ENVS 220: Environmental Analysis -Fall 2018, Lewis and Clark College
Overview
Environmental Analysis, as a course, has thus far presented itself as an opportunity to gain further skills in researching through the creation and utilization of frameworks surrounding data collection and interpretation. Being only my second course that specializes in Environmental Studies and Sciences, I have been able to accumulate a wide range of resources to apply to my interdisciplinary work. Through conducting field work, data interpretation, web research, and more, I have been able to start grasping the methodologies behind analyzing and re-synthesizing our environment through different means and spatial lenses.
In order to carry out such situated research, however, has required the implementation of an approach referred to as 'the hourglass' method (see right), or as I refer to it, "Through The Looking Glass."
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
'The Looking Glass' through interpretive art
Angeles Crest State Forest, California
Photo taken by: Molly Orchid
*All Rights Reserved. My own design and tattoo.
Tryon Creek State Park, Portland, Oregon
Photo taken by: Molly Orchid
Background; Framing Question; Thesis Statement
Situated Context; Key Actors/Processes
Focus Question; Methodology
Analysis And Results
(Empirical Research)
Comparison and Generalization
Implications Regarding Framing Question
Next Steps and/or Further Research aka What Now?
Wix Imaging
One of the most important pieces to learning methodologies in analyzing and synthesizing has been through the execution of weekly labs. Through a more practical, hands-on approach, we can apply learned research skills to real-life environmental issues. This gives us opportunity to not only conduct research, but organize proper findings in the form of lab reports. See here for a full list of conducted labs.
​
​
Labs One Through Five: The Anthropocene- The first five labs involved collecting and comparing temporal and land cover data in parts of Southwest Portland to note changes in such and come up with hypotheses to explain Anthropogenic changes.
Lab One: Land Use in Southwest Portland- Here I collect temporal and humidity readings from a land cover site in a suburban neighborhood of Southwest Portland in order to begin hypothesizing possible changes due to urbanization.
​
Lab Two: Cover Change in Southwest Portland- In order to build on my hypothesis from Lab One, I returned to my land cover site to collect data on land cover use, revisiting the amount of manipulation to the area and its natural vegetation.
​
Lab Three: Cover Change Mapping- Using temporal and humidity readings from a land cover site (collected in Labs One and Two) , I then compared the data to that of eleven other sites in the area (three more in the suburban neighborhood, four on the Lewis and Clark College campus, and four in Riverview Natural Area) to find a correlation of increased variational climate in areas of increased urbanization.
​
Lab Four: ArcGIS Analysis of Globe Data- Visualization!! This lab presents my visual depiction of collected data in comparative forms on a map though the use of ArcGIS. I then also compared satellite images over a span of eighty years (1939-current), showing changes in land cover as development of the area has progressed.
​
Lab Five: Story Mapping- Finally, I compiled
the data that has accrued over the previous
four labs, in combination with information
gathered during a panel of five community
members/experts, to create a story map, a
visual guide through the study of urbanization
in the immediate area, as well as the larger
implications.
Labs Six Through Nine: The Capitalocene- These next four labs involve researching and compiling various data that reflects income, wealth, and capitalism in correlation with environmental degradation. These labs are a great reference in beginning to gather an understanding of different levels of wealth and their influence on production and/or 'consumption' of pollution, thus supporting (or not) the theory of the Capitalocene.
Lab Six: Exploring the Capitalocene- Here sums the launching effort in beginning to create a hypothesis regarding the environmental health of regions in correlation with income/wealth. I do this through a comparing of the Environmental Performance Index rating and its factors, vs income group.
​
Lab Seven: Income and Environmental Influence- After finding that environmental wellness seemed to be performing better in areas of higher wealth, it occurred that emissions/accessibility may tell a different story. Using data from the World Bank Repository, I compared and visually mapped said data to find patterns in regions of development, or lack thereof.
​
Lab Eight: Capitalocenic Inferential Statistics- In continuing to approach the Capitalocene and its validity as an entailment of the current era from different perspectives, I compared surveys, retrieved by World Values Surveys, from four countries of different income groups to compare responses in the valuing of economic growth versus environmental health.
​
Lab Nine: PDX EJ-the Capitalocene via GIS- To conclude my research of the Capitalocene and bring it full circle, working from global data to local (opposite of my research into the Anthropocene), I created a visual mapping to compare the presence/intensity of various toxins emitted from suburban wood burning in Portland with the populations living in those areas.
Bar graph of survey responses in relation in personal values. See Lab Eight for more information.
Map made via ArcGIS. See Lab Nine for more information.
Labs Ten Through Twelve: The Narcocene- In beginning to research other global variables of environmental impacts, we have constructed the concept of a new era, called The Narcocene, for further exploration. These labs present research on the impacts and negative externalities produced through the process of illicit drug production, trade, and consumption on environmental degradation and biodiversity. In order to approach the validity of this concept, we focus our research on Mexico to approach the global issues in a more situated context.
Lab Ten: Annotated Bibliography for Research of The Narcocene- This lab presents resources that may be helpful in understanding how illicit drug production, trade, and consumption have presented externalities on environmental degradation and biodiversity globally, as well as in Mexico specifically. In order to approach the validity of this concept, we have collected an array of resources that approach and research this industry to serve as a launching point for further contextual research.
​
Lab Eleven: Narcocene Developments- More Than Just An Idea?- In working off of the previously collected sources (see above), narrowing down a frame of question and beginning to find those key actors/actions is necessary in conducting situated research. Through the creation of a ANTmap, I am able to decipher these from secondary actors and create guiding questions that lead to a highly influential industry in Mexico.
​
Lab Twelve: What The Drugs! Tree Loss in Mexico- In my final lab conducted through this course and semester, I now begin to wrap up the construction of my situated research and prepare to present it to the Environmental Studies Program at Lewis and Clark College. In doing so, I continue to update my summation of 'The Narcocene' and create ArcGIS maps to convey data being cross-referenced
Accompanying a variety of completed readings, research tasks, and labs, I have followed up with reflections regarding important information intake. While this class provides new topics and learning opportunities at every meeting, certain topics have stood out. From studying emerging environmental issues globally, to analyzing land cover shifts due to urbanization, through data collection and a panel of community members and campus experts, new forms of analysis and research have been provided. This additional intake is then organized through syntheses. See here for a list of these reflections conveyed thus far.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
After exploring The Anthropocene and The Capitalocene as theories of explanation for the ways in which we, as people, have negatively influenced environmental factors, I have found myself drawn to the exploration of another source of influence within our society, something that I reference to as 'The Narcocene.' This concept analyzes the impacts and negative externalities produced through the process of illicit drug production, trade, and consumption on environmental degradation and biodiversity. In order to approach the validity of this concept, we focus our research on Mexico to approach the global issue in a more situated context. The illicit drug industry has displayed itself as a threat to biodiversity, a contributor of forest loss, and a producer of pollutants. But how does this occur, and at what scale? See here for current research.
​
​
​
​
​
Reflection One- The first piece reflects on my exposure to a yearly writing published by the United Nations Environment Program highlighting emerging issues worldwide. This was a great, but rather shocking way to grasp a global perspective of issues we are experiencing due to our own advancements (or lack thereof).
Reflection Two- The second experience that I felt I should reflect on from this course, due to its immense impact on my definition of environmental analysis, was a panel of five individuals well-versed in the history and shifts in the local area, that I was able to attend and be a part of (also mentioned in Lab Five). This not only appealed to my interest of knowing the history of the places I live, but it gave light as to the physical change in land cover due to urbanization that has occurred, and how it is actively affecting natural growth.
​
Reflection Three- Every year, the Lewis and Clark College Environmental Symposium portrays an experience of crossing boundaries around the world to draw connections, correlations, and relationships. This year, Darryl Davis came out to speak on the concept of this through his own experiences of infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan.
​
Reflection Four- Through the use of global samples, the validity of Environmental Justice as an equitable goal is analyzed in Lab Nine. An unfortunate theory formulated, however, suggests that we do not enact this idea world-wide, or even within the United States.
“Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of
all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect
to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental
laws, regulations, and policies” (EPA, 2018)
​
Reflection Five- After weeks of focusing my research on the Capitalocene and it's validity, I have come to find the labyrinth of data and relationships surrounding this to be more interwoven than previously hypothesized. In reaching conclusions regarding my original hypotheses of The Anthropocene and The Capitalocene as theories of the current era, I have emerged, ready to find a new approach to the ever-growing web of questions and ideas.
​
Reflection Six- In preparing to present my situated research of 'The Narcocene,' I still find myself riveted by the immense amount of data I have found through research. Constructing the correct way to execute such detailed research involves many constraints and arduous decisions.
​
​
​
Photo of poster created to present posed situated research
The final main component of this journey in
exploring environmental analysis is the formation
of my concentration. This entails a formulated set
of questions based on inquisitions of my personal
interests, guiding a further understanding towards
future exploration, and perhaps formation, of a
thesis. My concentration is on the Inequitable
Valuation of Point Source Pollution, and while this
is just being formed as a frame of question/
research in ENVS 220, it will continue to be my
focus through the next two years of studies, and
perhaps a launching point for further research in
Environmental Law.
