Everything is still in the early drafting stage so please bare with me as I continue to add and write out my thoughts :)
My parents did not obtain a bachelors degree, but I did.
I come from a family that has not pursued a STEM degree at a four-year institution. I am the first in my family to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. Being a first-generation student came with its challenges. I needed mentors to guide me to figure out how to navigate the new lifestyle I was embarking on. The problem wasn't that there weren't any resources, in fact, there were many great ones; I was shy and too scared to reach out and utilize their help. There was one program that got me out of that nervousness and prepared me for a work-life balance that isn't necessarily taught to us in our courses--TRIO Student Support Services STEM-HS (TRIO). TRIO was what gave the courage to explore courses of interest and made me feel comfortable enough to learn about strategies to tackle financial and mental health issues one experiences as a college student. My parents taught me how to be professional and cordial, but I had to develop my knowledge about the natural world at school. It was hard for me to grasp scientific concepts all throughout my K-12 education, but everyone around me argued otherwise. Even though it seemed that I was able to distinguish between the three kinds of plate tectonic boundaries or that plants are also eukaryotic but have a different cell structure than animals do, I didn't know these things until taking similar courses as an undergrad. It's almost embarrassing confessing this because everyone around me told me I was smart, but I didn't feel that way at that time. Now, I've come to realize that I suffered (and still do) from imposter syndrome and I was punishing myself for simply having a non-linear trajectory of learning and retaining information.
Graduate School Acceptance.
So, fast-forward to now. I applied to a bunch of graduate programs and received an offer from UC Davis' Ecology Ph.D. program to conduct research with Dr. Dietmar Kültz, a physiological genomics professor.
Imposter Syndrome.
Going back to talking about imposter syndrome, I feel the need to include this site I found that does a great job at explaining what it is and how to cope with it: https://www.ascb.org/careers/frauds-managing-imposter-syndrome-grad-school/. Looking back at my time at CSUMB, I recognize how qualified I really am. I beat myself up not knowing others felt the same way and that it is OKAY to take the time to focus on your needs. I managed to graduate in four years at the cost of studying over the summer and winter terms, but I understand that this is not always the best option for people. Remember that you are doing what you do for you, no one else should dictate what you do with your life and how you choose to go about it. However, feeling like an imposter alone is not a good reason to quit or delay your studies if that's the only difficulty in you're experiencing. Again, it is your choice at the end of the day, but the feeling that you aren't good enough is a mental battle you must overcome with yourself with the help of others. Changing your mindset takes dedication and time, even well-established professionals experience imposter syndrome, but they didn't let it stop them from becoming what they are now.
Coping with stress.
Being first-gen does affect the way we experience stress and how we cope with it. Stress prevents us from establishing independence and autonomy. Unfortunately, college doesn't prepare you well for managing stress because normally, stress is directly associated with being a student.
STILL IN PROGRESS....
Coping. How do you cope?
Self-care is not a one-size-fits-all practice, it is unique to you. Self-care is an effort to partake in activities to combat stress. Types of self-care include:
physical
emotional
personal
social
spiritual
professional
environmental
financial
Getting help even when you think you're fine.
Access to resources is one thing, but not taking advantage of them is another.
food security
mental health
academic and professional workshops
Climate change -- or rather, rapid climate change -- is no stranger to us. It has affected us, confused us, and has greatly altered our ecosystems. One of the challenges we face as we try to understand how to provide and enact climate solutions, is how we communicate about it. The science is there, and we have seen countless social media posts and banners displaying headline messages of environmental catastrophes, but we fail to make this information accessible across vulnerable communities in particular. The purpose of this post is to address the key terms used to describe climate change & climate justice, review a proposed framework to communicate science, and emphasize the reality that those who contribute least to the problem are the ones being impacted the most.
So, what are the key terms we should all know about?
Weather - The state of the atmosphere (temperature and precipitation) at a place and time; refers to short-term changes in the atmosphere
Climate - Average atmospheric change in a particular place over a long period of time (this is often understood to mean 30 years or more)
Rapid climate change - An accelerated change over time in climate patterns compared to historical patterns
Regular CO2 - The carbon dioxide that animals breathe out and plants use for photosynthesis; it's a healthy and natural part of life processes
Rampant CO2 - Excess carbon dioxide coming from burning fossil fuels for energy that builds up in the atmosphere and in the ocean; more CO2 than can be consumed naturally
Fossil fuels - Carbon sources such as coal, oil, & gas; here is a link explaining in depth what they are and where they come from
Greenhouse gases - Water vapor, Carbon dioxide, Methane, Ozone, Nitrous oxide, and Chlorofluorocarbons [1].
Global Warming - The long-term increase in heat (between 1850 and 1900) due to human activities; not the same as climate change [2].
Climate justice - Understanding that certain groups are disproportionately impacted by climate change and that it's a civil rights issue; race — even more than class — is the number one indicator for the placement of toxic facilities in this country hit by climate change [3].
Climate policy - Having a climate-driven agenda that aims to put policies in place for mitigating climate change and climate-social inequities across different sectors [4].
Vulnerable communities - Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) including Hispanic/Latinx, low-income communities, pregnant women, immigrant groups, children, people with disabilities, and other minorities affected by climate change and poor access to medical care [5].
Environmental racism - A form of institutional racism targeting communities of color through racial discrimination in environmental policy-making; minority groups or vulnerable communities disproportionately being placed near refineries and other power plants regardless of health risk [6].
In my Climate Justice & Communication class at CSUMB, we addressed the following three questions: Why talk about climate? How do we talk about climate? and When should we talk about climate? There are 6 steps, also known as the Strategic Framing for Climate Communication, proposed by NNOCCI to communicate climate science.
The first is to strike up a conversation by finding common ground. This depends on where you are when having the conversation. For example, if you are at an aquarium or zoo, it is likely that you will find someone who likes the same animal or exhibit and so you talk to them about it. If you are preparing a presentation for a class or meeting, you can start with a question or story that people can relate to. It doesn't necessarily have to be about an animal or climate change, as long as you capture the audience and strike the conversation.
The second step is to connect to a bigger picture. After engaging the audience or starting the conversation with someone, now is the opportunity to bring context to the issue or the animal. For example, if you brought up how otters are cute if you were at the aquarium (from the first step), you would explain how they forage for food and that they rely on their active lifestyle to generate heat for themselves because they don't have blubber.
The third step is to put people in the story. What does this mean exactly? It refers to giving a sense of responsibility to people so that they feel involved. There are two forms of values we can use to do this: Protection (‘x’ matters because we have a duty to protect the things we care about and the ecosystems we rely upon) and Responsible Management (‘x’ matters because taking steps to responsibly manage ecosystems today is in the interest of future generations).
The fourth step is to transition into the issue -- the issue being climate change. Saying something like "The ocean is an amazing source of life, but it has undergone many changes such as ocean acidification (a change in the ocean's chemistry). This process makes it harder for animals like clams and mussels to build the shells they need to survive, which ultimately serve as food for otters. Luckily, there are people in the community working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels."
The fifth step is to connect the dots. This is where you define fossil fuels and how they contribute to excess CO2 in the atmosphere. You can do this by using at least one of the 4 research-based explanatory metaphors: osteoporosis of the sea (ocean acidification), heat-trapping blanket (buildup of CO2), regular and rampant CO2 (see key terms at the top), and climate's heart (excess heat disrupts the process of the ocean regulating heat and moisture cycles). Each are used to explain the different mechanisms of climate change in the environment.
And finally, the sixth step is to make a conservation ask. If you are able to get this far into the conversation, it is now the time to suggest community-level solutions! The whole purpose of this is to engage people so that they feel encouraged to take part in solving rapid climate change and feeling a part of a community with similar goals. You can say "Now that we know ocean acidification disrupts marine food chains, we can take steps to solve the problem by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels." Then provide examples such as clean transportation, buying from local vendors and markets, eating less meat, etc.
The purpose of these steps is to use them as a guideline to improve your own climate communication. Through this, you will be able to inspire others with little or some knowledge about climate change to gain a more informed insight into the problem, why we should care, and what we can do.
In regards to the social aspect of climate change, the sad reality is that the most impacted ones are those who least contribute to the problem. Recognizing the sources of environmental injustices can assist in coming up with strategic and sustained solutions. Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion should be at the forefront of our policies just as much as climate issues. It is important to create spaces for everyone to feel included to combat the detrimental effects of the fossil fuel industry and to prioritize federal recruitment of social and environmental measures.
We can start at the individual level to make global change by doing these things:
Let's continue to educate ourselves! Aside from searching the web for reliable sources, you can check out this list of 10 common myths of climate change and the truths to debunk them.
Talk with others about the problem and use the framework as a guide to come up with solutions!
Join a movement or organization with values that align with yours and projects that aim to dismantle environmental racism.
Talk with local politicians about issues that matter most to you and encourage them to tell you their climate agendas.
Sign petitions and get others to join you and the movement.
Vote! Read this article to learn more about "Why Voting Is Important".
References:
[1] NASA. (n.d.). Meet the greenhouse gases! NASA. Retrieved from https://climatekids.nasa.gov/greenhouse-cards/
[2] NASA. (2022, September 26). Overview: Weather, Global Warming and climate change. NASA. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/global-warming-vs-climate-change/
[3] Environmental & Climate justice. NAACP. (2022, September 13). Retrieved from https://naacp.org/know-issues/environmental-climate-justice
[4] Newell, R. G. (2021, March 3). Federal climate policy 101: Reducing emissions. Resources for the Future. Retrieved from https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/federal-climate-policy-101/
[5] McGill, N. (2016, November 1). Vulnerable populations at risk from effects of climate change: Public health working to find solutions. The Nation's Health. Retrieved from https://www.thenationshealth.org/content/46/9/1.1
[6] Environmental Justice & Environmental racism. Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://greenaction.org/what-is-environmental-justice/
Scroll below through the imbedded webpage where my blog post was published. Many thanks to Regeneración for the support and opportunity!