The first Enduring Understanding of the year means that all of the cycles and processes that are taking place on Earth, are caused by the the energy from the sun and the earth’s interior. The second “Enduring Understanding,” of the year means that matters that are present on Earth, move through Earth’s major subsystems, in a cyclical process, a system in which matter undergoes a few different processes and then returns to its original state. The book, The Control of Nature, clearly illustrates the Enduring Understandings 1 and 2. The rain produced by the hydrologic cycle and the sun’s energy, caused the rivers to flood in New Orleans and also lead to multiple debris flows in Los Angeles. Also the movement of plate tectonics which were caused …show more content…
Debris flows consist of loose mud, sand, soil, rock, and water that travel down a slope because of gravity. Broken rocks and heavy rainfalls are two of the main factors that cause debris flows.The San Gabriel Mountains were created because of the movement of the Pacific plate and the North American plate along the San Andreas Fault. As the two plates slide past each other, which is known as transform boundary, earthquakes occur along the fault. These earthquakes along the fault lead to the destruction of the San Gabriel Mountains producing more rocks and debris for potential debris flows. This shows that the energy from the Earth’s interior which cause the tectonic plates to move (in this case slide past each other) causes earthquakes which loosens up the rocks, producing more debris for the debris flows in San Gabriel Mountains. This is a cyclical process called the cycle of erosion which could also lead to the creation of mountains over long periods of time which is why it can be referred to as a cyclical process. Also another factor that leads to debris flows is heavy rainfalls, which, as discussed before is cause by the sun’s energy. The energy from the sun causes water to turn into water vapor and rise to form clouds which then condenses to form rain. This is a cyclical process known as the hydrological cycle and is caused by the …show more content…
Humans have tried to manipulate nature many times, but have mostly failed miserably. In New Orleans, the corps of engineers tried to divert the flow of the Mississippi and in Los Angeles the Flood tried to use debris basins to catch and hold debris. They both officially declared war on nature but these attempts almost failed. In many cases it was proven that the human’s constructions, worsened the problems they were meant to solve. For example the levees that were meant to reduce flooding along the Mississippi river, prevented coastal wetlands from receiving the regular nourishment and sediment critical to their survival which is the main reason for New Orleans’ vulnerability to violent storms (Hurricanes lose force when they hit land). The constructions built by engineers create the illusion of safety which promote further settlement. Even though human’s interference with nature, sometimes results in a success, it will in most cases make matters worse. Humans should accept the absolute power of nature and stop declaring war on it to control or change the direction of its natural flow. Instead of trying to control nature, humans should try working and living with nature, because they will never be able to win against it. Nature will always find a way through human’s constructions no matter how massive or well-made they
Through the course of the book, White confidently proves that in the end the Columbia River was always in charge and nature will always overcome mankind’s efforts. The book showed that the previous thought of mankind being the boss of the environment and that mankind dictates the terms is shown as untrue. The Organic Machine known as the Columbia River will restore its balance, different societies have tried to govern the river but the river ends up governing them, and human modifications might affect the river but nature and the environment will always see victory.
In his piece on climate change, Richard Lindzen addresses his stance on the heated debate of global warming. He claims that there is, in fact, no ongoing catastrophic temperature increase. Lindzen, a Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a recipient of the Jule Charney award from the American Meteorological Society (Richard Lindzen), believes that the earth goes through natural phases of warming and cooling. In this piece, he examines why he believes people have a false conception of Earth’s climate shifts.
Man has destroyed nature, and for years now, man has not been living in nature. Instead, only little portions of nature are left in the world
Human beings are prideful creatures, and we have good reason to be. We have subdued a planet, changed the course of rivers, watered deserts, written poetry to make angels cry, and wrapped the world in a network of electric impulses and digital displays. We have created and killed not one but many gods. We can make a cloud rain by shooting heavy metal into it, and we can create a lake by pouring concrete in a canyon and damming a river. Most days, it seems that we human beings have everything under control and that if we miss wild nature, well, we can grow it in our gardens. (We can even genetically engineer the plants and animals.) Every so often, however, the universe spins out of our control. Forest fires rage. The earth quakes. Chaos descends like a great modern Zeus hurling thunderbolts and reminding us that nature is not ours to manipulate. In a great universe shaped by raw power and force, human beings are only small, easily crushed, organic structures. We need the reminder. Chaos and destruction are nature’s great gift to human kind because the realization of our frailty and insignificance leads to enlightenment. We learn something about ourselves, how we are here, where we want to go, and what we have to say about it.
Nature causes life, beautiful scenery, and a place for humans to live. Nature also causes death, sickness, and worldwide disasters. One can view nature with an optimistic or pessimistic outlook. Some people go through life by taking nature for granite and not realizing that they live at the mercy of nature. Comparatively, there are groups of people who view the nature with all the beauty it provides. The Native Americans’ treated nature with great respect; however, the Europeans did not hold nature in a high regard. The Native American cosmology allowed the land and other living creatures to be treated with great spiritual respect and with the notion that nature is more important than man. The first Europeans who came to the New World thought of land as a place to make profit and living
The eruptions of Mount Rainier produce lahar mudflows which are similar to pyroclastic flows except they contain more water. These mudflows carry debris of volcanic ash and boulders that produce lava flows and have the consistency of concrete flowing down a mountain (C.M. Riley). Lahars can flow up to 100 kilometers per hour and can extend out to more than 300 kilometers in distance. Because they are hard to predict, give off little warning signs, and move so rapidly through valleys, lahar slides are considered to be one of the most deadly volcanic hazards.
As mountain ranges began to reappear, streams and rivers became more vibrant with rushing waters transferring boulders and gravels to different places on the surface of Earth. Water is known to be one of the most significant factors of the Exhumation of the Rockies; however wind is thought to have played an important role in the removal of the mountains from the depths of debris as well. As John David Love has said, “Wind erosion has tremendous significance in this part of the Rocky Mountain region” (McPhee 60). Consistent southwest winds, blowing in the same direction throughout each time period of the Earth’s history, picked up thousands of feet of debris from the surface of the Earth and carried it away into the Atlantic Ocean. The work of erosion through water and wind has given the landscape its
There is no such thing as just changing something from one part and not having its effects distribute throughout the entire ecosystem. As an ecosystem continues changing and evolving, so will the organisms living around or in it. We must adapt to the environment or we will become extinct, unable to adapt into the rapidly changing environment we live in. Althout human impact on an environment may benefit us, it can also be harmful to nature. By taking care of what we do to the environment, we can prevent future negative changes in the environment and preserve earth’s natural state.
“The discovery of agriculture was the first big step toward a civilized life.” (Arthur Keith)
Since the scientific revolution it has become easier and easier for us to use mathematics and science to decode the environment around us, which to some means a mastery of that environment. In his Discourse on Method, Rene Descartes even refers to us as the “masters and possessors of nature” as we can understand and control many aspects of it (Descartes, 41). Andy Goldsworthy comments on this through his use of nature in the creation of the piece. Although it shows how easily humans can manipulate nature, even something as small as leaves, to create what they want, the effect is temporary. Being that the piece is temporary… doomed to be dismantled by the very nature it is made from, the idea of nature’s supremacy is still preserved. Nature will always return to its own course and eventually no remanence of human intervention will remain. Thus while humans do have this power to manipulate and work with nature, it still remains its own master. This exemplifies a relationship between humans and nature where Goldsworthy recognizes the power of humans as well as the power of nature working simultaneously. Furthermore, Sycamore Leaves also comments on important aspects of nature
The external conflict of nature against man never becomes resolved, as nature ends the man and his goals. For example, the severe cold weather prevented the man fro...
Even though humans are building constructions to prevent natural disasters, Mother Nature overpowers them by provoking natural disasters. Some of which is when a tornado hit Queens, New York in 2012; the tornado exceeded the sea shore of the beach, hit benches, and carried and threw away garbage cans (Williams, 2012). Two years before, an earthquake struck Youngstown, and this natural disaster was caused by Youngstown's people (Choi, 2013).In 2008, a devastating flood wet most of New Orleans due to the built up dams. The Hirakud dam was also built to prevent dams and improve irrigation in Orissa, India, but a flood destroyed the town instead; Orissa is small town ad whatever catastrophes happen to it endangers the whole demographic. This incident led to sixty-eight deaths and four and an half million people undergoing hunger hardships, and 2,999km road was ruined too. (Panda, 2008) Therefore, people should realize defying Mother Nature and constructions preventing natural disasters might actually worsen their society's current situation.
The need to control nature is a human instinct that has done more harm than...
As we enter the twenty-first century, it is clear that many things about our method of interacting with our environment are different than in previous centuries, and that, in fact, the very philosophy of the man-nature interaction may change again. Some look forward to these changes. Others are fearful or condemnatory. In many cases, people implicitly or explicitly argue that certain technologies are unnatural. They claim that while certain technologies may be useful, other technologies represent a form of Nature manipulation and this that tinkering is unwise. Since this argument may appear in many places, it is important to critically analyze it. I feel that this argument is the arbitrary reaction of one philosophy against another, and does not by itself prove anything. Examining perceptions of the natural from history and certain exemplary situations, along with modern thinking on the subject, may illuminate the deeper issues that lie behind this argument.
Thus, we may now find ourselves in the position were the same industrious and inventive nature that separated our ancestors from other species and caused us to lean away from the uniform motion of the ecological wheel of life, has caused the wheel to topple out of control, bringing us down with it. The power that we acquired for ourselves in the ability to affect our environment so that it pleased us, also required that we consumed what we made. We drank up the pond in which we swim. The question is whether we will be able to invent our way out of this situation, or if that would be like fighting fire with fire. And essentially, that is exactly what is happening. At the point when we began to control fire, and symbolically the natural creative and destructive force of Mother Nature, we relinquished her care. Now we might have to deal with her justice.