Starting a Green Discussion

Welcome to my blog! The purpose of this blog is to help me learn the platform while also practicing journalistic writing with a topic that I have a lot of passion for. But bigger than that, this blog’s purpose is to share ideas and create an intercontinental discussion that can help reduce human’s impact on the environment.

The beat of this blog is environmental policy in the US and the UK. I’m in an interesting geographical situation for the next few months. I will be in England for two weeks more before returning to Colorado for the summer. I’ve already spent over eight months abroad in England, so being here has given me a unique insight into the differences between the two countries.

Since I’ve been in England, I have noticed the separate approaches each country takes towards their footprint on the environment. The United Kingdom seems to take a more proactive approach in mitigating its environmental impact. There are small policies in place at local and national levels meant to reduce things like plastic waste and energy use that I’ve noticed in my time being here. The conversation about the environment is less polarized in the UK and day to day people are constantly thinking about living greener lifestyles.

This is something I have not seen as much in the US. I think looking at the differences between the countries could really help both improve their strategies. With both countries as global leaders, this will help the environment as a whole.

I plan to post three times a week about these environmental policies, describing different approaches and discussing their impact with the people it influences the most. This is an important and often-forgotten part of green action: what it means for the average citizen.

By covering this beat, I hope to learn about Earth-friendly programs and how they affect people on a local level. I think change starts on a small scale, especially when it comes to something as important

as the environment. I’d like to understand how policy changes affect local businesses and people and what the real-life costs and benefits are on a personal level.

While I’ve never covered a beat before, I do have experience as a blogger and journalist. I think some of my strengths as a journalist are my writing and researching abilities. However, I struggle with thinking of original story ideas and can be timid about interviewing to a fault. I think this blog will help me with those weaknesses because I am in many ways my own editor and must rely on myself alone.

I have blogged before and actually kept a personal travel blog during my time abroad. My biggest struggle with that blog has been keeping it updated. Regularly posting is something that is difficult for me and having to do with this blog does scare me a bit, but I know it's a skill I will need.

I feel confident about my writing, reporting and ability to integrate visual media into the platform, though I look forward to seeing these skills grow as well. I think I will learn a lot about my abilities as a blogger and how my journalistic skills translate to an online platform. At the same time, I hope my blog can create some sort of positive impact on the environment, if only in a small way.