In this article, the author talked about of the life experiences that he had in 2003; when he was a private in the U.S. Army. He compared Baghdad destruction with its infrastructure and civilization, made by humans after their invasion and the destruction he found when he was back in the states. But this time, the destruction was made by nature.He learned to die in Iraq and now in the states, he learns to live without a future, in the new era. It is The Anthropocene, the different modus Vivendi.
He kept thinking on the collapse of the city and its life supports –infrastructure and organization - the chaos and destruction everywhere incapable of getting better. The city in flames, bombed, ruined streets, and frightened population were all controlled and made by humans with a bureaucracy violently established.
Now in the states, in his city, he thought he was safe, and he could live a normal life in that moment; but he saw all the chaos and catastrophes again, the same in which he saw in Iraq. But this time, the enemy was our environment, (Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and Hurricane Sandy in New York) with the deadliest and destructive forces. The same destruction he saw in Baghdad, the collapsing of the city in his vitals points, he saw that in the states, with the disabled infrastructure, powerlessness to self-restore from the surprises of one environment that is already sick. The most ironic thing about this is that, according to the military leaders, the United States is prepared to combat terrorism, meanwhile the most deadly enemy today is global climate change. It can disable the infrastructure and consequently, the city and this global ecological crisis is happening in this era which is called Anthropocene.
The Anthrop...
... middle of paper ...
...ve their entire lives in one place, we are now global. And this affects the relationship that we have with our land, and environment. This, in some sense, affects the place, the land where we grow our roots, giving you a very important vital reference of belonging. The landscapes where we grow up , where we played as kids , what we saw , what we smelled , what we heard , what we feel , all that leaves significant traces and are present in many ways in our lives as adults. Maybe that's why it is sometimes difficult in the cities that people agree to care for. It is not the land of our birth, we may not have so much appreciation, and we do not feel responsible to care for, and expect or demand that someone else do it for us. And then, think and act, what if I throw trash in the street, if I waste water, if I pollute the air, it is not my city although we live in it.
The global climate changes have brought devastating geographical changes over the last century. With unfunded solutions and internal political conflicts driven by pure ignorance, our species has begun digging its own grave. Roy Scranton, author of “Learning how to Die in the Anthropocene”, has already begun contemplating the inevitable. By incaptivating his readers with his detailed description of his military past; he draws a parallel to the future he describes as inescapable. Using descriptive logic and overwhelming emotion, Scranton successfully convinces that in order to live in the new age us humans have forged, we must learn how to die.
In the book The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny, and Globalization’s Rough Landscape, the author, Harm de Blij, argues that where we are born and our geography can affect who we are and what we will become. He applies his knowledge of geography and other relatable information such as health, economy, languages, and several other areas of subject. De Blij categorizes the earth into three subdivisions: locals, globals, and mobals. He defines locals as “those who are poorest, least mobile, and most susceptible to the power of place” (pg-notes). Globals are those who “whether in government, industry, business, or other decision-making capacities, flatten
In the book Heat Wave A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, by Eric Klinenberg expose how a number of social, political, and economical factors created one of the largest and most traumatic events in recent history. The Chicago heat wave in 1995 was a disaster, which led to over 700 heat-related deaths in Chicago over a five days period creating. Most of the victims of the heat wave were poor elderly residents of the city, who didn’t have any relative or were neglected by the public officials and was unable to purchase air-conditioning units for their home. Most of the elderly isolated themselves and refused to open windows or sleep outside in fear of crime. Alot of lives were loss or in destress because of isolation, poverty and media who played a major role by portraying the countless deaths on the natural disaster and highlighting of negative activities especially in the urban area
And when it became clear to us that things were bad, the rest of the world still lacked comprehension.. We don’t see our own vulnerability until we’re standing knee-deep in mud in our basements” (Knufken 510-512). Her frustration about the desensitization of disasters and people’s reaction towards them is portrayed through statements such as this one. A different form of frustration is also noticed when she claims that she “wanted to help, but the rain wouldn’t stop. All I could do, all any of us could do was watch and wait, watch and wait"(Knufken 510-512). Her tone of frustration at this point is due to her reflection upon the inability which she had to help, her powerlessness and the lack of ability which all of the victims of this disaster had. This tone continues throughout most of the essay as she compares disasters such as this flood, to being another face in the crowd of headlines. She furthers this frustration by stating that “today alone, I read in the news that 260,000 people had to evacuate Kyoto due to a typhoon. In Washington’s Navy Yard, someone murdered 13 people with a gun. There’s the new episode of “Breaking Bad” and the threat of war in Syria. every headline screams to be first in line. Everything is a crisis” (Knufken
In the book Alas, Babylon, the author, Pat Frank, discusses the condition of the human race. Mainly, his view differs from others because rather than write about the countries in a nuclear war, he writes about people living in the countries that are involved in that war. His discusses these peoples’ progress, both technological and moral, as well as their use of power. These topics make the book as intriguing as it is to read.
“Tragedy of tragedies” is one way to define the 9/11 attack that shook the very roots of the United States. No one in their right mind had thought that such cataclysmic and consternating as this could happen in the United States. No police force or the special surveillance was prepared for this kind of inland terrorist attack through the means of an airway jet. No fighter was trained before, to react to such sort of emergency. Neither were jet planes kept ready to fire out missiles that can prevent airborne terrorism, nor did any president had to take any urgent steps and make decisions under such rather heart shattering pressure exerted by throughout the world. What happened on September 11, 2001 not only gave us a petrifying instance of the capabilities of the human mind, but also showed us the warmer extremity of the human race. The greatest outcome of people heading to New York to help evacuate people, restore New York City, and sympathize ove...
Suzanna Berne’s article “Where Nothing Says Everything” discusses the sequence of events that Berne encounters as she attempts to pay her respects to the 9/11 tragedy. From the elements within her writing, Berne demonstrates the significant meaning of the World Trade Center’s absence. It is from her personal experience and play on words that she is able to accurately express her thesis. Within her piece, Suzanna Berne comes to the conclusion that the impact of 9/11 on the American people forces them to unite in order to overcome the loss of the World Trade Center along with the people who went down with it.
The urban world is about things that are going on within the cities, and the differ...
The Blast Off was lined with photos of rockets charging into space. George settled into the bar stool, took a drink and put the glass down. Joe recognized this as the preparations prior to the start of a story and hoped he had heard it only a few times before.
The Extinction of Dinosaurs How did the dinosaurs become extinct? This is a question that has stumped scientists ever since dinosaur fossils were first discovered. There are many theories as to how the dinosaurs became extinct. This page presents some of the most popular theories. Keep in mind that there is no absolutely proven theory.
Once the author made his view clear, he goes on to display possible scenarios of how human existence can change within the next millennium. He proposed four possible scenarios. The first scenario that Nash discusses, the “wasteland scenario” depicts
Tony Hiss Author of The Experience of Place brings to our attention that as humans “We react, consciously or unconsciously, to the places where we live and work, in ways we scarcely notice or that are only now becoming known to us…In short, the places where we spend our time affect the people we are and can become.” Place defines characteristics in both human and extended moral communities. Place is not necessarily specific to gender, race, generation or specie. This understanding and recognition of place is fundamental when thinking about institutionalizing ecological and social responsibility.
The United States itself defined to be “American” as people living in America are able to shape the environment and transform lives. In cities,...
Changez’s political awakening in the novel does not happen until later on after the Twin Towers are attacked on 9/11. In his political awakening, what Changez finds hardest to tolerate are the acts of violence carried out by the United States – either by interrogating innocent Muslims in the United States, or by bombing the “ill-fed Afghan tribesmen”, and its constant interference in the internal affairs of the Middle East
When I think of the perfect place, I imagine a cascading waterfall, a vast forest, a stunning mountainside, or a warm sunset on the beach. I look up around me, mesmerized by the vastness of the natural world and breathe in the fresh air. Over the course of my life, I have come to respect the environment and the earth’s natural surroundings in ways that most others do not in the industrialized and technological era of today. I can appreciate the beauty of the Earth and of all the different landscapes and organisms that surround me. The way in which I value and treasure the environment has evolved just as I have. I see the environment as something to be preserved and admired, not destroyed or exploited. My relationship with the environment is