Post #8

Throughout the semester, our class has been fortunate enough to hear the personal insights of many walks of life on various wide-ranging topics, such as technology, the environment, service, etc., all of which circle back to one major theme: we are all connected. Somehow, some way, everything can be applied to a global scale.

Personally, I’m a sucker for all things agriculture or climate change, then put them together, and you’ve created my perfect storm. I’ve presented on sustainable agriculture several times throughout my college career, I’ve written papers on the effects of a vegetarian diet on climate change, etc. So naturally, I was incredibly fascinated by Peter Motavalli’s Feeding the World presentation. I was, however, equally frustrated. Dr. Motavalli highlighted a major problem necessitating our attention: we need to feed 2 billion more mouths by 2050, yet we are ineffectively feeding our current population.

There are several factors that influence food security and dispersal, the main of which are climate change and food waste. We have more than enough food to feed the entire global population, yet food waste and/or inability or unwillingness to properly distribute it leaves almost 1 million hungry people each day. Furthermore, impoverished countries who rely on agriculture feel the effects of droughts and floods every year, yet due to global warming, these weather events are exacerbated, creating a more sensitive farming culture. It’s difficult to effectively outline the presented problem briefly, yet Dr. Motavalli accomplished it with apparent ease.

Another inspiring presentation was by my former professor, Dr. Anne-Marie Foley. Dr. Foley may be one of the most altruistic and self-aware human being I’ve ever met. Her lecture focused on the importance of service globally, without bias or an agenda. I think what sticks out to me the most when listening to Dr. Foley is her incredible ability to acknowledge her own background as an upper-middle class, college-educated, white woman, who is no better than any other person on the planet.

She pointed out that if we are going to complete service, it has to be meaningful. We cannot come in on our trusty steeds, cloaked in suits of armor, ready to help the “white man’s burdens.” Rather, we should volunteer to serve because that’s how you make friends and step out of your ethnocentric bubble. I am no better than you, and you are no better than me; we are both human, and that is all.

In such a hectic world, it is all too easy to be stuck in an ethnocentric bubble, regardless of how good your intentions are. By delving into some of the issues in the South American coastal country of Ecuador, it’s reminded me of just how diverse cultures can be.

In and of itself, Ecuador is phenomenal. It is home to Darwin’s Galapagos Islands and a chunk of the Amazon Rainforest. It is one of the top 10 most biodiverse countries on the planet, yet for its size (about the size of Arizona), it is the most biodiverse country on the planet, and also is home to the most biodiverse place — the Yasuni National Forest.

Beyond its stunning landscape and wildlife, however, exists the indigenous population of Ecuador. The indigenous people of Ecuador make up 10 percent of the population, yet until I researched it, I never even thought of them. The culture of indigenous tribes is vastly different from ours in America, obviously, yet what shocked me most is there are still two Amazonian Ecuador tribes that have not been contacted. Their existence is known, yet their language and culture are not, and may never be, which baffles me.

Furthermore, researching the degradation and deforestation of Ecuador for resources like oil was extremely disheartening, yet finding groups such as my NGO, Ceiba, who focus on maintaining ecosystems and biodiversity in Ecuador restored some faith. A country of Ecuador’s caliber — so rich with culture and habitat — requires special attention for preservation.