In the Spring 2023 semester, I saw an article on both CNN and the Washington Post bringing attention to the Biden Administration's official approval of the Willow Project. The Willow Project is meant to drill over 500 million barrels of oil from the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Environmental activist groups continuously try to stop and prevent the project from happening due to its environmental impacts, which largely include immense habitat destruction, pollution of local waterways and release of greenhouse gasses during the drilling and distribution process. Something that stood out to me the most in a CNN article was the discussion of how the project has the potential to release 9.2 million tons of carbon in a year. Also in the Spring 2023 semester, we discussed carbon's impacts in the atmosphere, particularly how carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for thousands of years, which is exponentially longer than methane and water vapor, making carbon the most dangerous greenhouse gas. Therefore, when reading about the Willow Project, I almost started panicking knowing that if all that carbon ends up being released into the atmosphere, there is no going back, it will be there for thousands of years, causing our planet's suffocation to worsen, along with the other impacts of climate change we discussed in SGC, such as ocean acidification, increased natural disasters, infrastructure collapse, famine and drought. Without SGC, I would not have the deeper understanding of how bad the project is for our planet and the environmental tipping points we are fastly approaching.
As discussed in my portfolio, my dream job is wildlife conservation and studying wildlife biology, specifically aquatic biology. Therefore, a topic that we explored in colloquium that grabbed my attention the most was the exploration of ocean acidification. As more carbon is added to the atmosphere, more carbon is absorbed into the ocean, causing the pH to lower. The increasing acidity in the ocean causes brittle shells, coral bleaching, changes in organismal behavior, and other issues. Knowing that aquatic ecosystems are at risk, and that it will only get worse with time and increased carbon emissions makes me more passionate about my major. I have the ability to go out and make a difference and attempt to help the struggling marine ecosystems through research and advocacy. Land wildlife will also be impacted through drought, rising sea levels, glaciers melting, habitat destruction and famine, so going into wildlife conservation is especially important in helping organisms survive a changing environment that, as SGC has made blatantly obvious, we have caused and will continue to worsen.
First off, in BSCI160: Principles of Ecology & Evolution, we discussed how populations evolve, not individuals. Overtime, environmental shifts, behavioral changes, obstacles, and food availability allow for populations to evolve in order to best fit their surroundings. However, there was a high emphasis on how this process takes an extremely long time; it cannot happen in an instant. The climate is changing much faster than organisms are able to adapt, meaning that species are at higher risk of extinction as their habitats shift and they are no longer able to thrive and reproduce. Building off of this, in BSCI207: Organismal Biology, one of my favorite topics covered was how organisms maintain heat, or release heat in varying environments. For example, elephants are large animals, meaning they produce a lot of heat, so they have an increased surface area with their many wrinkles and large ears so the heat flow out of their body is higher. However, I have concerns for animals that live in colder climates. Many organisms, such as seals, have thick layers of blubber, along with smoother, less wrinkly skin to decrease surface area and increase insulation, allowing for the flow of heat out of their body to decrease. However, as mentioned previously, organisms cannot adapt quickly, and as cold temperatures rise, these organisms that were designed to maintain heat in cold environments will be maintaining heat in warmer environments, which is dangerous for bodily functions, and which could lead to species decline, or potentially extinction.
Something in particular that I enjoyed this semester was the in class discussions and projects we had with other students during colloquium. Being able to engage with other students during class time was much more engaging, and honestly fun, than sitting and learning information through lecture. There were many people I was able to meet and have conversations with that I did not know in previous semesters. My favorite activity was when we were assigned nations with geological parameters and a budget, and had to use the provided information to navigate renewable energy sources and trade among other countries. Students, including myself, really got into it, we all had a great time; it was definitely one of the more memorable moments of the semester. With that being said, being able to speak and 'trade' with other students helped my understanding of how energy sources and establishment works in different countries around the world, especially for countries who have many limitations, and the complications surrounding world events and climate change, which is important for generating world wide solutions to a changing environment. On a more personal level, I have made some great friends in colloquium. Seeing them every Monday (or Tuesday) makes me excited to come to class, which I cannot say for all of my classes. Excitement equals motivation and willingness to pay attention. The family like atmosphere of the colloquium maintained by both the professors and classmates is something I will always remember. It welcomes an open learning environment; I have never been afraid to ask or answer a question pertaining to lecture or discussions, which makes me feel more included in the learning process and engaged with the material.
I would like to think I have actively contributed to the advertisement and encouragement that takes place in Scholars as a whole. In the Spring of 2023, I acted as a Scholars Ambassador. Last minute, I had to do a virtual student panel and discuss my experiences as a scholar. One of the people on the call I attended high school with; they reached out to me after the panel to ask more questions, such as advice on classes, which dining halls were the best, how to make friends and what professors are worth the trouble. Although the student did not go into SGC, they were excited to come to Cambridge Community. Furthermore, I am a peer mentor for the current freshman class. I have continuously reached out to my mentees to check in, offer advice, and see how their scholars' experience is going. Being a freshman is scary, and I remember thinking that having someone to ask questions about anything college related was helpful and relieving. I only hope that my mentees feel the same way about me. I can proudly say that as a peer mentor, I was able to attend two service day field trips, one as a freshman and one as a mentor. Seeing the tradition passed down is a great feeling, and one that I know incoming scholars will remember. I hope that continuing into next semester, I can demonstrate to my mentees that SGC is a warm community, and one that is worth sticking with. They should savor their time in colloquium.
For the most part, SGC has not challenged many of my beliefs directly in lecture. I am a firm believer in science and climate change. However, I will point out that in the first semester, we had to read The Demon Haunted World by Carl Sagan, where he discussed crystals and how they are almost a mockery of science. As someone who has struggled in my personal life, and turned to crystals for relaxation and meditation, it was difficult and disappointing to hear. I think that SGC has promoted this rock solid belief that science is always superior, and people should always look to science for answers, but I don't think that is necessarily true. Religion, crystals, stories, and more, are what make humanity unique and so beautiful. They define our cultures, our belief systems, and I think this course, along with the material we had to read, lacked acknowledging the beauty of it. The world will never be a place that is surrounded only by science, so I think we need to embrace the fact that humanity is a conscious being. Just because someone may believe in crystals does not mean they are a denier of science, or do not appreciate what science has done to advance society. Even after taking the class, and learning about misconceptions and pseudoscience, I still believe that culture is crucial to human existence.