmental sustainability in the country of Bhutan. Most importantly, I learned how an individual can make a difference against climate change.

I recently wrote about community-based conservation, a subject I am considering pursuing in my future career choice. As an amateur fisherman, I researched and wrote on how to respect local biodiversity when I get my line wet. Additionally, I learned various ways to reduce personal trash production, especially around the holiday season.

As the threat of irreversible climate change looms over the world, finding green solutions is vital. These solutions exist on every scale of human society, from global efforts to personal life changes. However, it is only collectively that the effects of climate change can be reduced.

Appreciation and Collaboration

During two-and-a-half years of studying environmental sciences and processes, this is a message I hear again and again. An emphasis on a unified movement against climate change reappears in most environmental classes. One person can not make a difference in the environment, but the collective action of many can create great changes.

Another message echoing in such courses is that of appreciation. To have respect and value for the area around you. It was these concepts that I had to mold my writing with to make an influence.

As a native to the North Carolina coast my entire life, I have always lived in close connection with nature. Catching fish since I was a boy, enjoying the ocean, and exploring its wetlands. These experiences instilled a high level of gratitude and respect for my surroundings from an early age. With a reason to speak up about the environment, I now strived to attach this feeling with a call for action. To do so, I needed to connect these ideas.

One aspect that connects appreciation and collaboration in environmentalism; communication. sharing your experiences is one of the best ways to raise environmental awareness. Once a majority of a population becomes informed, the importance of communication remains. As initiative to stop rapid climate change grows, potential efforts must be conveyed. A choreographed approach to reduce man-made factors will provide the best results.

In this course, I had to communicate my appreciation to an audience that I couldn’t see. Quickly I learned you can not simply show the data and expect people to care. The data needs to be intertwined with narrative and personal experiences that invoke emotion. However, when it comes to climate change I tried to be careful with what emotions I wanted to project.

Quiet the Alarmists, But Keep the Message

When you read a semester’s worth of articles about how the world is dying, it can be hard to stay calm. Especially when it is at the hands of human activity.

This made it difficult at times to control the passion that I previously desired to find. Trying to relay the urgency of man-made climate change while also trying not to frantically sound the alarm was tough. But it was walking this line that I found my writing to be most informative and inspiring.

The view of an environmentalist is that of optimistic anxiety. We are constantly worried about the fate of the world while looking for new ways to save it. Throughout the semester, I was relieved to learn the countless ways in which we can improve the environment. Most interesting to me, was researching alternatives to plastic as there is currently 400 million tons of plastic waste in the world.

Despite our destructive nature as humans, our innovation provides me some ease, slightly quieting my alarm. Realistically the clock is ticking, and it is still uncertain if new technology will give us enough time to stop climate change.

What is known about our human ability is that we are adaptable. Adapting our technology and means of living is the greatest way to reduce the effects of climate change. Combined with a universal appreciation and effort, climate change could quickly be reversed.