Ted Steinberg’s book American Green gives a detailed description of lawn and its role in America. He gives a history of lawn starting from the origin of the word “lawn” itself in the 16th century and gives wide-ranging anecdotes throughout the book that attempt to show the reader how obsessed Americans are with their lawns. His anecdotes are often meant to represent people all over America, but when you take a step back you realize that they are actually rare stories that provide little broader meaning. Steinberg fails to prove that American’s are obsessed with their lawns because of the poor assumptions he makes and examples he uses. From the beginning, Steinberg paints a biased picture of lawn culture that puts the reader on guard. It is clear that is he is going to be critical, indeed mocking, of those who care deeply about lawns, sometimes as an environmental offense and sometimes just as an absurdity. One must assume that the history he writes about lawn is accurate, but when he begins to interpret the history, he makes it seems as if grass is a much bigger deal in the mind of every American than it actually is. As someone who has spent his entire life living in the suburbs surrounded by houses with respectable lawns, I know that my lawn occupies a minimal amount of my conscious thought and perhaps only a marginally higher portion of my neighbors thoughts. Steinberg is telling me that I care more about lawn that I do which I know is false. With Steinberg’s fundamental assumption that Americans are obsessed with lawns under question, one must question the appropriateness of the examples he uses to prove his point. Therefore, Steinberg would have to provide concrete examples that demonstrate a superior understanding of lawns... ... middle of paper ... ...n the neighborhood than the aesthetic appearance of the lawn itself. The fact that a well-maintained lawn increases the value of a home suggests that it reflects a well-maintained home overall. In other words, the care lavished on the lawn reflects the homeowner’s care of everything else about the home. The lawn itself may not be the object of desire. American Green has entertaining anecdotes, but should be considered more of a light read than as an authoritative work of non-fiction. This book may be enjoyed by environmentalists who want to know more about the impact that lawns have on the environment or for someone who truly is obsessed with his or her lawn and wants to learn about others who share this obsession. Steinberg’s goals may have been lofty, to prove a nationwide obsession, but his arguments and assumptions created a book that cannot be taken seriously.
My initial observation was that simple conservation actions such as reducing the use of pesticides can achieve measurable improvements in habitat quality and environmental health. Herbicides are toxic to most mammals as well as to the beneficial insects that you want to encourage in your garden. Sometimes herbicides seep into the ground water; causing contamination of which the long term effects are not known. Herbicide application can also result in drift or movement in the soil, this endangers wanted vegetation nearby. Herbicides are used far too rampantly. Excessive use of toxic herbicides is used when not necessary and because most are not aware of the many other natural alternatives. We must find more ways to cut back on the use of chemical herbicides and change to biological weed control methods.
In Mark Fiege’s book “The Republic of Nature,” the author embarks on an elaborate, yet eloquent quest to chronicle pivotal points in American history from an environmental perspective. This scholarly work composed by Fiege details the environmental perspective of American history by focusing on nine key moments showing how nature is very much entrenched in the fibers that manifested this great nation. The author sheds light on the forces that shape the lands of America and humanities desire to master and manipulate nature, while the human individual experience is dictated by the cycles that govern nature. The story of the human experience unfolds in Mark Fiege’s book through history’s actors and their challenges amongst an array of environmental possibilities, which led to nature being the deciding factor on how
In the early years of America, the founding fathers’ passion for gardening and agriculture shaped America’s national identity. At least, that is what Andrea Wulf communicates in her novel, Founding Gardeners. During the revolutionary generation, agricultural success was vital to the nation’s economic well-being. During the struggles of political life, the founding fathers utilized gardening as a therapeutic outlet and their love of nature reflects in some of their political endeavors. Due to this fascination with nature, the founding fathers sought to expand their horizons westward. Because of westward expansion, America gained a significant amount of fertile land which contributed to the nation 's’ agrarian identity. The wilderness and landscape
In my generation, I am able to catch what is relatively the tail end of this slow extinction. And to be quite honest, I had not devoted a moment of thought to this phenomenon until I read Leopold’s passages. In fact, I am always the first one to compliment a new highway project that saves me five minutes of driving or even a tidy farmstead as I pass. Now, more than ever, my thoughts are in limbo. It was just last week when my dad pointed out an area off the highway that displayed miles of slowly rolling cornfields. His reaction was to the beauty of the countryside. Mine was to question his. I found myself thinking about all of the hard work that created that beauty, and then how much more beautiful it was fifty, a hundred, or even two centuries ago. Only the mind’s eye can create this beauty now, and that is exactly why Leopold’s concerns are validated.
As the famous idiom states, “history repeats itself” and for the environmental history of the North American Planes this saying is especially true. The Dust Bowl while infamous was not the only drought to cause human misery on a massive scale. As Peter Coyote explained in the Great Plow Up, the Plains, (where the Dust Bowl later occurred) was the setting for a cycle of wet years of plenty and dry years of drought. Four decades before the dirty thirties, in the 1890s a lesser known (though no less horrible) drought occurred (Steinberg, 134). Similar to the Dust Bowl, the 1890s drought caused by years of wet weather leading to farmer’s greatly increasing wheat production along with human populations as they moved westwards in search of new beginnings
The NFL is the most spoken about sport in the united states. Tim green was part of the Atlanta Falcons for quite some time. Tim green was a star at the defensive end position from 1986 to 1993 this Falcons all-star had 99 tackles at the defensive end position and many more tackles at linebacker, and after his career he chose to be an author, which he had on his mind for a while. Tim Green’s childhood, athletic career, and writings all got him to the point where he is today.
When Ginny's ancestors arrived, their land was marshy, wet, impossible to farm. Laying down tiles drained the water and became the basis for their wealth- "magically, tile produced prosperity"(15). This signifies the control that capitalist industrial farming exerts toward nature, a control that ultimately becomes destructive. As Jess tells Ginny, the way Larry farms has poisoned the land and its people: "People have known for ten years or more that nitrates in well water cause miscarriages and death of infants. Don't you know that the fertilizer runoff drains into the aquifer?" (165).
The documentary film “The Garden,” by Scott Hamilton Kennedy captivates and captures the South Central Los Angeles farmers struggles and conflicts they faced trying to save the South Central Farm. The 14 acre garden grows fresh vegetables and fruits, such as: corn, beans, papayas, and etc. It was one of the largest community garden and became known as the urban garden. Doris Bloch, the founder of the community garden, said in the documentary that the land could be use to build a garden for the community residents to grow their own food. Bloch said “ very low income family that deserves to grow their own food… land, people, food, it's a pretty simple idea. happy days.” The farmers took an advantage to use that land to grow their own vegetables
One of these points is that with enough passion and grit one can start a serious social movement. The example here is Alan Chadwick gaining a huge following despite coming on campus to just be a gardener. The man was so influential that he literally effected people for the rest of their lives, “Chadwick was so great a teacher that Lingemann 's interest in gardening became her life 's focus” (p 279) This line of logic is strong because Chadwick went from a nobody to one of the most influential people in his field. He built up his reputation and following with pure passion. One other strong point is the connection between nurturing a garden and nurturing a person. Waters makes the point that humans intrinsically want to protect something growing and look after it, “Watching something infinitely fragile sprout in warm, fertile earth and nursing it along to the point where it can survive and grow strong is practically definitive of what it is to be human.” (p 280) This point is strong because there truly is no joy like raising something small and weak to become strong. The evidence here is that people innately feel the need to have children and then protect them. One weak point in the essay is Waters subtle persuasion that the best way to do agriculture is the most natural way. She states, “Alumni apprentices have started their own farms,
The typical human considers grass as mere terrain, as something to step on while walking. Most mere mortals do not view it as mighty, but they often forget that grass will cover any and everything if given enough time to grow. The speaker of Carl Sanburg’s “The Grass,” grass itself, utilizes quantitative adjectives and the comparison between imperative and stative verbs to convey its superiority and nature’s permanence compared to ephemeral human life.
“How can you say the things you say you feel like when every thing outside is green like it is.” This statement from Mayfly is just one example of the misunderstandings between Mitch and Mayfly. The short story, “Everything is Green” by David Foster Wallace is about a couple having relationship problems. From the point of view of Mitch, we see how he is being emotionally neglected by Mayfly and how he feels he needs to chase his own happiness before it is too late. Mayfly, on the rare occasions she speaks, only expresses her failure to comprehend the situation that they are in. Her inability to articulate her inner thoughts give us little understanding of how she feels about the change Mitch is demanding. Wallace shows how unalike they are
As doubts of economic possibilities of farming and ranching continue to decline, the true farmer still respects their land and practices. The general stereotype of farmers and ranchers is poor stewardship. Historically, hunters and farmers were more interested environmentalists than compared with the liberal, urban vegetarians of today. However both share the same conditions for living and breathing. This creates confusion between needing and wanting within a typical household (Kingsolver, 2003).
For years organic farmers and conventional farmers have feuded over which is superior. Organic farmers argue that their product is more eco-friendly because they do not use the synthetic chemicals and fertilizers conventional farmer’s use. Conventional farmers argue that their product is healthier and yields more. People tend to have stereotypes regarding the two types of farmers. Organic farmers are usually thought of as liberal, hippy, tree-huggers while conventional farmers are usually thought of as right-wing, industrialists. Obviously, some do adhere to this stereotype, but a majority of these farmers are normal, hardworking people. Although these farmers, both believe in their methods, one is no better than the other. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but there is no true superior method of crop farming.
Agriculture has always been an important component to the American economy and is what America was founded on. During the colonial period, the tobacco plant was the first plant to be harvested for profit and helped sustain a living for the first groups of families that were sent to live in America. Farming, whether it be for commercial or as a source of food, was widespread and was the main reason America was livable for the early colonies. If farming wasn’t used properly back then, then America would not be what it is today. In William Carlos Williams’s poem “The Red Wheelbarrow,” he uses the elements of imagery, emphasis, and form to convey that agriculture is vital to America’s economy and should not be altered or forgotten.
As farmers and small farming communities become more and more distanced from the land and one another, a greater dissatisfaction results in the farmer's perception of his/her life. In Kent Meyers' novel, "The River Warren," Two-Speed Crandall becomes a victim of this trend. To understand why this dissatisfaction is becoming more prevalent, we must look at the decline of more traditional methods of farming in favor of contemporary agriculture. Also, we must explore the disintegration of community in the lives of rural farmers. These two factors are inevitably correlated; a transition to industrial, corporate farming leads to the farmer feeling less a part of a farming community.