I attended the Deliberation “Living in a Barbie World: Addressing the Issue of Single Use Plastics.” As an avid climate enthusiast, I was excited to hear about their proposed approaches to improving the environmental crisis facing our world today. Throughout the deliberation, we discussed how the individual, producer, and government can all work to improve the usage of single use plastics, as single use items are greatly affecting the natural world. 

I found this discussion to be very productive and enlightening, because many are not aware how our single actions are affecting the climate crisis we face today. With the individual approach, the conversation leaders encouraged listeners to take the time out of their day to make conscious decisions regarding our waste. We spoke about the “convenience” aspect and how many will dispose of their waste at the nearest garbage can, when really they could take the extra five minutes to find a recycling bin. I liked the enforcement around the individual approach, because if citizens begin to take charge, then more influential corporations or government will follow. 

With that being said, we came to the conclusion that the most important approach is the individual, as with citizens pushing for climate awareness, it could affect the economic sales of big corporations, thus causing corporations to take up environmental safe strategies. Along with this, the government will begin to shift to cater to the people’s desires, as people will vote for who they believe will help the climate crisis the most. 

With the combination of these approaches, I compared it to the conclusion of my deliberation, as our group discussed how the combination of a flipped classroom, harkness, and technology could be beneficial to all learners. I thought it was interesting how in both deliberations, those in attendance all thought a combination of the approaches would best help improve society. 

One thing I enjoyed the most about my deliberation though was how it was casual and open. The formation in a circle was definitely beneficial to the discussion, as it allowed the conversation to feel more intimate, allowing those to voice their opinions without feeling pressured. In the single use plastic deliberation, it felt more like a lecture, as the speakers stood in the front and we all faced them. This kept me from participating as much, because I felt intimidated by the set up. With this comparison, I think it shows how important the setup of the deliberation can be in order to receive the best feedback. 

Overall, I thought the process was really fun and enlightening, and many people were able to hear all different views on important societal topics. I am really excited to experience more deliberations and see the Citizens Assembly of Ireland! (if we don’t die from the coronavirus)