My Newfound Love

       

When I was in high school, I loathed science. I took physics, chemistry, and biology; but none of them really inspired me. None of these classes grabbed my attention. Science was very tedious for me in my  first three years of high school. The classes weren't difficult either; they seemed uninteresting. To excel in these courses, all I ever did was memorize formulas and definitions.  By doing this, I never got a sense of what science was really about. I thought these classes were very unnecessary and just a waste of my time. Being just a high school student, I would always say to myself what's the point of learning about our planet? Or will I ever use this knowledge? However, after taking Environmental Science my senior year, my attitude towards science completely changed. Our first assignment in the class was to read a book called “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold.

         Reading this book changed my perspective, and developed my appreciation for science. The book encouraged me to appreciate and respect the Earth. The book greatly emphasized the beauty of the seasons; thus explaining how each season could bring such a warm feeling into our hearts. Moreover, in one of the chapters he discussed land ethics. Leopold suggested that by building a relationship with the wild, people will show more respect to the land, and treat it with care and admiration. By now, my appreciation for the Earth had grown. As the course progressed, I was always very eager to learn more and more about our planet. Now, I realized that science is far beyond just knowing formulas and definitions, but its about learning to see how are planet operates, and how we impact our planet by our actions. We must see our planet as what it really is - "a marvelous paradise".

         Now with my newfound love, I want to show people where our planet stands today, and instill in them admiration and respect. I want to show people the reality of our actions. Their activities are what are causing our “marvelous paradise” to become an unhealthy habitat. By showing them a glimpse of where our world is heading to, hopefully people would reflect upon their actions and value our Mother Earth. If you would like to share your thoughts or have any questions please feel free to make any comments. You can also email me at cordero6@uic.edu.