I enjoyed the introduction of fictional sources and perspectives presented by the readings for this week. For one, I always find mid to late 1900s science fiction stories entertaining, as often these stories are filled with futuristic sounding technology, but only that which could be imagined within the context of the real life technology of […]
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I thought a lot about the quote included in Pollution is Colonialism from activist-geographer Laura Pulido stating that “Land is thoroughly saturated with racism. There are at least two primary land processes to consider: appropriation and access”. The more I reflected on this, the more it rang true, and the more historical examples came to
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the processes that led to the creation of the Boston we know today. The land under our feet and the sewage systems that we utilize on a daily basis are typically taken for granted. The Main Drainage Works source we read from 1888, describes both the early sewer structure and
Reflection on Boston’s early sewage Infrastructure. Read More »
There could not be a bigger difference in organizational style than there is between the hyper structured nature of the New York Department of Sanitation and the decentralized form of Pedal People. The DSNY was described as “pseudo-military”, featuring an extensive hierarchical network of different supervisors and authority figures. On the other hand, Pedal People
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An interesting piece in the readings on care and repair for me this week was access to the knowledge and skills required to repair items. Many of the mending and repair skills discussed in the readings are completely lost to time. Even a skill like sewing is becoming less and less commonly practiced. This only
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I was very intrigued by the freegan approach to environmentalism. Prior to this reading, I had not encountered this school of thought before, yet it makes sense. More mainstream veganism still relies on the capitalist logic of exploitation and domination that Freegans seek to escape. However, is it even possible to exist completely outside the
For me, the most interesting pieces of the readings on shit that we covered this past week revolved around the role that shit played in colonial practices and racial discrimination. One of the examples that stuck with me was from the paper, Excrementalisms: revaluing what we have only ever known as waste, by Daniel Gerling.
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The readings for this week have made me reflect a lot on the lens through which I view so called “waste” and the societal forces that shape these impressions that I have. One of the main things that has stuck with me from the readings on ‘hoarding’ was how loosely defined it was, while also
Where is the Line Drawn? Read More »