At the beginning of the course, my thoughts regarding human ecology were largely based in my scientific background. Humans have unique needs and a unique evolutionary skill set that allows them to tailor their natural environment specifically to their needs. Other species have adaptive means of manipulating their environment to be more hospitable. However, no other species has the ability to manipulate the environment on a planetary level, at the scale of human activity. On the topic of evolution, different species make adaptations over time. Those adaptations that benefit the species allow that lineage to continue. Those adaptations that prevent the species from remaining competitive cease to continue. Thus our complex millennia of evolution is really just trial and error. Human history is also rooted in trial and error. We have made adaptations a plenty throughout time. Our newest adaptation however, the ability to use fossil fuels and burn them for energy is turning out to be a harmful adaptation that may end up killing us (admittedly a worst possible scenario). The future of human ecology depends on our ability to adapt from our adaptation and continue to evolve.

As per my project, the topic of the design of human communities is always something that has interested me. I appreciated beginning with the reading on the War’i people. Their cultural value associated with space, place, and distance represents a completely different understanding of these concepts from those of traditional Western values. I have always been interested in how these perspectives of space, place, and distance change over time. I also found the readings that focused on environmental justice to be particularly interesting. This remains an important topic of discussion as these atrocities are continuing without any action taken to change the cause. I would imagine that I will stay interested and continue learning and staying up to date with these topics.

Throughout the class, I was interested in topics I knew little about. For instance, the connection between nature and gender. As we explored this topic through the various readings, I didn’t find the arguments convincing enough. The same could be said for those arguments about advocating for a movement towards small-scale subsistence farming as the ultimate sustainable lifestyle. I was intrigued by this argument since I had never considered it but found it less intriguing after reading through the literature and finding the arguments not based in claims I would accept.

I found the Environmental Action Plan the most interesting aspect of the course. The readings of this course certainly opened me up to a wider diversity of perspectives around the anthropological understanding of sustainability. I was able to implement some of these qualitative measures of a sustainable lifestyle into my personal goals of living a more sustainable life. I have a better appreciation for research that goes into the social impact our decisions make, specifically in determining the sustainability of an action (development). This kind of thinking is just as important as the environmental and economic impacts of development. A greater understanding of these impacts by the general public and those making decisions around development would lead to better quality developments for everyone.