Blog 1

Why are you in this course?  What do you think of “green values”?  What connections can you think of between green values and food?  Which “green value” did you most and least agree with?  What surprised you the most about the readings?

I am taking this course because as a Political Science major I obviously need to take Political Science courses to fulfill my major requirement but this class seemed like it could be one of the rare few that I both need to take and would also enjoy taking. I'm an Environmental Studies minor and have a real interest in "green" topics, especially those involving where and how the food we eat is grown. You see the words "natural", "local", and "organic" printed all sorts of products lately, and it would be nice to have an understanding of what those words actually meant.

In regards to green values and food, one connection I thought of was the concept of producing goods on a smaller scale and how production of food with more local control could help to make food safer for the consumer. It would allow someone to be more aware of where their food came from and the processes it went through to make it to their kitchen. 

I thought that it was interesting to see that the "green values" did not strictly focus on environmental pursuits but also politics, social hierarchy, the economy, and science and technology. The value I agreed with least was that hierarchies are unnatural, undesirable, and avoidable. However undesirable anyone may think they are I believe they are unavoidable. Social hierarchies are naturally occurring and almost impossible to be completely rid of in any society. I most agreed with the idea that indiscriminate economic growth is bad. Everything has it limits, including and especially the earth. Economic growth can't go on forever in the same way that it has been without having some negative effect on the planet and those inhabiting it.

What surprised me most about the readings was how in depth of an ideology being 'green' really is. There is actually a lot more to the concept of green values than I had initially thought. Before,  I imagined only a few industries being involved and it not effecting as many aspects of life as it does. Instead it permeates throughout government politics, economics, technology and science.