Haven of Society

Joseph Badnell

The Environment as a Haven of Society

My participant’s name is Alex, she is an 18 year woman and a student at the University of Central Florida and we are good friends and technically neighbors as she lives a floor below me.

“This picture was taken at Pozuelo Beach in my mom’s hometown—Guayama, Puerto Rico. It felt really special coming to see this place, as this beach is where my mom and her cousins would play when they were younger. In the aftermath of the several severe hurricanes the past couple years brought, many areas around the island were devastated. My mom expressed to me her hesitation to return, as it had been eleven years since visiting Guayama. It was definitely a shock of emotions for her to come back after so long and to see so many familiar places in shambles. Pozuelo Beach was one of the few places left perfectly intact–just how she remembered it. It was really awesome for my dad and I to see her light up walking down the beach when she had been so distraught before. I think that this truly emphasizes the importance of preserving these environments, as they can provide hope to suffering communities that areas can recover. Pozuelo was a special place that brought my mom enjoyment and memories from childhood to adulthood. I think nature’s capability to do this is very special and should be protected.”

The anecdote of Alex’s mother is a significant contribution of  her feeling of the environment. In a moment of significant emotional distress seeing her ruined childhood town she is relieved of the serenity of the beach. Alex follows this by stating her desire for the protection of nature. Governmental protection of nature is an aspect of environmental justice- “environmental justice describes a focus on the fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens.” The reasoning behind this is that in modern times, the environment is in total threat of being taken over and destroyed, however, Alex’s mother’s relief when walking on her childhood beach is a strong reason for it’s protection.

“This picture was taken at the koi pond in the [Burnett] Honors College garden. Ever since I was shown the pond during my tour of the college, it has always been one of my favorite places to sit down and relax. I love listening to the soft sounds of the mini waterfalls and watching the brightly colored koi fish swim around. On the days I have classes in the area, I always stop by for a moment to enjoy this space and de-stress. I am grateful that UCF preserves and upkeeps many greenspaces, such as the garden and koi pond, where I can take a pause in my busy days and enjoy nature. The way UCF incorporates natural elements is one of my favorite things about its campus.”

Alex is quite explicit in her opinion on the environment. She above all thinks of nature as peaceful and relaxing. It’s quite ironic that Alex’s most serene part of UCF is in the Honors College- something entirely known for its rigorous and stressed students. It’s the University which is to blame for the stress of these students. Alex is sharing this idea where in order to heal from negative feelings she uses nature as a means of healing.

“This picture was taken at the pier in St. Simons Island, Georgia the day before I left for college. It was kind of emotional walking around the pier area one last time, as it’s a place I came to often with family and friends for my entire life. My community has continued to work hard to protect our coastal environment, as it’s what gives the island its beauty. I share this sentiment that coastal environments should be protected. Although tourism is the largest contributor to St. Simons’ economy, it is the largest detriment to the beautiful coast. This has led me to resent the tourists that come to St. Simons for football games. Not too far from where his picture was taken, there is a portion of the beach that is designated as “frat beach.” It’s often covered in trash which harms the local ecosystems and is frankly disgusting. It’s really upsetting to see a place that has been so important to me and many others who grew up on the island be trashed.”

Although sad, this reveals the most of Alex’s views on the environment- as a victim of society. Where nature is a symbol of total peace, joy, and hope, society’s consistent abuse upon it creates an unhealthy dichotomy between man’s civilization and the peaceful environment. This is why Alex believes the protection of the environment is important- to resist man’s abuse. “A significant factor in creation of effective environmental segregation is the fact that low-income communities lack economic ability to resist introduction of dangerous technologies.” It is unfortunate, however, that some communities cannot even stop themselves from abusing nature. It is only continuous attempts to better the environment that it may one day wholly heal from civilization’s scars- and it is Alex’s belief that that the beauty and serenity of the environment may be protected by society from society one day.

Cespedes, Katrina. “Environmental Justice.” Webcourses, webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/1435309/modules/items/17430831.