As I am writing this fourth and final blog, I am sitting in Indiana, and left reflecting and reminiscing on the past month in paradise. But more than that I am left pondering the future of conservation, sustainability, and the inevitability of the planet. Throughout the course, we touched on biodiversity, agriculture, ecotourism, and eventually climate change. All these topics are complex and require in-depth conversation, especially as we search for solutions for the future.
However, the hunt for plausible solutions is extremely difficult, and that is one aspect we learned about during our final week in Costa Rica. One activity we completed in search of international cooperation was a UN debate where we were placed into groups and researched various countries across the globe. My group and I represented Bhutan, a small country of 750,000 individuals sandwiched between China and India that is known because it is a carbon-negative country and sequesters more carbon than it produces. The Bhutan energy grid is a completely renewable form of energy, but Bhutan is already facing the effects of climate change due to its proximity to the Himalayan Mountains. The Himalayan Mountains are a sensitive spot for the effects of climate change because the rising temperatures are melting the snow and causing glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF), in countries such as Bhutan. In 1994, the GLOF Lugge Tsho burst and damaged homes and closed a major road which isolated the civilians of Bhutan from necessary resources. This was one occurrence, and these will become more common since there are 2,674 glacial lakes in Bhutan which could melt as global temperature rises (Bhutan Watch, 2022). Learning this information is extremely eye-opening because climate catastrophes are hurting countries, like Bhutan and Costa Rica, that have contributed very little to the problem.
Due to this nature, we need to work on solutions now. And it is extremely important to have global collaboration and to pool resources for an issue that knows no borders.
But, as we learned from our UN Debate and then the US Senate Debate, this is very strenuous especially when money and self-interest are involved. The US Senate debate highlighted the barriers within American politics, stemming from science denialism and a dependency on fossil fuels. Even within a committee labeled the “US Senate Committee for Energy and Natural Resources”, science denialism and American perceived superiority prevented solutions from formulating. It is difficult to continue being hopeful when acknowledging the systemic barriers in the US government for any sort of large-scale action, particularly climate-related.
However, now reflecting on the trip I still have optimism, but I also realize that change must come from all levels for something as drastic as the climate crisis. We can’t rely solely on the US Government or systemic change to happen fast enough. Individual and collective action are vital in this fight for our planet.
But this is not as unattainable as it seems, because climate change is an issue that brings all different specializations of people together. You can see this on our trip, as we have people from different backgrounds and subject expertise. There were those who were more focused on the natural sciences, and then those more specialized in the social sciences. But we all came together to discuss the implications of climate change and to work together towards a collective goal. The importance of collaboration within the environmental field is something that I focused on as the Communication and Marketing Intern with Sustain IU, but this trip reinforced this trend in a real-world scenario. You can see how representation from every discipline and a variety of viewpoints can make stronger and more cohesive results.
A collection of ideas can also be viewed with our research projects. Throughout the course, we worked in groups of two to conduct a research project. I worked with Dylan Surkein to investigate how the edge effect is altering behavior between the sexes of Costa Rican primates. Our findings showed that the presence of humans would cause female capuchin monkeys and male spider and howler monkeys to adopt more vigilance behaviors. These behavioral differences could cause reproductive dissimilarity if one sex is more defensive or vigilant in the wake of humans. We took our project from a behavioral science lens, but a wide variety of different disciplines were highlighted through our research projects. Not only that each project was developed and very professional given the time constraints of our time in Costa Rica. It was amazing to see the fascinating work that my peers completed and once again it showed to me the scope of environmental change. Every discipline and specialty is needed for this fight, and even the small group from Indiana University is an essential component.
Realizing the importance of the collective is also important as I prepare for my junior year at Indiana University. This coming year I will be joining the Executive Branch of IU Student Government as a Sustainability co-director and want to prioritize partnerships across the university and throughout the hundreds of disciplines available. It will create more feasible collective solutions which is what we need moving into the future. Especially as the students of IU demand clear and official plans for the university.
Although this drive for collective action is just in student government, it can also be found in municipalities and at the state level. These are both locations where change seems to be more frequent and fundamental within a larger system. As I shift back into my life in Indiana I will be working on the Senatorial campaign for my father, Dr. Ron Itnyre. He is a college biology teacher who running for Indiana State Senate for District 27, not because he wants to be a politician, but because he is tired of nothing being accomplished within Indiana education, climate action, and other issues. However, unlike other individuals who will just move away if there is a problem, my dad is standing up and uses his voice for others. It is not going to be easy, but that is once again why we need collective action. Because even in situations of individual strength, they are upheld by a collective group of people who believe in their cause. So, I will volunteer my time for my dad and a cause that I believe in because now the planet depends on it. I can’t believe it required time abroad to understand the scope of collective action, but there was something about stepping away from the situation that ignites a fire in me. I feel a spark of renewed hope seeing work by my peers and from people all around the world who traveled to Costa Rica just to participate in a global cause.
I’ll still promote individual action, and I will shorten the lengths of my showers after visiting Costa Rica, but now I realize the true significance of cumulative endeavors. We are not going to fix systemic issues or massive obstacles alone, but together we can combine efforts and help our world.
Works Cited:
Adhikari, P. (2021, January 10). Bhutan and Climate Change. Bhutan Watch. Retrieved June 21, 2022, from http://www.bhutanwatch.org/climate-change-impact-in-bhutan/
Zajdel, A. (2022, June 20). Ron Itnyre for Indiana State Senate. Itnyre for Indiana. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://itnyreforindiana.com/
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