Class reflection( environmental sociology)

 

  Buddhist Cosmology and Nature In Buddhist cosmology, the universe is filled with many types of sentient beings (beings that experience feelings), not just humans. 🌟 Types of Beings in the Universe:  • Humans – like us, capable of wisdom and spiritual growth.  • Animals – part of the cycle of life, also sentient.  • Gods (Devas) – live in heavenly realms but still part of the cycle of rebirth.  • Ghosts (Pretas) – beings suffering from past karma, often invisible.  • Hell beings – those suffering in painful realms due to bad karma.  • Other realms – include demigods and heavenly beings. 👉 Humans are not rulers, just one type among many. All life is connected and goes through samsara (the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth). 🌿 Nature in Buddhist View  • Mountains, rivers, forests are often seen as alive or sacred.  • Nature is respected and sometimes even worshipped.  • The line between sentient (alive) and non-sentient (not alive) is...

FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, CLIMATE VULNERABILITY - Small scale farmers, especially women, are hit hardest by climate events like droughts and floods  -They often lack tools, money and support to adapt to changing weather. -This puts their food and income at serious risks.  NUTRITIONAL INEQUITIES - Big food companies focus on profits, not health. -Processed, low nutrients foods are widely sold, while nutritious options are limited. - Poor communities often face both hunger and poor health despite food being available LOCAL VS. GLOBAL -Indigenous communities are working to protect their food traditions -They grow traditional crops that are better for health and the environment  -This resists global food systems that promotes the saame few crops everywhere.

    From my understanding,                                                                                                                                   CORPORATE CONTROL - Big agribusinesses dominate farming, leaving little space for small farmers. -Women and indigenous communities are especially pushed out or ignored. -This led to loss of local knowledge and unfair farming systems. POLICY BIASES -Government often support large scale farming of single crops(monocultures) -These policies ignore eco- friendly of methods like agroecology. - This weakens sustainable farming and harms the environment. GLOBAL TRADEE IMBALANCES -Many global south countrie...

  From my understanding, TRADITIONAL LNOWLEDGE. - Indigenous communities have long used ecological knowledge to care for land. - Their practices support biodiversity and help adapt to climate changes. - This knowledge is passed down through generation and is valuable for modern environmental solutions. LAND RIGHTS STRUGGLES -Indigenous people often face conflicts over their land. - Big industries, like large scale farming or mining take over their territories. - These pushes out traditional caretakers of the land and harm ecosystem.   SCARED ECOLOGY -Indigenous cultures see nature as scared and spiritually connected to life. - They believe in living in harmony with the environment - This challenge economic systems that focus only on resources extraction and profits.

 >From my understanding FPE looks at how gender, the environment and power are connected. It asks: How do women and men experience environmental issues differently?

  WHAT DOES UPE STUDY? >How nature transform nature and create social and environmental inequality KEY THEMES 1. Urbanization of nature >Cities turn land, water and air into resources for profits EX: Privatized water access in Johannesburg 2. Environmental Justice >Poor and marginalized communities suffer more from pollution and climate risks EX: land contaminated water in Flint, Michigan (U.S) 3. Infrastructure and power > Roads, pipelines, and zoning laws can divide and controls communities EX: U.S. highway projects (e.g. 1-10) displaced black neighborhoods.