INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

In the fight against environmental problems, there must be many small battles fought in order to eventually win the war.   Each of these battles must be  undertaken by  individuals of  varying strengths and interests.   Each problem may require a different approach to be resolved.   In environmental  contests it takes sensitivity,  leadership, and cultural awareness.   It takes scientific knowledge,  business acumen,  and political insight.   It takes compassion, concern for human welfare, and understanding. These kinds of traits are not obtainable with only one discipline of study nor can they usually all be found in one individual.  However, this combination of traits can be found in a group of people from different backgrounds motivated by the same general goal.

Take,  for example,  someone who is deeply concerned about humanitarian issues.   He may not be able to see the way to make the hard decisions which are necessary many times to get a task accomplished.  Someone who is able to communicate  effectively with  local residents in a small  village may  not have the  political savvy necessary to effect changes in the government that will be beneficial to these same villagers.  Therefore, it is important that we, as multi-talented individuals, unite in order to take full advantage of our strength as a group.
 
 

      There will always be people more qualified in one area than 
      another.  These specializations should be utilized to their full 
      advantage when confronting a problem.  For example, if one 
      person is  fluent in the  indigenous  language  of a particular 
      area, that person should be used as the primary contact with 
      the locals.  He can translate the messages of the locals to the
      others on the team who,  in turn,  can respond with the know-
      ledge  they  possess  of  specific  topics  or  problems  to be 
      addressed.   By working  together  as an integrated unit,  the 
      group can accomplish much more than by attacking the issue 
      from one side only.


 

   It is also  helpful  if the  group  members  themselves have 
   studied  multiple fields.   If they  cannot ascertain  how to 
   approach  a problem from  one viewpoint,  they can draw 
   on their  knowledge of other  fields to discover a different
   approach. Alternately, they may be able to pinpoint which
   field  of  expertise  is required to  proceed  with  possible 
   solutions.  A wise person is one who  knows when to turn 
   to others for help.


 

The  first  step in  resolving  a  problem  is to obtain as much information  as possible about  the subject.  Here is  where a group of individuals can be much more effective than a single person.   Each person  can contribute  something concrete to the discussion based on his own research of the topic.  Every other person can then judge the merit of each person’s ideas based on his or her own  knowledge of the subject.   In this manner every person can express his ideas, and  the group can expand upon them,  alter them,  or improve  upon them as deemed necessary.


 

   Critical thinking  is most often  associated  with analyzing information to discern what is factual from what is merely someone’s belief.  This type of analysis is necessary in the environmental field. What one person or  group proposes as a solution for an environmental problem is not necessarily the right or only solution.  There may be bias of some type in the proposal.   Therefore,  it is crucial for others to review  the  proposal  and  evaluate  it  for   its  worth  and applicability to the specific situation.


 

   Another  important  aspect of  critical  thinking  is to  question everything. Once you have come to a conclusion, ask why you came to that conclusion.  Was it purely an emotional choice or do  you  have  some  concrete f acts on which  to back  up your theory? Analyze your motives and evaluate the situation again. Repeat  any experiments  which you may have conducted to be sure  the results  are reliable  and not biased.   Do not take any one person’s word for anything. We are all human and, as such, are subject to making errors. Study, analyze, and cross examine all aspects  of the situation  to be sure  you have  arrived at the best possible solution for all involved. Do not overlook the “big picture” by getting lost in small details.

To begin our discussion of environmental issues, it is first important that we understand the types of systems which are affected by us as humans.  Each of these environments has different characteristics which must be considered as we address existing problems.