Lorax Synthesis Essay

2. a. The Truax points out both good and bad in relations to cutting down the trees. Through communication with Guardbark, the Truax states that cutting down the trees is beneficial for the environment. He explains that the cut trees are being replaced with the new trees that are planted. Furthermore, he says that people are well informed about conservation and that 95 million acres land had been set aside in Natural Preserves. In contrast to the Truax, the Lorax only indicates that cutting down the trees is horrible and gives big damage to the environment. According to the Lorax, the Truffula trees and the animals should be protected since the pristine environment depends on them. When Once-ler cuts all the trees down, the atmosphere gets polluted and the Truffula tree forest’s animals, Swomee-Swans, Brown Bar-ba-loots, and Humming-Fish have no choice other than abandoning their homes. The Lorax is written only from a pessimistic point of view. The only good thing in the story is the ending where the narrator hands the last Truffula tree seed to the child so he can plant and make a positive change

in the ecosystem.
b.

Both stories reflect social trap. In the Lorax, the social trap is introduced by the tragedy of the common where Oncle-ler as an individual cut down all the Truffula trees for his own self-interest. His Thneed factory damaged the land while making profit from it until there was no more tree left. At the end, the deforestation left Oncle-ler with nothing. In the Truax, the social trap is explained in the way so it can avoid the sliding reinforcer. The Truax explains that cutting down the trees benefits and promotes biodiversity. These actions are beneficial at first, but due to change of conditions, the benefit declines. Cutting trees created some more space for the animals to thrive in the forest floor. The Truax also introduces the time delay, such as cutting down the trees can help people to build houses of wood, but later the lack of big trees will cause

problems.
c. The story Lorax contributes to the environmental literacy since the Lorax was trying to convince Once-ler that his actions cause damage on the environment. The Lorax knew what was going to happen due to deforestation. He tells Once-ler that the animals need food, place to thrive, and that the factory harms the animals and creates smoke all over the land. Even though the Lorax points out the outcomes caused by the deforestation and factory work, Once-ler only thinks about his personal achievements by showing luck of knowledge. Like the Lorax, the Guardbark in the story of Truax talks about the importance of the trees and that even though the cut trees are being replaced, it will take some time and he what he hates is waiting. The Truax states that he knows how important the trees are for the environment and that trees supply oxygen by taking CO2. The Truax also shows his knowledge about the damage the deforestation can cause pointing out the preserved sections of the forest which lessens the harm.