#joetrumpey

Re:frame Joe Trumpey

Joe Trumpey, is a tremendous advocate for environmental conscientiousness and sustainable practices. He is a Professor in the School of Art & Design, as well as the School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Dr. Trumpey takes common ideas of sustainability and implements them in his everyday live at an unparalleled level. He spoke at the 2012 conference:: Inform:Transform. His talk:: Transforming Sustainable Practice, can be found here::  http://tedxuofm.com/talks/ (number 16 under 2012)  I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet and talk with him this year for the ‘Re:frame’ project. Below you’ll find his reflection on this year’s theme: Untapped_.  

The more time I spend on my farm off the power grid, the more I have come to understand the values and untapped potential that human beings have to pay attention to the world around us. By better understanding the way that food and energy enters and enhances my own life, the better able I am to connect to the world around me and engage in practices that are not only more sustainable but are very enriching. These practices make me, my family, and my community stronger. It is a simple lesson really – paying attention. Our very nature as biological beings is to look at and explore the world around us– and we are especially well built to observe other living things. That is the untapped potential we all still hold at our core. I take great solace in the fact that more Americans visit zoos and aquaria every year than all sporting events combined. It is a relief to me that more of us are growing gardens, regularly visiting farmers markets, talking with farmers again and are starting to think about the lives domestic animals live in the service of providing us with meat.  Fostering greater food values in this country is an important step towards all kinds of improved sustainable practices. We are looking and starting to engage better but there is still plenty of room for positive actions – we must engage the untapped potential of paying attention to the world around us.

  As I reflected on the word “untapped” I could not help but think about the way that the oil and gas industry use the word every day – “America’s vast untapped energy reserves.” The lure of cheap energy and energy independence continues to pump dangerous amounts of carbon into our atmosphere. This is a stark contrast to where our potential as individuals lies. We need to use untapped potential of human awareness to coalesce and push back against the easy and short-term gains of fossil fuels. The price of a stable climate is coming more into focus year by year and we must act in ways that are enriching, meaningful and sustainable. These goals are deeper than participating in a perfect milk bottle recycling program. These goals are achievable, big and complex and take leadership – the kind of leadership I count on from University of Michigan students.  I look forward to this year’s TedX University of Michigan program to continue our quest of engaging our untapped potential.