Development, tourism, and conservation: A conversation with my host father

Margot and her host father

  This week, I sat down with my host father in the Galápagos, Luis, to get his perspective on the issues facing the islands. Luis was born in San Cristóbal about fifty years ago and has lived here his entire life. Based on what I have observed and learned so far, I was most interested in exploring his attitudes toward

Read more

The Consumer Choice of Guilt

At times, environmentalists scrutinize themselves to the point of burdensome guilt.  We were standing in the middle of EcoEgo, a store in Copenhagen, huddled between hemp long sleeves and Maggie’s organic socks. The Green LLC packed into this eco-preneur’s shop in an attempt to identify an environmental place within consumer culture. We listened to the owner passionately describe the high

Read more

Getting Around: Alternative Transportation in Copenhagen

Map of Copenhagen

As I’ve gotten more settled in over the past few weeks, I’ve learned a lot about various alternative transportation systems in Copenhagen. The city is divided into zones, with zones 1, 2, and 3 encompassing the main parts of Copenhagen and higher numbers representing regions further from the center. The zones are the basis for most of the public transportation

Read more

What I got wrong about Ecuadorian environmental attitudes

Galapagos sea lion

  I came to Ecuador eager to explore the country’s relationship to extraction and conservation. So far, what I have found is far from what I expected. Over the past seven weeks, I have come to appreciate the nuances of Ecuadorian environmental attitudes in two very distinct locations: Quito and San Cristóbal, Galápagos. I suppose it was hubris that led

Read more

First Impressions of Seville

People eat at small tables in front of a pink and yellow building

Last semester, when I told people that I would be spending the spring in Sevilla, everyone, from make-up artists at Sephora to old family friends, responded exclusively in superlatives. Before I set foot in Spain, I was prepared to find myself in a city with the best festivals, flamenco, architecture, and Spanish tortilla. A city full of uniquely open and

Read more
1 8 9 10 11 12 32