I am Qin Yue, a year 3 psychology major. Prior to taking this course, my understanding of conservation issues was only limited to the impact of human activities on the environment. This module intrigues me as the knowledge of psychology can also be extended to environmental and conservation issues, suggesting that environmental devastation is embedded in complexities and not merely due to human selfishness. In the past, I have been relatively indifferent to the cause of conservation but this course has definitely made me more aware of nature and the environment, motivating me to start acting in more environmentally-friendly ways, for example, by recycling and reducing waste.

The reason why I chose the topic of sea turtles is relatively simple. I have watched documentaries on television regarding sea turtles in the past- the beautiful sight where sea turtles are mass released into the ocean amidst the backdrop of white sandy beaches and the orange hue of sunset and the strikingly contrasting scenes of sea turtles being slaughtered as they bleed to their death. It amazes me how people can so cruelly kill such a beautiful creature and as I researched on this topic, I realised that these people are no different from us. Many of them just live in a different society and they are steeped in the belief that sea turtles are meant for consumption. The challenge thus lies in changing their values and attitudes towards sea turtles which would then bring about a change in their behavior.