Student interview for Place-Based WAC/WID writing instruction in Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, clip 9 of 15

Abstract

Brief excerpt from interview: My relationship with Hawaiʻi has changed because knowing more about how I consume energy and everything that I do to consume energy has definitely changed me. And coming from an island, being isolated, and knowing how expensive energy is and why has really changed my habits. I went around the house and unplugged all the phantom power . . . we put switches on our extension cords and tvs . . . we unplugged all of our phone chargers during the day--those little things . . . we have cut our electricity bill by more than half . . . Before I took any sustainability classes, I was very excited . . . very progressive . . . but halfway through the semester I found myself bummed out . . . learning more about climate change in detail, learning about energy consumption and fossil fuels, and trying to communicate the things I was learning in school to my friends and family . . . if I cannot communicate these things to the people around me, how is the rest of the world going to understand . . . I was demotivated . . . But I came back up and I am excited about the classes Iʻm taking: Global Environmental Issues, Global Environmental Change . . . Aquatic Pollution . . . Public Policy Survey Analysis . . . and Climate Change . . . To see the professors motivated to share the information helps.