Daily Reflection diary

This theory or approach primarily helps us understand the environment through the lens of social, economic, and, most importantly, political factors. It proposes that not all environmental change happens naturally; politics also shapes the environment by framing policies, deciding the distribution of resources, and controlling it.  Example: Waste: Political factors—rules of the state on the production of waste.                            Economics: Production of industrial waste with a capitalist motive.                            Social: Daily production of waste in households due to consumption.  Politics includes different power dynamics, which get to decide who owns what, what resources they get, and how much they should consume. In countries like Bhutan, resources like water for fieldwork are often distributed unequally; either a pers...

  Different genders, ethnicities, classes, and age groups are affected differently by climate change. Climate Change and Gender: Climate change, including temperature rises and shifting weather patterns, can lead to water shortages. Women are usually in charge of fetching water or watering gardens. If the issue of water shortages continues, it will be difficult for women to search for another water source and travel a long way to fetch water, while some men might be indulging in their usual work routine. However, to clear gender bias, some men play a more significant role and have more responsibilities than women during water shortages. Women are considered weaker than men; therefore, men have to travel a long way in search of a water source, while women are responsible for cooking and looking after children. Men have to bear the risks of wildlife intervention in their journey or other climate calamities.  Climate change and culture : Water shortages cause various problems fo...

 Firstly, we reflected on the talk held about climate change and migration that we attended. We discussed the social factors that led to migration, mainly the movement of people from rural areas to urban areas, such as economic factors, job opportunities, and market accessibility. Then we discussed our main lesson, climate change and migration: Climate change involves not only physical movement but also spiritual and cultural displacement.  Settlements are affected by climate change, such as a rise in sea level, untimely rainfall, and changing weather patterns. Climate change harms humans by displacing settlements and causing people to resettle. The community holds a particular culture that is also displaced in between. Communities are connected to nature in such a way that they consider it as important as family; they perform rituals and connect with nature through beliefs and ongoing practices. When they have to migrate due to climate change, these cultures are lost.  E...

The article highlights the need to recognize women as agents of change and to consider their role in shaping specific political policies and environmental management as equally important as that of men. Other variables such as age, religion, class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation interact to shape the links between gender and the environment since both genders are not homogenous.  Gender in the context of the environment: Swedish Society for Nature Conservation:   Gender analysis of environmental work should cover: 1} Formal and Informal Constraints: Norms of how individuals act towards the environment. Formal rules: Laws and regulations Such as the right to ownership of land and jobs. Informal rules: Ideas on the capabilities of gender. Such as the plowing of land done by men and fetching water or kitchen gardening done by women. 2} Division of labor: Division of roles and responsibilities.  3} Access to and control over resources: Different gender, different ...

  Time and stone: People determine time through viewing the shadows of stone. (Shadows are displayed according to the movement of the sun.).  Forest (abode of deity): Environmental protection strategy. The timing of the harvest is determined by seasonal changes . Different plants and the sounds of different birds signaled the planting and harvesting of crops.  Medicinal herbs: Tested and experimented with by elders for a longer period.  1. Picorrhiza Kurroa (Puti-shing)  This medicinal herb is properly used by the Bhutanese to heal a sore throat, fever, or jaundice. 2. Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) { Khempa shing } Often soaked in water to take a hot bath to heal physical pain or scars.  3. Cordyceps Used as medicine and sold to generate income for the family/country. 4. Hot stone bath Aligns with the importance of stone as a useful entity for medical purposes. A traditional therapy to treat joint pains, stomach problems, hypertension, etc., by burning rive...

 Climate change can be simply defined as a rise in temperature. While science may argue that it is caused by an increase in population and develop quantifiable methods to address the issues, TEK may view it through its cosmological idioms, incorporating cultural and spiritual perspectives. There is a growing movement to recognize and incorporate TEK into climate discourse. Doing so not only respects the rights and knowledge of indigenous peoples but also enhances the global response to climate change.  Environmental policies need not be adopted merely based on different Western cultures but must also integrate TEK and certain aspects of Western science to foster more collaborative and innovative solutions to the complex challenges posed by climate change, benefiting both the environment and human communities globally.  CLIMATE JUSTICE  It highlights the necessity for equitable approaches to address the effects of climate change, making sure that communities do not fa...

TEK: Refers to age-old knowledge of the indigenous communities related to ecology, which is not borrowed from anywhere but originally existed.  Indigenous Epistemologies (Theory of Knowledge): Two categories: Inductive: Specific observations to general conclusions          Deductive: Starts with a general principle and applies it to specific cases to reach                                                   conclusions. Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Bhutan: Local Indigenous way of healing { སྨོན་བཅོས་རིམ་འགྲོ }: It involves a profound connection to nature, the use of herbal plants and natural resources, and rituals passed down through generations that are holistic, focusing on restoring balance and harmony between spirit, body, and the environment. Indigenous communities are often criticized by forei...

 Buddhism emphasizes environmental responsibilities through its basic principles:   Non-harming : compassion, generosity, and Buddhist ethics. { དགེ་བ་བཅུ } { ཕར་ཕྱིན་དྲག } Example: Buddhist cultures in Thailand and Japan promote sustainable living through practices like respecting sacred trees through tree ordination.                                                          Fig. 1: Tree ordination practiced in Thailand Principle of giving : Buddhism teaches compassion for all beings, reflecting animal protection practices. Festivals sometimes include releasing animals to symbolize freedom and compassion, saving their lives from consumption (Semchen Tsethar tshogpa). Sacred Spaces and Architecture: Buddhist temples and sacred sites are often considered valuable and mostly respected. Making it a place to promote mindfulness...

Anthro- human, Pocene- Era/age The article mainly challenges the idea that the Anthropocene is an entirely new approach. He argues that while human impact on the planet is undeniable, framing it as an entirely new idea ignores historical and long-term environmental changes caused by human societies. It is believed that civilizations have been shaping landscapes for centuries, from agriculture to industrialization. Himalayan Buddhism as human geological agency:  Humans are not the sole force shaping the environment; there are other "prime drivers" at work, which are agencies: lakes, mountains, deities, etc. It emphasizes that humans are drivers of change alongside these natural processes. The Case of Dangling Tsho in Khaling: - Peripheral lakes are dominated by Dangling; the deities of lakes are often in conflict, causing chaos and shifts in lakes. Here, there is no human action. Therefore, humans are not always the reason behind environmental crises. 

 To understand: What is culture? It often encompasses the shared beliefs, norms, identities, values, and behaviors of a group of people who share a common way of living.  Relationship between environment and culture: The environment and culture are entangled. While the environment shapes cultural practices and ways of life, human societies can also influence the environment through development and cultural landscapes. Belief Systems and Spirituality:  Environmental factors can influence religious beliefs, myths, and spiritual practices. F or example, cultures in regions with strong storms might perform rituals to the local deities related to weather patterns.  Cultural codes (rules or behaviors that guide our behavior):      Culture  develops spiritual or religious norms based on nature. For example, in Buddhist culture, natural  features like mountains, rivers, or forests are seen as sacred; the culture fosters norms of respect and even ...