In an effort to save the human race, humanity has almost been lost. Humans destroy nature in a futile attempt to conquer it, by doing so they begin to lose their own humanity and their natural connection to the environment. While some believe that attempts to control the environment, such as pesticides, affect only the desired nuisance, the truth of the matter is that they affect everyone. Barbra Kingsolver, author of “High Tide in Tucson,” Aldo Leopold of A Sand County Almanac, and Rachel Carson of Silent Spring agree that the way many humans treat nature is worsening and needs to be reexamined.
Humans often abuse and mistreat nature. By harmfully affecting one specific part of a habitat, many other portions are often affected. These effects are often unforeseen results due to human intervention. Kingsolver discusses the problems caused by removing an animal from its natural environment. She wrote of her experience with a hermit crab, in which she accidentally removed it, and the depression and sickness it experienced as a result (Kingsolver, 1995). This is an example of how her direct contact with a living creature significantly lessened its overall quality of life. Humans harming nature may not seem exceptionally important; however every action has countless unanticipated affects, many of which are far reaching into a human’s lives. The life of a hermit crab may not seem extremely important, but it just displays how the smallest change in an animal’s life can have such detrimental effects. The hermit crab did not have any physical damage done to it, but nevertheless was hurt. If such a small change occurring in the crab’s life nearly killed it, then the damage humans are causing every day must be wreaking havoc on the entire ...
... middle of paper ...
...ironment, especially with pesticides is provided by Carson. In a different way Kingsolver imparts a more personal account with a great passion for the subject that puts a force behind her words. Leopold brings heart and fervor to the subject in a desperate effort to make the reader aware and understand. No matter which way it is done, the point is the same, to save humanity, people must become aware of the problems they are causing, and it is essential that they become a part of the solution.
Works Cited
Kingsolver, B. (2000). Predators, Old chestnuts. In Prodigal Summer
Kingsolver, B. (1995). High tide in Tucson: Essays from now or never. New York: lllllllllllllllllllPerennial
Carson, R. (1962). Silent Spring. Boston:Mariner Book Houghton Mifflin Company
Leopold, A. (1949). A sand county alamanac.
The Bean Trees. New York: HarperCollins, 1988. ___. High Tide in Tucson: Essays From Now or Never. New York:.
He points out that although changes do happen in nature, it is not so easy to determine how they changed. He is also not sure if Thoreau’s description of “a maimed and imperfect nature” is the correct way to refer to ecology, since it is by its essence, a fluid system of changes and reactions. Cronon does not deny the impact of
By citing credible organizations and offering her own eco-friendly alternatives, she proves to the reader that she takes a particular interest in the environment and is educated to speak on it. Pairing powerful understatements and hyperboles to contrast with one another show the reader that the practice is both needless and selfish. These rhetorical techniques have a powerful impact on the reader, whose ignorance prior to reading the excerpt can no longer suffices to excuse the lack of action. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring is a deeply persuasive book that not only advocates for an end to pesticides but also speaks to the obligation humans hold to protect their
Humans sometimes get the idea that we are superior to other species and even to other humans. We rarely think about how even the smallest things in our life make the biggest impact and that we,ourselves, are relied on by other animals. We also assume that something so annoying can not possibly be interesting or beneficial to use in anyway. Richard Conniff’s essay “Why God Created Flies” uses various biological and scientific evidence and fact to prove his point that everything in this world affects one another no matter how much we like it or not and that even the smallest creatures have such an awe to them. His essay also points out of human’s dislike of a species can turn around and just hurt us.
Furthermore, the author uses pathos wisely and provides examples with animals to make his point appealing to his audience. "Nesting sea turtles, which show a natural predisposition for dark beaches, find fewer and fewer of them to nest on." (242) Beaches nowadays are covered with the glow of lamp posts, and it decreases the number of places for eggs of sea turtles and decreases the population of them. This shows us that we are affecting the life of creatures that surround us and it causes pity and sadness within the reader like
There is this feeling we all experience when we step away from the chaos of rushing cars, infrastructure, and artificial lights, and we step into nature. Some describe it as bliss, comfort, excitement, pleasure or just pure happiness. This is the answer to the question Paul Bloom asks “Why should we care about nature?” in his article “Natural Happiness.” Paul goes through this process in which he uncovers the fact that “real natural habitats provide significant sources of pleasure for modern humans”, regardless of our need for food, clean water, and air. There are 3 main arguments that Paul makes in this article that I find particularly interesting, they include: “Our hunger for the natural is everywhere. In many regards our species has already kissed nature goodbye, and we are better off for it. There is a considerable mismatch between
The history of life on earth could be thought of as a record of living things interacting with their surroundings; for most of history, this has meant that life molds over time by the environment it inhabits; however, very recently, humans have become capable of altering the environment in significant ways (Carson 49). Marine Biologist, Rachel Carson, in her environmental sciences book, The Silent Spring, documents the detrimental effects on the environment by the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson argues vigilantly in an attempt to persuade her extremely diverse and expansive global audience, under the impression that chemicals, such as DDT, were safe for their health, that pesticides are in fact detrimental for their health. Through
Have you ever thought about how your fruits and vegetables are grown? How about which ingredients are put into bug sprays and insecticides to ward off those pesky insects? Look no further because author Rachel Carson looks deep into the many environmental issues caused by pesticides and herbicides in her New York Times best-selling novel, “Silent Spring.” “Silent Spring” is a collection of studies which were performed in an effort to educate others about the harmful things occurring everyday to their foods and every-day environment in hopes of giving them a wake up call. This novel is thought by many to be a revolutionary novel that forced people to take notice of the harm being caused in their world, many of which people were unaware of. After discovering the results of these chemicals, it really makes one wonder, is the luxury of being insect free really worth all of the consequences?
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
Humans can not be the only thing that is hurting the Earth. When you really think about it, Earth goes through a lot of natural disasters, which cannot be controlled. According to an activist, Tim Haering, “Tsunamis, floods, volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, wildfires, disease nature kills more than we kill each other.” Earth throws in all of these natural ...
Civilization began with agriculture, and agriculture continues to be an integral part of our lives. Civilization brought knowledge, knowledge brought technology, and technology brought chemicals and pesticides to “improve” our world. “The Obligation to Endure” is an excerpt from Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” a passionate and masterful work on the results of civilization’s efforts to control pests and insects. These effects include destruction of the environment, alteration of gene structures in plants and animals, water contamination, and an upset of nature’s delicate balance. This article is an impassioned plea to the world to understand the threat and demand the information necessary to make an informed consent on use of these deadly substances.
People interact with nature in an overall positive way. “Carry” by Linda Hogan, “Hope for Animals and their World” by Jane Goodall, and “My Life as a Bat” by Margaret Atwood prove this interaction. People might argue that humans interact with nature in a negative way because of “My Life as a Bat” and how it shows that people don’t appreciate creepy bats. However, people interact positively with nature as shown in “Carry,” love and friendship makes up our connection with nature in this poem. “Hope for Animals and their World” shows Lou’s way of keeping burying beetles alive and why they are important, this is a positive connection so the beetles don’t die, and keep our environment clean.
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring revolutionized the American point of view concerning the environment. It rejected the notion that pesticides and chemicals are the right choice for “controlling” various animals that are seen as an inconvenience. Carson writes about the dangers of pesticides, not only to nature but man himself.
Humans are destructive. Not a lot of us think about how what we do affects the world around us. We almost act like we are the only ones on this planet. We go around polluting and destroying our world with no regard for our actions. The things that live out in the wild are paying the price for it. Every day that passes there is another animal or plant that is placed on an endangered list. This is happening at an alarming rate. Because of man’s desire to expand and conquer their surroundings, there are animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction that will not be around for our kids and future generations to enjoy if something is not done about it now. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years. There are animals and plants that can only been seen in paintings or early photography. It is because of our early ancestors that we have this problem today and we have to do more to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing forever.
I remember when I first thought about the power one person could have to create change. I was a teenager growing up in the South when I read Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”. This beautifully written book is a powerful indictment of the widespread use of pesticides. Rachel Carson criticized the chemical companies for claiming that pesticides were safe despite mounting evidence to the contrary. And she criticized public officials who accepted the chemical industry’s claims.