Family Environmental History
April 11, 2026 By: Yanran Lu
My environmental history can be understood through three generations: my grandparents, my parents, and myself. Each generation lived in a different environment shaped by economic development, culture and technology. By comparing their experiences, I can see how people’s life and the environment are closely connected and constantly changing. These generational shifts also reveal how our values, habits and awareness of nature evolved.
My grandparents grew up in rural Shanghai, China, where life depended heavily on nature. They lived in small villages in Shanghai. Farming was their primary job. Natural resources such as land, water, and crops were essential to their daily lives. They planted vegetables, raised animals and used wood for cooking and heating. Almost everything they used came directly from the land around them.
Their environment was mostly natural but still shaped by human activity. Farming required clearing land and organizing crops, which gradually changed the landscape over generations. However, compared to today, their lifestyle created far less pollution and waste. They reused materials creatively, such as using compost to nurture the soil. They also knew the seasons, they could read the weather, etc. Gender roles also played a significant part: my grandmother managed the vegetable garden and crops and gathered wood to cook, while my grandfather raised animals: both for consumption as food or to sell them.
My parents grew up during a period of rapid economic growth and transformation in China. Millions of people moved from rural areas to cities, and industrialization accelerated on a massive scale. My parents experienced more modern living conditions, including electricity, public transportation, and access to a wide variety of consumer goods. Life became significantly more convenient, but also more distant from the natural world.
Their environment was more human-made than natural. Cities expanded outward, and farmland was steadily replaced by buildings, roads, and factories. Industrial growth and the rise of private vehicles led to severe air pollution, particularly in large cities. Unlike my grandparents, my parents did not depend too much on the land for food. They relied on markets and supermarkets, which were stocked with processed and important goods. Globalization introduced non-native elements into everyday life: imported rice varieties, foreign produce, and garden plants that had never grown in the region before. At the same time, living through rapid industrialization makes them more conscious of environmental problems such as water contamination, smog, and disappearing green spaces-issues my grandparents had never needed to consider.
My own experience is different again. I was born in Shanghai, China, and lived there for 15 years. The city was already very modern and fast paced. Then I studied in Ottawa, Canada, as an international student for Grade 10. Ottawa was very different from Shanghai-there are many more natural spaces such as parks, conservation areas, and lakes. However, the Shanghai municipal government recognized the population growth caused during the city’s development and planted many trees when Shanghai applied to host the World Expo in 2010. Both the government and its people have realized that nature is essential to a society.
Unlike my grandparents, I do not depend on nature directly for survival. I buy food from supermarkets, rely on transportation infrastructure, and participate in global supply chains. My background of living in both China and Canada has also shaped how I relate to the environment in subtle ways. I appreciate the fast development of cities and infrastructure while also enjoying nature. Gender and family roles continue to shape my perspectives as well. As a mother, I find myself thinking about the environment not in abstract terms, but in deeply personal ones-in terms of the air my child breathes, the water he drinks, etc.. This makes environmental responsibility feel less like a political issue and more like a parental one.
Overall, my family’s relationship with the environment has shifted dramatically across three generations, from direct dependence to industrial disruptions to globalized consumption with growing awareness. I want to reduce my household’s impact, reconnect meaningfully with the natural world, and teach my child to respect what remains of it. When I think of my grandmother composing vegetable scraps without ever hearing the word “sustainability,” I realize that the wisest environmental lessons are often the oldest ones. Environmental history is not only about large concepts, but more about small, daily choices made across generations