Environmental Justice Film Review

In the modern world it is extremely crucial to stay up to date and knowledgeable about current events and current problems. For example, at this particular time it is critically important to know about the newest updates on covid-19. This worldwide pandemic is dropping the world to its knees and we need to know the new regulations regarding it for us citizens. Another important worldwide problem that must be focused on is our environment and the problems that involve it. Even though it is a worldwide problem most people fail to acknowledge the problem and the world continues to develop greater issues.
However, different people are getting more and more creative with the ways that they are bringing the issue of environmental problems to the notice of the public. For example, the movie Avatar is a great example of this. This film depicts issues such as taking natives land and deforestation and allows it to impact the viewers in a way that brings these problems to their attention. For these films to be productive and persuade people to change they must relate to the viewer and the worldwide environmental problems we are facing today and emotionally impact the viewer in a way that they develop a desire to change and I believe that Avatar completes both of these.
First, for a film to positively persuade people to change environmental problems it must relate to the viewer and the worldwide environmental problems that we are facing. Avatar does this in a variety of ways. The film shows a native people that are trying to keep and fight for their land. It depicts a different group of people come in and destroy the natives environment which is easily relatable to deforestation and taking land of the natives. The film also shows the humans that take the land that just want it for themselves so they can mine the precious materials throughout the land. This relates to current environmental issues such as the wealthy overpowering the health and well-being of other minority people.
Second, for a film to positively persuade people to change environmental problems it must emotionally impact the viewer. Avatar does a great job of this by showing the world of the native people and shows the pure beauty of it. This can attach to the emotional side of individuals for a number of ways. One possibility is that it could give them a sense of place and take them back to a happy memory that they could of had when they were younger. It then shows other people destroying the land which could bring about some Eco-Anxiety and make them to want the intruders to stop.  This could touch the emotional side of the viewer by bringing about emotions of loss and tragedy when losing a part of a happy memory that they once had.
In conclusion avatar does a fantastic job of depicting current environmental issues. It shows current issues in a entertaining way that will catch individuals attention but also emotionally impacts the viewer in such a way that they may develop a desire to change the world. As a whole I believe that the fictional movie Avatar does a fantastic job of helping promote environmental justice effectively in our struggling world.

Cancer Alley EJ

When it comes to properly delivering effective and powerful evidences for a topic there are key steps  to make it the best argument possible. One of the key points that is important when developing an argument is to use good evidence that will help support your claims. Another important point is to avoid fallacies and all other biased information. All in all good evidence and valuable testimonials are what constitute a good evidence.
When it comes to the article of cancer alley I believe the author made a very good case of evidence however  also having a very biased point of view. The author made a very good point for several reasons. One reason is because they used many different point of evidence. They used different peoples experiences and testimonials that greatly impacted their points. These points of evidence provide a very good case for the author of the Cancer Alley.
However, on the other side of the spectrum. The Cancer alley article is extremely biased. The information within the studies were done by people who were biased and were misconstrued. The authors also only used testimonials and the evidence from individuals who were already biased and gave information that was greatly against the companies. Overall, the authors of cancer alley had great points of evidence. However, those evidences are greatly biased and not the best arguments.

Solastalgia

For most people in the world there is one place where they can always count on going within their minds eye to escape the woes of the world. Some call it their happy place. Others simply just call it home. For me this happy place is a simple place called "pennies pond." Pennies pond is a place in the hills of Panguitch, Utah where the river meets a dam and forms a small swimming area where local youth can go to enjoy their days. For me as a young man this was where I would go to relieve stress and get away from the stresses of a maturing adolescent. However, as I grew and developed, so did the area of Pennies Pond. 
After recently returning to my happy place of my youth I found that the area was completely changed from what I remembered it to be. Weather had played a factor and blew trees down, the city had come and made changes to he river and the dam so it was less of a pond and the fire area which we had made so many memories at was covered up and no longer accessible. This caused some great pain and resentment within my heart that one might call Solastalgia. According to a philosopher named Glenn Albrecht at the University of Newcastle in Australia, "[Solastalgia] is the pain experienced when there is recognition that the place where one resides and that one loves is under immediate assault. It is manifest in an attack on one’s sense of place, in the erosion of the sense of belonging (identity) to a particular place and a feeling of distress (psychological desolation) about its transformation." (https://qz.com/1423202/a-philosopher-invented-a-word-for-the-psychic-pain-of-climate-change/) 
This sense for longing to be in the past and wanting what you once had is one of the hardest parts of going back "home." Once I returned once and saw the changes that took place and how different my happy place had become I no longer longed to go back to the physical place but rather I now longed to return to a state. A feeling of belonging and love and peace and happiness. Yet it was now gone and I now avoided returning at all costs. Zadie Smith stated in her poem, "Elegy for a Country's Seasons," "What 'used to be' is painful to remember..." "...It’s amazing the side roads you can will yourself down to avoid the four-lane motorway ahead." (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tTkKEkkZmTSBohPnunvmNajCFeh2qP6s/view). 
This longing to avoid the past and the feelings of what used to be is now how I feel about my childhood happy place. Pennies pond is no longer a physical place that brings me joy and happiness but rather an idea of growth and development. An idea of moving on and becoming much more than just a damned river, but rather, an ocean of greatness and accomplishment. I no longer have to be stuck in the pains of the past but can move forward to find the joy in the journey as I jump from one pond of life to another. 

Environmental Justice

I recently read a statement titled, "When Wildlife Wanders Into Your Neighborhood" by Darren Debloois. This blog post discussed a number of different instances that occurred of animals and wildlife wondered into neighborhoods and peoples yards and needed help of the DNR to help get the animals back out to the wildlife. I believe that this post was directed towards the common homeowner. That is because there is a possibility of animals walking into your yard no matter where you live. The author appeals to their audience in a variety of different ways. Pictures, examples and stories are just a few of those ways that he keeps his audience entertained. This blog has helped me with my initial knowledge of environmental justice by helping me see the effects that humans are having on animals and the danger it can cause them.

I also read a number of different resources that helped me to understand what Environmental Justice really is. My initial precepts of Environmental justice has been skewed slightly since reading these resources and I believe that I am now able to understand it with a more clear knowledge. Environmental justice is about social transformation. It is about changing the humans views of the environment as a whole. A very important part of EJ is allowing everyone to have equal rights to their access of natural resources. These possible resources could include but are not limited to healthy clean air or water, adequate and helpful health resources. Affordable and safe living conditions and shelter and a safe place to work and make a living.

Even with many people trying to change the way that EJ is effecting the world today we still have a wide variety of complex issues that are troubling the world. Racism, poverty, sexism, unemployment, mental disabilities and the problems of just being born into the wrong family are just some of the few problems that rattle the world today. How can we fix these problems? EJ is about trying to terminate the privilege that may come from these different god-given sources and trying to find out how to give the best person the best care possible. The United States Government is beginning to recognize and help where needed and that is a crucial aspect to the success of Environmental Justice. 

However, there are a number of things that Environmental Justice can and will do for people and also many things that it cannot or wont do for people. For example, EJ wants everyone to be safe and asks for the universal protection for Nuclear Testing and disposal of toxic wastes from nuclear substances. This will help the human race in many different ways. One, it will keep us safer in times of war and keep the world from blowing up. Also it will keep the air, land, water and food all clean and ready for our use. This is because Environmental Justice believes in the sacredness of Mother Earth and the importance and respect that the earth demands from us humans. Overall, Environmental justice protects all aspects of life. It protects humans from overuse and abuse of our natural resources that will keep us alive. It protects animals from humans killing them off to extinction. And it protects the earth and tries to keep it at its simplest and most pure state.