A sustainable interaction with our environment plays a key role for the future of our species. Throughout the course of human history various cultures have independently developed their own views on nature. Traditionally, many of these beliefs shared common structures at the fundamental level but would vary slightly in the way each group interacted with their environment. Through comparing these interactions with nature the solution becomes evident. Traditional and scientific approaches must collaborate together to ensure the protection of our environment. Modern Europe’s approach to the environment has been steered by Western scientific knowledge. In comparison to indigenous views on nature, science based views differ in a more disconnected type of way. Larger populations required the need for a robust, stationary, and reliable food source. This often results in large-scale land clearing and manipulation of the surrounding environment. Since European colonisation in Australia around half of the forests have been lost with some areas losing up to 93% of the natural vegetation (Wells et al. 1984). Not only does this large amount of alteration have an enormous impact on the ecosystem, it has also demonstrated to be unsustainable (Sherwin 2001). Australian Aboriginal people have traditionally had a very close relationship with nature. This is a direct result of Australia’s climatic variation and ‘harsh conditions’ (Diamond 1997). In response, complex systems have been established to control the natural resources. One such system involves periodically moving from place to another whist managing ecological impact. This is achievable through employing various techniques such as burning the landscape of a site before leaving (Diamond 1... ... middle of paper ... ...he change in surrounding temperature altered both their environment and their food resources (Cochran 2006). Thus, as our actions now have the ability to affect the climate on a global scale we must alter our actions and broaden our knowledge. Dealing with the current complexities of globalisation we must develop more open approaches for managing environmental interaction. Knowledge is power, so why not incorporate indigenous knowledge with scientific knowledge for a more powerful understanding of our environment. We can no longer afford to exclude indigenous approaches of environmental knowledge. Both of these knowledge systems must be intergraded together to act as one united force for a complete understanding of our environment. This understanding allows us to not only to further scientific knowledge, but the ability to build a more applicable knowledge system.
“The modern form of the word environment comes from an older word that we hardly use anymore: environ, to surround, to form a ring around, to encircle” (Stoll 3). The meaning of the word environment did not become a major factor in the lives of humanity until 1945. The tragic events that led to the end of World War II sparked a chief movement in history: American Environmentalism. Global decision-making changed as well as human unity due to the mere purpose that fate of all people and the environment became intertwined (Stoll 1). I will further discuss the dramatic attempts made by some Americans to bring the importance of preserving our environment to the surface to show if and how we have evolved.
The Aboriginal people of Australia were here thousands of years before European settlement and we forced them to adapt to the changes of environment around them. This change might be for better or worse, but we will never find out. But with the European settlement came the birth of industry, agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, manufacture, electricity, gas and water just to name a few.
Ancient Aboriginals were the first people to set foot on the Australian continent, over 40,000 years or more before Colonization (Eckermann, 2010). They survived by hunting and gathering their food, worshipping the land to protect its resources, and ensuring their survival. The aboriginal community had adapted to the environment, building a strong framework of social, cultural, and spiritual beliefs (Eckermann, 2010).
The indigenous Australian culture is one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Despite the negligence and the misunderstanding from the Europeans, Aboriginals were able to keep their culture alive by passing their knowledge by arts, rituals, performances and stories from one generation to another. Each tribe has its own language and way of using certain tools; however the sharing of knowledge with other tribes helps them survive with a bit easier with the usage of efficient yet primitive tools which helps a culture stay alive. Speaking and teaching the language as well as the protection of sacred sites and objects helps the culture stay...
Australia is home to around 24,000,000 people and almost as many environmental issues. With severely high carbon emissions, drought, and many invasive species, the country is in environmental turmoil. Australian biota has been severely impacted by changes occurring since European settlement began in 1788, with more than 10% of mammal species lost in the past 225 years (Turvey, 2013). There have also been 23 bird species or subspecies, 4 amphibians and more than 60 plant species known to be lost during this period (Shine, 2010). Invasive species are viewed as one of largest threats to biodiversity, however, there are examples of introduced species that have had relatively minor ecological impacts and still others that have even
While Rachel Carson’s “The Obligation to Endure”, Christopher Kemp’s "Medieval Planet", and Jared Diamond’s “The Ends of the World as We Know Them” all cover subjects relating to environmental issues, each author goes about purveying his or her message in a different manner. Kemp’s New Scientist article explains humanity’s environmental effects by imagining a world in which we never existed and hypothesizing how it would look and function with our absence. Carson’s essay depicts a frightening reality about the current state of humanity and the environment. She warns readers about how we are the only species who possess the capability to disrupt and even destroy Earth’s natural patterns. Diamond articulates his work with an unusual spin, using examples of historical civilizations that have snuffed themselves out by their own progress or poor relationship with the environment. The main message conveyed in Diamond's essay is that we are just as capable of choking ourselves out by our own doing today as were the historical civilizations that suffered the same fate. Despite their differing focuses, each article agrees that humans are outgrowing the finite amount of resources that the Earth can provide. A delicate symbiotic relationship between life and the environment has been maintained throughout time. Life on Earth was shaped by the constantly changing climate and surroundings. However, humans have gained the capacity to transcend this relationship. Through our ingenuity and industrialism, we have separated ourselves from natural restrictions. Because of this progress, we have been destroying the natural cycles of Earth’s environment and continue to do so at an alarming rate. Humanity has become Earth’s infection, ravaging the worl...
In the article The Clash of Cultures, William Cronon and Richard White delve into “the interrelations between people and their environment,” (11) specifically, between the American Indians and the Europeans and the Americas. The reason Cronon and White wrote this article was, “In part, a result of our current concern with pollution and the exhaustion of valuable natural resources, but it has also proved to be a valuable way of learning more about how people of past generations and different cultures dealt with nature and with one another.” (11)
Due to the fact that the Europeans did not understand the Aboriginal Australian’s relationship with the land, nor their culture in its entirety, the colonisation of Australia resulted in numerous clashes between the two civilizations, particularly over land. The Aboriginal’s relationship with the land was complex, unable to be confined by mere spiritual or religious values. (http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UWALawRw/1983/12.pdf) Prior to the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginals considered their land to be of social and economic significance, divided in to geographical territories in which different groups would live. It was the basis of Indigenous Australian society and used for a plethora of aspects when considering their lifestyle, from
Berry provides a short history of how we came to face this challenge. Humans increased their demands on the environment starting as far back as the agricultural revolution. The small number of humans and the general versatility of the environment, however, protected the earth from any major damage. By the end of the nineteenth century, there was some concern with the well being of the environment, causing several national parks to be opened and several nature societies to be formed. The full danger, however, did not become evident until the twentieth century.
Climate Change is any substantial change in climate that lasts for an extended period of time. One contributor to current climate change is global warming, which is an increase in Earth’s average temperature. Plants and animal species throughout the world are being affected by rising temperatures. Many plants are flowering earlier now than they once did; animals, such as the yellowbellied marmot, are emerging from hibernation earlier; and many bird and butterfly species are migrating north and breeding earlier in the spring than they did a few decades ago, all because of slight changes in temperature cues. (Shuster)
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) can be broadly defined as the knowledge and skills that an indigenous (local) community accumulates over generations of living in a particular environment. IK is unique to given cultures, localities and societies and is acquired through daily experience. It is embedded in community practices, institutions, relationships and rituals. Because IK is based on, and is deeply embedded in local experience and historic reality, it is therefore unique to that specific culture; it also plays an important role in defining the identity of the community. Similarly, since IK has developed over the centuries of experimentation on how to adapt to local conditions. That is Indigenous ways of knowing informs their ways of being. Accordingly IK is integrated and driven from multiple sources; traditional teachings, empirical observations and revelations handed down generations. Under IK, language, gestures and cultural codes are in harmony. Similarly, language, symbols and family structure are interrelated. For example, First Nation had a
Climate change is one of the major issues surfacing on Earth over the past century. The earth’s temperature has increased over the years, leading to detrimental effects on the economic and life sources of people, especially that of agricultural production and livestock. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary (2014), defined climate change as a change in global climate patterns apparent from the mid late 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, (2007) predicts that by 2100 the increase in global average surface temperature may be between 1.8° C and 4.0° C. With increases of 1.5° C to 2.5° C, approximately 20 to 30 percent of plant and animal species are expected to be at risk of extinction. Moreover, the IPCC (2007) purported that climate change has severe consequences for food security in developing countries.
Withgott, J., & Laposata, M. (2014). Environment: the science behind the stories (5th Ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
Scientists have begun to say that we have to do more to protect our ecosystem, because our very existence is depending upon it. When the ecosystem is not functioning properly the continuation of plant, animal and human life ecosystems would be impossible. Life cycles can not function without ecosystems. The ecosystem provides us with clean air, water, habitats for fish and other services. They also aid in the mod...
The degradation of ecosystems and loss of biodiversity is increasing at an alarming rate every year. Humans are certainly not the only reason for this, but they are the main contributors. The well-being of ecosystems affects our everyday lives - consumption and consumerism depend on natural resources. Everything humans use is derived from them, in seemingly indirect and direct ways. Yet despite the fact that humans are destroying the environment, many continue to and neglect to take important measures to protect it.