The Subsurface
There it was. I had never witnessed something so beautiful and natural. The turtles were lined up, one after another, awaiting their turn in the pristine waters of Kauai’s Poipu Coast. I tried not to let my air bubbles disturb this scene I was now a part of. After checking my oxygen levels and depth gage, I found I still had time to see this spectacle. Each turtle was patiently waiting to enter its communal home in the cavern’s, which was forged from volcanic tubing. This was a seminal moment that crystallized my love for what occurs below the surface. I realized in that instant the beautiful fragility of nature and the responsibility that we have as its most influential custodians. It seems it has always been that way in my life, that I pursue my passion for the earth in ever-deepening depths. Like the peeling of an onion, nature has endless layers to be explored, protected and respected. I first recall realizing the vastness of ecology at age three when my family lived on our sailboat, Euminides, for three months. Being on the boat allowed me to skate on top of the waves in the company of our neighbors: seals, pelicans, whales, sea otters and once even a great white! Witnessing the water
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Because of the University of Utah’s stellar reputation in Environmental Law, it is the obvious choice for me. In fact, it is the only law school I am applying to due to my opinion that it is the best program in the nation. SJ Quinney College of Law has continually demonstrated its commitment to environmental law and a deep sense of community. I believe this sense of community can enhance and deepen my ability to protect the environment and the creatures which inhabit it. As an attorney, I feel that I can better serve as a custodian and protector for the beauty in nature that lives below the surface of the
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
---. “Environmentalist for the Twenty-first Century.” IPA Review 52.3 (September 2000): pages 3-8. 3 April 2006 .
...t the guaranteed developmental boom following the completion of the project will also ensure an even greater and more damaging human impact as there will be more beachfront lighting, boats, and beach pollution. Unconcerned with the negative ramifications of the beach nourishment project, islanders on Topsail prove their allegiance to development, tourism, artificial beaches, the promise for a more booming economy and the selfish desire for hurricane protection even though they riskily built homes on one of the most hazardous and unprotected barrier islands in the United States. Topsail’s willingness to betray the environmental protection organizations it’s worked tirelessly to support makes me question whether the promotion of the Topsail Turtle Project and the Turtle Hospital was a noble cause to save endangered animals or a farce to attract the media and tourism.
While discussing Henry David Thoreau's Walden and Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac, we attempted to address an important challenge -- Is the close observation and description of nature merely an idle thing for people in today's world? It could be suggested that nature writing and the close enjoyment of natural environments is merely "recreational" and not intellectually, economically, or politically worthy of our efforts. Perhaps this activity has "spiritual value" or gives us a "sense of peace." But does it really have anything to do with the way we live in the world today? It seems to me that this question is central to the whole course of study and that we need to be able to answer it convincingly and in some detail.
...rients and balance sea floor sediments. Many environmental and government run programs have been created to help the efforts of saving sea turtles. Some of the actions include making mass fishing companies use safer methods to prevent catching turtles, ordinances that control lighting along beachside properties, and small groups protecting nests from their creation to hatching. In addition to these measures, wire mesh gratings are put over the nests in order to protect them from being scavenged by foxes (Kurz, Straley, Degregorio, 2011). Although these efforts do make a positive impact, loggerhead’s migration patterns are so vast and worldwide that it is almost impossible to truly enforce conservation efforts. This is because sometimes they can be seen as an “inconvenience”. It is important that we strive to protect this important component of the ocean’s ecosystem.
To begin, I will tell you of my own experience with nature. Once when I was younger there was a family of rabbits that lived in a hole in my backyard. There was a mom and
The personal experiences that Daniel cites all serve to demonstrate the depth of understanding nature that is possible. Daniel argues that with a furthered understanding of nature, the environment is seen as integral to life. Throughout the essay, Daniel caters to personal motivations to convey his opinion. Daniels emphasis is on the benefit of broadening personal wisdom rather than environmental causes. According to Daniel, the primary benefit of in depth experiences is gaining a new understanding of the
What does one think of when the word “turtle” is mentioned? This adorable creature is usually thought of as slow, futile, and the unsung hero of “The Tortoise and Hare.” However, Kay Ryan argues in her poem “Turtle” that turtles are more than just these things: they are strong but unfortunate creatures that must put up with many obstacles in order to survive. Despite the struggles that she faces, the turtle exhibits a multitude of different strengths to overcome them, as seen as the poem progresses.
It depicts his adolescence strolls in the forested areas by the lakes in Connecticut, which later were decimated for the purpose of private advancement. He ponders and depicts the turtles he saw as a kid and what they intended to him. The account then moves to a minute when he witnesses the business misuse of turtles in New York. He in this way considers the weight of nurturing these turtles, both physically and logically, and achieves a conclusion that is both adapting and unsettling. Throughout the article, the storyteller exhibits a broad writing so as to learn of turtles about them similar to a human, with an intense perceptual affectability that gives the creatures an identity and feeling. This, alongside his beautiful writing and his capacity to blend common history with collection of memoirs and social critique, is the thing that makes this piece especially
“Imagine walking on the beach at night, the sky completely full of stars. Suddenly you see this big dinosaur lumbering out of the sea—a 1,000-pound, 2-meter-long (450-kilogram, 6.5-foot-long) turtle. With incredible concentration, she uses her flippers to dig a huge nest in the sand."
Frustrated with the way the day was going, we decided to go inside, get some refreshments, and brainstorm to try to find something that would hold our attention for longer than half an hour. During the middle of our brainstorming session, a family friend of the Locke’s came over. He and his kids had just caught some soft-shelled turtles out at his family’s rock quarry. Intrigued, we decided to make a trip out there in attempt to find some turtles of our own. So five of us piled into the 1980’s rusty jeep with no doors and no roof and drove a few miles to the rock quarry.
No matter how much research is done, it is obviously known that humans will never be able to fully understand the phenomenon of the natural world, yet it is something that we still continue to explore and work with each and every day. As The Red Turtle simply explains to the viewer, nature is something that is full of chaos and unpredictability, yet it is beautiful in it’s own way and worth exploring. In today’s world of the twenty-first century, it is quite easy to see that humans are dominating the natural world. Mainly, I believe that nature is a big provider for our health and happiness, but in order to sustain this relationship, the human population must also provide for the natural world and keep the common peace.
I was introduced to fishing by my father when I was only 4 years old,
The power of nature is all around us and can be found almost anywhere. One is able to study nature through experiencing it firsthand, looking at a picture, watching a movie, or even reading a familiar children’s story. I believe that by learning more about nature we can grow closer to God. Emerson states, “Nature is so pervaded in human life, that there is something of humanity in all, and in every particular” (Emerson 508). Like Emerson, I believe that humanity and nature were created by God and we can learn more about the Spirit of God by studying nature. I also see that nature has the power to influence our emotions and actions. I see evidence of this through various landscapes such as the desert, the beach, the mountains and the jungle. I thought about the vastness of the desert during a recent trip to the desert with my class. I think about nature and my love for it when I am scanning through my photo album and see pictures that capture me enjoying the mountains of Utah. When I watched the movie The Beach I was struck out how nature, specifically the beautiful beaches of Thailand, influenced the actions of every character in the movie. Of course it is hard to read a legendary story such as “Jungle Book” and not see what a powerful effect nature and its’ animals can have over humans.
Environmental studies is a paramount field to focus on for both the present day and the future. This field of studies pertains to all people, animals, plants, and biomes around the world. Environmental Studying is important because it is only by understands the environmental processes that we can begin to take the steps necessary to correct the on-going damage that is occurring, and ultimately protect and sustain life on the planet. Unless steps are taken to try and abate and control environmental problems, which are often human-generated or exacerbated, then the environmental that we live in will continue to deteriorate. There is no life without protecting the source that sustains us. Even though I have only been alive for seventeen years, it has been long enough to see many negative environmental changes. Since I was born that population has grown by over one billion people causing deforestation, loss of wildlife, increased pollution to both air and water, and even superbugs. However, I have also been able to see extremely positive results such as an increase in the research and implementation of renewable resources. The reason I am so motivated to study environmental science is because I know that change is possible. Those who study environmental science and study have the ability to help reduce, and possible reserve, some of the damage that has been done to the environment while at the same time, helping to advance the well-being of our fellow humans.