Constituting the Future

As I was preparing for class I was thinking about how to check in with students to determine whether they really understood the difference between the "constitutive" and "pragmatic" functions of Environmental Communication...

As a form of fun reinforcement and to see whether students really got it and remembered, I decided to Google images of "dystopia" and "utopia."  Since constitutive applications of EC "invite us to view the world this way rather than that way" (Cox, Environmental Communication and the Public Sphere; p. 21), I reasoned that a comparison of such invitations might be in order.  I decided to compare visions of the future to see what I could see...

These images from the "Sacred Text Archive" offer a great comparison of contrasting consitutive visions of the future. 

< Dystopic Invitation   The dystopian vision conjures a burning city spewing smoke.  Toxic green waters lap the barren and apparently charred lake or sea shore.  Nothing grows on the mountain in the distance.  No life is evident at all, except through the indirect indicators of fire from smokestacks and the buildings themselves.

Utopic Invitation > Blue skies, green hills, azure water.  Life as it should be, right?  The invitation to see future life as an apparently successful balance of natural and human reassures us of a possible future rich with robust natural and human business.

The invitation to see one way or the other might offer a pragmatic invitation as well.  Maybe we prefer one version to the other.  If so, maybe we're willing to work for it.  Maybe?

Remember seven generations from now...

"In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation."
- Great Law of the Iroquois.

Preserving nature is vital on all levels from a few acres to a national park. In my opinion, it is part of human obligation to save natural resources for the future generations to come. Think of the Seventh Generation concept, which implies that our actions to the planet affect our children, their children and many more. I am to do my part, and once participated in a town campaign for East Boston Camps -- a property of 285 acres incorporating brooks, wetlands, forest and a summer camp in Westford, Massachusetts.

Late summer into mid-autumn is a radiant time in Westford. The apples deepen into scarlet in September, and soon the leaves will be a pallet of gold through brown. Seasonal changes are the greatest thing about living in such a climate.

I spent nineteen years wondering through East Boston Camps. I witnessed maple leaves transform from celadon in the spring to a deep green in the summer, felt moss on my bare feet, took in the magnificent sight of purple loosestrife mixed with swamp rose, and noticed animal tracks in the January snow. I considered it my spiritual haven, and wanted it saved from eventual housing developments.

East Boston Camps was purchased by Westford in March 2005 after an unanimous vote. It is accessible to all town residents, and protects the forest, water quality and wildlife of the area. By 2007, I was able to participate in meetings and was the youngest individual there. However, my say and that of others was acknowledged. We noted our desire to keep the property the way it always was -- virginal and beautiful. It was a victory for the town residents to preserve land for decades; our contribution to the seventh generation.

We should all do our part for the seventh generation.

East Boston Camps.
Seven generation sustainability.

A bit about myself

Hi there! My name is Matt Bruno and I am a pretty chill guy who likes to be outside. This is my second year here and my major is Adventure Education. One of my favorite hobbies is hiking. I took a year off between highschool and college so that I could hike the Appalachian Trail. I made it 850 miles but then had to get off due to a stress fracture. Right now my most recent hobbies have been Unicycling and Slacklining. Some of you have probably seen me practicing one of the two around campus. I am looking forward to another great semester! Toodles.

“We're so busy watching out for what's just ahead of us that we don't take time to enjoy where we are.” -Calvin and Hobbes

A Peak into my Shoes

Hi I'm Laura. This is my second year at Unity College and I love it. I came here from a small town in Central/ Upstate NY. Their's not really to much to do there exect fish which is always fun. I grew up taking horse back riding lessons and eventually started teaching it. I even went and showed at the Appolosa Youth World Show in Oklahoma. Besides horses, I took dance lessons, ran XC and rode 4 wheelers and dirtbikes around in the mud. I would come home a gross mess.
What brought me here to Unity was my love for animals. Ever since I started riding horses I knew someday my career path would lead to an animal related field. I'm currently majoring in Captive Wildlife Care and Edu but I still have no clue what I actually want to do.
Over the summer I interned at a local zoo near my house. I worked in the education department which was a blast. I went out on zoomobiles, helped organize and run day camps,gave daily animal presentations and clean animal enclosers. My favorite animal to work with was the Opossum. He was adorable. The Virgina Opossum is the only marsupial found in the United States.
Well that's a little about me and what I like to do. I would consider myself a pretty simple and easy going person. I get along with pretty much everyone.



http://www.uticazoo.org

About Tim Carey

Hi my name is Tim Carey and I am a sophomore here at Unity College. I am from a small town outside of Manchester New Hampshire called Hooksett. I have always loved the outdoors and anything that will get me outside in the woods. Some of my favorite hobbies include fly-fishing, hiking, camping, and snowboarding. I am also scuba certified and love to get under water whenever I can get my hands on some equipment. I am a Conservation Law major here at Unity College with a minor in Landscaping Horticulture. When I heard how Unity College has many outdoor classes and lets you bring up bows and guns I was very interested in coming here. After I graduate I hope to work for Fish and Game as a conservation officer or start working for a tree company in my home town. Well that’s me thanks!

Howdy

Hey, my name is Danielle Cote and I'm a sophomore majoring in Wildlife Care and Education. I'm from Massachusetts and I never originally planned leaving state for college. I went to a college fair at a school nearby and didn't like any of the booths I saw until I saw Unity's. It had a picture of a girl holding a bear cub and the guy mentioned snowmobiling so I was instantly captivated by that. Being at this school gives me plenty of opportunities to enjoy some of my favorite things like swimming outdoors in the summer and ice skating in the winter, which is one of the reasons why I love it here so much. So far I'm really enjoying being here at Unity and I hope that continues.