Bill McKibben and Edward Abbey are both modern environmental writers who have had a noticeable impact on the environmental movement. One of Abbey’s novels, The Monkey Wrench Gang, was an inspirational piece for some of the founders of Earthfirst!, a far-left environmentalist group. McKibben’s most famous novel, The End of Nature (1989), is more widely read than any other nature book since Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring. Abbey, who is commonly associated with the Southwest,a has often been described as possessing a bitter but passionate attitude. A past including careers as a ranger and a firefighter indicate his attachment to the wilderness that he considers “our natural home'; is something very real to him. His concept of “Eco-Defense';, in which he gives environmentalists a right to protect their home, is an original and unique way of thinkng of environmental protectionism. McKibben shows us the damage we have done to the natural world and makes a plea for an end. He was born to two journalist parents, married a journalist, and wrote for and edited the The New Yorker . Abbey and McKibben write differently but they are bonded in that they both demand change.
Abbey and McKibben would agree that something is wrong with America’s attitude toward the environment. However, Abbey’s writing invites doing battle with those who invade the forests while McKibben simply tries to point out that there is a problem and that something radical must be done to eliminate it at its base. Abbey’s essay, Eco-Defense, and McKibben’s essay, Not So Fast both ask the reader to act radically. However, Abbey writes as if to de-emphasize the radicalism of his solution while McKibben is blunt as he explains that the only sane option is something that is contradictory to societies current values. Both McKibben and Abbey’s audiences have proven them to be effective as persuasive writers. What is it about their writing that makes it work?
Abbey’s writing is intended to stir the reader’s instincts. He begins his essay with an example of self-defense in the home. This is something that most people can come together and agree on. Abbey writes, “Self-defense against attack is one of the basic laws not only of human society but of life itself, not only of human life but ...
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...rgy conservation are highlighted because they are applicable and are examples of the macro-environmental problem that most people fail to see. The emphasis is not that we have a moral issue to change but that we must.
McKibben gives us a journalistic viewpoint, which cannot be ignored. He quotes an interview he had with Al Gore in which Gore said, “The maximum that is politically feasible, even the maximum that is politically imaginable right now, still falls short of the minimum that is scientifically and ecologically necessary.'; If this is true then why do so many people fail to recognize it? McKibben sums it up in one powerful phrase, “Change frightens us';.
Abbey and McKibben have influenced the environmental movement in two different ways. Abbey gives those who are already involved some of his passion and has inspired many people to sacrifice for what they come to believe in. It is a hot-blooded brand of environmentalism. McKibben presents us with information that we should not be able to ignore with good conscience, attempting to change our minds without manipulating them. Either way, both writers have been successful in the purpose they are writing for.
When thinking about the transcendental period and/or about individuals reaching out and submerging themselves in nature, Henry David Thoreau and his book, Walden, are the first things that come to mind. Unknown to many, there are plenty of people who have braved the environment and called it their home during the past twenty years, for example: Chris McCandless and Richard Proenneke. Before diving into who the “modern Thoreaus” are, one must venture back and explore the footprint created by Henry Thoreau.
From the lone hiker on the Appalachian Trail to the environmental lobby groups in Washington D.C., nature evokes strong feelings in each and every one of us. We often struggle with and are ultimately shaped by our relationship with nature. The relationship we forge with nature reflects our fundamental beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. The works of timeless authors, including Henry David Thoreau and Annie Dillard, are centered around their relationship to nature.
The book is often cited as an environmental classic - of which there can be little doubt - but it is also said by some to have largely triggered the modern environmental movement. Its warning about the dangers of
A graduate of Harvard and the former editor of the Harvard Crimson, Bill McKibben joined the New Yorker in 1982 as a staff writer right out of college. His parents had been writers, and he always thought he would follow in his father’s footsteps as a “newspaper” man. Oblivious as any to environmental predicaments, the course of his career—and life really—changed after writing an extensive piece where he literally tracked down where everything was made in his apartment. Travelling around for this piece introduced him to the “real world,” and in 1987 he left the New Yorker to live in the Adirondack Mountains with his fiancé (“McKibben, Bill”). This is where he wrote his first book, The End of Nature; a book that pushed him into the environmental limelight and provided a basis for all his other works.
He delves into the history of the word “environmental” as well as the history of environmental activism. He pinpoints the beginning of the movement to Rachel Carson. According to Quammen, she began the revolution by publishing her book Silent Spring. He says the negative connotations of the word began with her book, pairing “environment” and “the survival of humankind” as if they go hand in hand. This played a major role in the distortion of the word and the intentions of environmentalists.
The article “Divorce and Its Effects on Children” by Kelvin L. Seifert and Robert J. Hoffnung states about the effects of the divorce under the children. The authors say “most parents who divorce must make major adjustments in their lives, and these adjustments often affect their children deeply.”(Kelvin, Robert, 1). Most of the adjustments are different by the children gender and sometimes the relationship between parents and their children deteriorate during and immediately after a divorce.
Henry Thoreau’s relationship to nature underwent many changes throughout the course of his life. He especially made a much discussed shift from Emersonian Transcendentalism, to scientific data collection. Thoreau followed varied paths on his quest to understand the world in which he lived. As he grew older he managed to amass a huge collection of information about the plants and animals in the Concord region of Massachusetts. But his greatest contribution to the world is not his scientific research; rather it is the example of respect and thoughtfulness with which he approached nature. This individualistic and spiritual approach to nature differentiates him from modern day ecologists. Thoreau’s quest was to understand better and appreciate nature as a whole and the greater role it plays in connection to all things. Not only did he succeed in doing so, but he has also inspired his readers to question, observe, and appreciate the natural world. His thoughts on nature are recognized today as precursors of the conservation movement and also inspiration for the creation of national parks. Thoreau’s approach to nature varied throughout his life, but his purpose did not. His myriad approach to his work is exactly what brought about his success, and sets him apart from other nature writers and ecologists who share his quest.
Moon, Michelle. 2011. “The Effects of Divorce on Children: Married and Divorced Parents’ Perspectives.” Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 52:344-349.
Divorce has emotional and behavioral problems on children. “Children of divorce display higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower self-esteem, and more frequent use of psychological services (Portnoy).” This causes stress on children in the short-term; however, it has been proven that only 25% of children have long-terms problems due to divorce. Some even compare the side effects of divorce on a child to the same as a child losing a parent. This causes many feelings including sadness, longing, worry, and regret on the children (Rappaport). Continuing into adulthood, higher levels of depression have been found in both women and men
Born in Home, Pennsylvania in 1927, Abbey worked as a forest ranger and fire look-out for the National Forest Service after graduating from the University of New Mexico. An author of numerous essays and novels, he died in 1989 leaving behind a legacy of popular environmental literature. His credibility as a forest ranger, fire look- out, and graduate of the University of New Mexico lend credibility to his knowledge of America’s wilderness and deserts. Readers develop the sense that Abbey has invested both time and emotion in the vast deserts of America.
In his journal, Thoreau muses upon twenty years of changes in New England’s land and beasts. He lists the differences in plants and animals, comparing them to past accounts and descriptions. He questions if the growing human presence has resulted in “a maimed and imperfect nature.” Cronon believes that this is an important question to consider. He points out that although changes do happen in nature, it is not so easy to determine how they changed. He is also not sure if Thoreau’s description of “a maimed and imperfect nature” is the correct way to refer to ecology, since it is by its essence, a fluid system of changes and reactions. Cronon does not deny the impact of
Demo, D. H., & Acock, A. C. (1988). The impact of divorce on children. Journal of Marriage
Mr. McKibben provides a strong argument call of action for everyone to take action against global warming. But he doesn 't just want action, Mr. Mckibben is demanding action now, and lots of it. Throughout the passage, Meltdown: Running Our of Time on Global Warming, the reader can examine the many ways that McKibben attempts to persuade others to join his movement. When one examines Bill McKibben 's use of rhetoric appeals, persuasive fallacies, and counter augments, A reader can analyze and understand the real claim that the writer is attempting to address.
Hughes, Jr. R. Ph.D. (2009) The effects of divorce on children. University of Illinois at urbana-Champaign
Most people, when thinking about divorce, worry about the impact that it has on the children that are involved. Even though children are most likely better off if totally incompatible parents separate instead of staying together, divorce is about loss and change, and it is still hard for children. Everyone knows that divorce has its effects on children. There are three different sources that try to explain these effects. Graham Blaine Jr. states that divorce is a threat to all children, whereas Rhona Mahony states that divorce is not always the cause of behavioral or academic problems in children coming from divorced families. Yvette Walczak and Sheila Burns state that the extent of the damage can be determined by the parents and their methods of explanation to the children.