Suzanne Kaltenbach

November 16, 2016

Honors 100
Prompt: What connections did you see between the interdisciplinary nature of this Global Challenges discussion and a
global challenge you seek to address? What interdisciplinary approaches might you take to make that issue real and
personal for you?

Global Challenges Reflection

I found the Global Challenges discussion very engaging due to the fact that it was more
of an open discussion rather than a typical panel. I enjoyed hearing three people of different
backgrounds discuss dominant issues together, offering their own insight. There were two
specific topics addressed at Global Challenges that interested me, including the responsibility
negation by big corporations and the role GMOs will take in our future. The speakers agreed
that those most responsible for damage to the environment tend to negate making up for their
wrongs. Big corporations are responsible for a lot of carbon emission into the atmosphere,
however, they dont experience consequences. In capitalism, the money is the focus, not the
planet. As for the discussion regarding GMOs, Im interested in how beneficial they really are
for our society. I have reason to believe that GMO crops, wheat specifically, are harmful, and
that we should search for better ways to provide enough food for the ever-growing population.
I have often wondered why big corporations that cause pollution on such a large scale
are not held to be more responsible for their harms. Recently, in Washington State, Initiative
735, which would have caused polluters to pay for their emissions, was denied. It seems that
many people are not taking climate change as seriously as they should be. It is the life of our
planet, and our future generations on the line. As someone who voted yes on I-735, I realize
from the initiatives denial, that there are many people who do not seem to think that
corporations should face consequences for the harm theyre causing to the environment. One of
the speakers at Global Challenges, Hanson Hosein, stated we dont have a problem with be
over protective about terrorism, but yet we are hesitant to take a stand about climate change.
His statement is thought provoking. Climate change must be treated like the serious danger and
threat that it is.
The use of GMOs is something that personally concerns me, because as someone with
food allergies, I think its vital the purest forms of food are provided to people. We must work
together to develop, safe and effective ways to produce enough food, without modifications.
The panelists briefly addressed GMOs, sharing their uncertainty with its success and benefits. I
have a high interest in BioEngineering, and I think that study in this area could lead to research
about GMOs and development of more efficient ways of producing crops.
It may seem like as one person, I cannot make an impact on such large global issues,
however, even singular actions send a message to the masses. If I talk to others about the
importance of corporations being held accountable for their carbon emissions, this will fuel a
bigger conversation, and hopefully lead others to see that climate change is not a joke. The only
way to overcome the global challenges that we are currently facing is to come together as a
democracy, and agree on what needs to be changed to better this world.