Brian Swimme’s statement alludes to the fact that humans distract themselves from the idea that life as a whole is beyond the human agenda. Humans have forgotten the universe is truly valuable, powerful and the provider of life for beings in existence. Unfortunately, forgetting about the value of what the universe has to offer is not new. Everything has shifted and the concepts of Western consumerism and living for instant gratification cloud the greater picture of preservation and sustainable living. Industrial development is only a small part of universal clockwork. The concerns of everyday living cannot compare to humans duty to preserve the earth. This is not far from what cosmologist Brian Swimme was arguing when he said, “It’s a question …show more content…
A higher level of creativity emerged when the human species began to express their perceptions of the world through art. Prior to Neanderthals there had been no signs of art by any other species. This is significant because the art found from the Neanderthal era depicts humans first intent to control parts of nature. A sculpture of a lion man is one of the earliest pieces of art. Author John Black comments on the ancient …show more content…
The common essentials to an average American’s life of materialism and technology are not composed of matter that can be easily recycled by the Earth’s natural processes. For example, some of the small technological advances to satisfy the instant gratification needs of the current human race are not sustainable and will eventually lead to the destruction of the environment and overconsumption of the Earth’s resources. This is as simple as the need for a quick morning coffee. Advances in technology, such as the Keurig, allow humans to create individual cups of coffee within a matter of seconds. However, the resources to create this coffee, Keurig cups, are damaging to the environment. “Almost one in three American homes now has a pod-based coffee machine...last year K-Cups accounted for most of Keurig Green Mountain’s $4.7 billion in revenue—more than five times what the company made five years prior” (Hamblin, Paragraph 2). This is one example of how productivity, consumerism, and economic gains are contributing to the crisis in
To support this claim, Kingsolver offers multiple statistics that the average American consumer would be unaware of. For example, Kingsolver states that “the average food item on a U.S. grocery shelf has traveled farther than most families go on their annual vacations,” which allows her to bring into light the largest and unexpected economic impact of food: Oil (Kingsolver 4). Fossil fuels “were consumed for the food’s transport, refrigeration, and processing,” and Kingsolver later mentions that “synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides use oil and natural gas as their starting materials, and in their manufacturing” (Kingsolver 5). Kingsolver then asserts that our dependence on nonrenewable resources, like the scarce rain in Tucson or the foreign fossil fuels used in food production, needs to end because “we are going to run out of them” (Kingsolver 21).
The ancestral lines of Neanderthals and modern humans is split roughly about 800,000 years ago, making them our closest relatives in the hominid ancestry. Neanderthals inhabited Europe and parts of the Western Asia before going extinct around 30,000 years ago. Neanderthals made and used a range of tools, they were able to control fire, make and wore clothing, were very skilled hunters of large animals however also ate plant foods, they lived in shelters, and occasionally made symbolic or ornamental objects, which no previous hominid species, had ever practiced this representative and complex conduct. Over this essay we will be covering some elemental information on Neanderthals, their differences and similarities anatomically with modern humans, along with their differences in behavior, and finally giving some possible implications for the timing of the development of culture.
Immense changes took place between the Paleolithic and Neolithic time eras. One major change was the evolution of art. During the paleolithic time period, “…humans began making the first consciously manufactured pictorial images” (Kleiner, 16). The art they began creating came in a large variety. “During the Paleolithic period, humankind went beyond the recognition of human and animal forms in the natural environment to the representation of humans and animals (Kleiner, 16). They created portable paintings, sculptures, and figurines. “Art historians are certain, however, that these sculpture were important to those who created them, because manufacturing an ivory figure, especially one a foot tall, was a complicated process (Kleiner, 17). As
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...
Art is a very realistic aspect among the Native Americans. In fact, what we call primitive art is actually symbolic objects from the process of a sacred ceremony. This concept is one not easily understood. Furthermore, this concept by Sam Gill is explained in Native American Religions. Sam Gill shows that Native American Art is different in meaning because of its contents then what modern societies consider art. Nonliterate people produce objects of beauty through ceremonial performances and rituals that keeps the cosmos in order, while modern societies over look these factors.
In today’s world, people in general like to keep up with the latest things such as gadgets like the iPhone. They tend to spend an ample amount of time on their gadgets or whatever the latest item is instead of dedicating their time to the more important things. During family dinners, everyone is usually on their phones. People may prefer to spend a day at the mall instead of volunteering. High credit card bills can result from spending so much money on the new things rather than paying bills. The social pressure to keep up with these material items has an effect on quality bonding time which has an effect on money. Consumerism actually sets a person against oneself because of the never-ending mission to acquire material objects therefore people should not concentrate their religious faith in materialism.
In “Curbing Overconsumption: Challenge for Ethically Responsible Engineering,” professor E.J. Woodhouse discusses modern overconsumption, and claims that engineers should be responsible for aiding the environment. At one point, he asks, “if it is technically feasible to arrange consumption far more efficiently, […] does that imply that the engineers who help arrange the wasteful approaches are violating certain ethical standards?” (24). Woodhouse claims that it is the ethical role of engineers to use their positions and resources to decrease the waste production of American overconsumption. Meanwhile, in “Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World?” professor Michael Maniates discusses modern environmentalism, and in particular
When humans started to create any sort of art, it was dated before the common era. In addition, the creation of art began during the old stone age or known as the creative explosion. According to my guess, the answer was correct. However, the answer did not surprise me since the paleolithic period was when stone was used for tools.
It is proven that ¾ of the world will be living in cities when Arthur Kay is in his 60s (Smedley, 2015). This can illuminate society because of less pollutants, and new way to use unique resources. Kay has changed the way society looks at waste coffee grounds with his own
...is destroying persons and the environment….What I am suggesting is that it might be the only chance for the turning of human beings from a course leading to the deterioration and perhaps the end of life on this planet.” ³
“Art is a recurring form of human practice. Some have argued that all human societies have shown evidence of artistic activities.” (Carroll 5)
Human beings are born, live, and held prisoners of their bodies. Since the beginning of time, the human form has been represented in pictorial depictions. Representation of animals and nature appear to only be depicted in ways to enhance the human race; either through religious, mystical, hunting charms, or whatever the themes all center around humans.
Individual Social Responsibility is a moral belief where we as individuals, have a responsibility toward society. Being "socially responsible" is about all individuals behaving ethically and sensitively towards social, economic, and environmental issues. It is about being accountable for our actions and being conscious of the impact your actions have on others, our communities, and the environment.
About fifty thousand years ago, the human cultures started to be more and more similar to modern culture. The hominids killed animals not only to feed themselves but also for the production of clothing (Pickrell, 2006). The hominids had the sense of shame. They used hides to cover their body. Besides, the hominids have the thought to bury their companions (Pickrell, 2006). It is an idea of group or family. With the final formation of human society, people developed and valued quickly. The oldest cave painting had more than thirty-three thousand years’ history (Pickrell, 2006). It is the proof of original humans’ pursuit of art. Almost ten thousand years ago, the systematic agriculture appeared, developed and spread with an amazing speed (Pickrell, 2006). Humans started to plant cereal and raise and train livestock. After that, the Bronze Age carried on the Stone Age (Pickrell, 2006). The change of tool materials helped people have higher efficiency when they were working. At the same time, the first recorded human culture appeared in Mesopotamia (Pickrell, 2006). Until this time point, human beings finished their evolution from ancient apes to modern humans. The process, which had experienced more than hundreds million years, was the most wonderful evolution on the
Anthropocentrism is the school of thought that human beings are the single most significant entity in the universe. As a result, the philosophies of those with this belief reflect the prioritization of human objectives over the well-being of one’s environment. However, this is not to say that anthropocentric views neglect to recognize the importance of preserving the Earth. In fact, it is often in the best interests of humans to make concerted efforts towards sustaining the environment. Even from a purely anthropocentric point of view, there are three main reasons why mankind has a moral duty to protect the natural world.