What Colloquium Meant to Me

I made meaning out of Colloquium by really immersing myself in the content and trying to absorb as much information about the environment as possible.  I did this because there was something inside of me that felt as though I needed to tell everyone I knew about the information I was learning in class.  My husband, my family, friends and coworkers--anyone who'd listen really.  It made me feel kind of crazy actually; everytime I left class I had learned something new that I had never thought of before....and if I've never thought of it, how many of my family and friends have?  I felt the need to share the information, to educate people on peak oil, climate change, and dwindling fish populations; to tell them about renewable resources and to talk about our dependence on oil; to discuss conservation and tips for reducing our ecological footprint.  These things always weighed on me when I left class, and I realize why. I can no longer feign ignorance; someone has educated me, made me see things I've never seen before.  Someone has taken me to see the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and let me experience Florida's beautiful environment firsthand, something I've never had the opportunity to do before. I can no longer walk around with my blinders on; if I did, I would be living a complete lie, knowing the information that I do.  Now that we've been educated, we have a responsibility to educate others and lead the movement for change.  To stand up and take responsibility for our environment and for our behaviors.  I know it is easier said than done, but with many of us graduating soon into varying disciplines, we can all have a different impact on different populations of people.  I personally will be working in the health field, which will expose me to so many opportunities to educate the public on health diets, organic foods, and other issues.  I will be in a position to advise people and educate them.  We should all use this opportunity to our advantage.