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Caleb Behn's Fractured Land

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Sustainability is complex, and there are many different ways that we can promote sustainability in our lives. Through the exploration of how activists choose to promote sustainability in their lives we can learn about the importance of empowerment and storytelling. “Fractured Land” documents the life of Caleb Behn, an indigenous environmental activist who studies law in an effort to combat the unsustainable effects of fracking. Growing up, Caleb saw the effects of fracking through his culture. The fierce environmental activists in his community, one being his father, taught him of the injustices committed against the indigenous people by the fracking industry. Fracking is taking place on indigenous land polluting their sacred environment, …show more content…

2017, January, 12). I was inspired Caleb through the way he uses his personal experiences as an indigenous person to help him fight for justice. As an activist I also use my story to create change. Through presentations to LGBTQA+ youth I speak about how I learned to accept my sexuality and let them know that they are not alone. Seeing how Caleb channeled his passion for activism into the study of law challenged me to think about how activism will be incorporated into my future. When Caleb was asked about the difference between renewable energy and extractions from an indigenous perspective I was expecting a supportive response due to the deep value indigenous culture has for the earth, however I was surprised with Caleb's reaction. He explained how the situation was difficult because many renewable companies greenwash products to make them seem more sustainable than they actually are, and how wind power companies have also wronged the indigenous community in land disputes. This reminded me of the video “The Story of Stuff” where we learned about how big companies used …show more content…

With over 5000 types of plastics, Heather explains that the problem is very complex. As plastic ends up in marine ecosystems it begins to pollute and has massive monetary effects. Marine litter costs Europeans billions annually though cleanup projects, damage to vessels, and fish catches. Heather also mentioned the harmful amounts of microbeads, which Megan Leslie banned in Canada, in the oceans that are harming small ocean ecosystems. She explained that the effects of marine litter on the economy and ecosystems are extensive, however she noted that there is one place that we haven't check for the harmful effects of plastic. People! Plastics are made with harmful toxic chemicals and it only makes sense that people would be as negatively affected by plastic as our ecosystems and economies are. When asked if parents should be worried about the plastic toys parents buy their children Heather explained how when children put plastic toys in their mouths they are potentially being exposed to toxic flame retardants. Heather explained that our economy is linear, which means it destructively uses finite resources and creates waste. Heather believes that we must create circular economies that feed into each other which would allow us to reuse our resources and recycle our waste (Leslie, H. 2017, February, 2). The idea of a circular economy relates back to the “Green Economics” where

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