As a child, I was taught to always throw away my trash and clean up after myself in order to be respectful of others who might be where I was in the future. I was taught to recycle and always find ways to be helpful to those around me, whether it be cleaning or simply offering my assistance. Over the years, I hate to admit, I have dwindled from my childhood expectations. Yes, I do make sure to always clean up after myself and lend a helping hand where it is needed, but when it comes to recycling and making sure to be active in environmental preservation projects I have not done my best work. In the piece, “A Fable for Tomorrow” by Rachel Carson, a world that has fallen into shambles is described as being far from recovery and having very little …show more content…
In Rachel Carson’s work, she describes a world that has fallen into ruin allowing life to die away step by step. She begins her claim with the simple statement, “A grim specter has crept upon us unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may easily become a stark reality we all shall know. With this statement, she opens up a clear argument in favor of the ideas that this world is not making any progress towards bettering itself in the long run. Humanity has forgotten its home in the process of finding technology and bettering itself on knowledge rather than preservation. In my own personal environment, all I ever see is construction and the need to make roads to make life easier. When in turn, it is the roads and the automobiles that are placing more toxins into the air than needed before. According to the work by Aniruddha Sen Gupta, Vehicular admissions are responsible for nearly seventy percent of admissions. Of course, there are other culprits, but car admissions are holding the biggest responsibility. (Gupta 18) Not to mention the trash and left over debris from all the people who have been a part of the construction or the individuals who cannot seem to find a stable trash can anywhere in site. Within my own personal home, my own plants can barely stay alive do to the harsh climates and the constant irrigation issues killing all of the grass in my yard. With all the construction of new homes, the water has been redirected to new flowing patters that has its way into neighboring home’s yards. I truly do fear for what the future could hold just as Carson so clearly pointed out. It is the constant idea of not placing our thoughts into what matters. This way of life has crept its way into humanity’s lifestyle and has allowed us to take more and more advances towards a harsh reality that is to come. We will no longer live in a suitable
It is generally agreed that modern environmentalism begins with ‘A Fable for Tomorrow’, the first chapter in Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring (1962). The fairytale-like opening to the book begins with the words, ‘There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings’, painting a classic pastoral picture where she describes civilization far from modern ills coexisting with nature yet away from the perceived danger of the wild. However pastoral peace swiftly gives way to destruction- 'Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change. Some evil spell had settled on the community: mysterious maladies swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep
As generation x’s, and millennials, we are constantly thinking about new ways to improve our lives, rarely considering the fact that the way we have decided to expand our species is destroying several others. Biologist Rachel Carson in her book Silent Spring took on the chemical industry and raised important questions about humankind's impact on nature. In a portion of the book she writes specifically about how human agricultural practice is deeply affecting the natural world. Her purpose to convince the reader that the ways humans are choosing to expand their species is having a detrimental effect on nature using macabre diction and rhetorical questions.
Does one ever think of the potential catastrophic harm they’re causing by turning on the lights or by using their cars? Don’t we want a world where our grandchildren and great grandchildren can live safety and comfortably? At the rate were going this will not be possible; we’ve added more than 1.4 trillion tones of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in just two hundred years, and its messing up our planet (Siegel 1).
Planit Earth when seen from the vast vacuum of outer space stands as a testament to the remarkable phenomenon called life. When viewed from a far Earth appears resolute like a resting marble. However, in reality, this marble of life is under constant change. This constant change is relatively normal and promotes an equal balance in the ecosystem over time. However, over the past hundred years, this balance has shifted. Human beings are now affecting the environment in major ways. In the past humans have lived their lives in ignorance, unaware of their impact on the earth 's environment. The ignorance of past generations is excusable to a point. However, the idiocracy that exists in society today is unforgivable. For decades, humans have studied
The term, progress, is synonymous with phrases that denote moving forward, growth, and advancement. It seems unorthodox then that Ronald Wright asserts the world has fallen into a progress trap, a paradox to how progress is typically portrayed as it contradicts the conventional way life is viewed: as being a natural progression from the outdated and tried towards the new and improved. Wright posits that it is the world’s relentless creation of innovative methods that ironically contributes to the progress trap rather than to progress itself, the intended objective. Wright’s coinage of the term “progress trap” refers to the phenomenon of innovations that create new complications that are typically left without resolve which exacerbate current conditions; unwittingly then, matters would have been much better if the innovation had never been implemented. In his book, “A Short History of Progress,” he alludes to history by citing examples of past civilizations that collapsed after prospering, and ones that had longevity because they avoided the perilous progress trap. Wright recommends that societies of today should use indispensable resources, such as history, to learn and apply the reasons as to why certain societies succeeded, while also avoiding falling into the pitfalls of those that failed, the ones that experienced the progress trap. This can easily be interrelated with Godrej’s concept of “the overheated engine of human progress,” since humans for centuries have been risking environmental degradation for progress through ceaseless industrialization and manufacturing. This exchange is doomed to prevent improved progress and will lead to society’s inevitable decline since it is unquestionable that in the unforeseeable future, cl...
Despite the increasing amount of scientific evidence that support global climate change, many countries still use fossil fuels. The U.S. in particular is considering the revitalization of the coal industry instead of focusing on the production of clean energy. This inability to change will eventually lead to our downfall and our world will become like that of Lauren’s. In order for our survival, we have to seek out other planets because we are not changing fast enough for the sake of our planet. As our world’s climate continues to change rapidly, our resources are running and we are starting to split the world’s population into two groups: the wealthy and the poor. This is a sign that our world might become like that of Lauren’s dystopia. We cannot continue to live in this world with the belief that there is a world after death, like Lauren says, “We'll adapt. We'll have to. God is Change” (Butler, 147). We, human race, have to adapt and change or else we will eventually disappear. There is no supernatural being that can save us from our own destruction because the human race refuses to change. Even if we manage to move another planet, we will eventually turn that planet into another hell. The problem is not with the world, it is with
Our world is often referred to as our home. We need it to survive, and it provides us with the resources that we need to live our lives as comfortably as we do. Yet, we don’t often take the time to consider our impact on our environment. Let’s say our earth is “literally” a house, could you live in a home that has been routinely and permanently damaged, sprayed full of insecticides, and even torn apart for someone’s personal use? This Idea is represented in Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring”.
I strongly agree with Pope Francis that if we teach younger generations not to be wasteful and show them how to be resourceful, then it won’t be such a struggle in the future. "Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices.” (211). There are so many new ways to help reduce our use of natural resources that if from a young age we are taught these methods then we could help save our planet. “All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings. Reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity.” (211). Again, I agree with the Pope that recycling and reusing makes you feel good because you are making an active contribution to reduce climate
In modern society, humans constantly pollute the environment by using cars, technology, food packaging, and a countless amount of other products. Despite understanding how causing mass amounts of pollution can harm, often there are minimal attempts to correct polluting behaviors, at least until it poses an immediate threat to humans. The idea that the environment is suffering due to our mass consumption through instances of climate change and pollution, is not nearly enough motivation to stop the use of things that may be harmful. In order to address pollution in any respect, there must be an immediate threat to the health and well-being of humanity. Rachel Carson highlights this idea in her
...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
...ting petitions for valuable causes, or even start a recycling system in your community. Our presence in this world automatically assigns us the responsibility to preserve what we have.
As our world becomes increasingly globalized, numerous people travel to urban areas in search of economic prosperity. As a consequence of this cities in periphery countries expand at rates of 4 to 7 percent annually. Many cities offer entrepreneurs the potential for resources, labor, and resources. With prosperity cities also allow the freedom to of a diversity of way of life and manners (Knox & Marston, 2012). However, in the quest to be prosperous, increasing burdens are placed on our health and the condition of our environment. These burdens are amplified as the area is further urbanized; increasing demands for fossilized fuels, food, water, and property for additional urban construction. The impact of industrialization has transformed human life and produced extensive ecological deviations. In order to understand how the environmental impacts of ever expanding industrialized technology might linger to impact our health and that of our environment, offers facts that should be studied. This paper suggests that extra research be conducted to enhance perception concerning advancing modern technology disadvantageous consequences on the safety of humans and their surrounding environment.
Some people say recycling is a waste of time. If one is a very busy person, then maybe. But taking that extra two seconds to recycle, saving energy, money, resources, and the world isn’t a bad plan either. If everyone would take the extra two seconds to recycle, the extra effort would help to make the world would be a much cleaner and more efficient place. Recycling could also help to lower taxes in the long run. Recycled materials have value, and trash costs money. A city recycling program could sell it and make money. Then, with the extra money, the city wouldn’t have to charge as much money on taxes. Now how does those two extra seconds sound now? One can better the place they live in and save some money by taking two extra seconds to recycle.
... of the personal automobile has damaged and continues to damage our world certainly provides a more informed awareness. Awareness, knowledge, and understanding possibility can lead to solutions to work towards improving the world we currently live in and the world in the future. However, I feel that it is a battle between selfish and personal desires and the urgent needs of our society and world. Even if an increased awareness and desire to work towards alleviation of the problems of pollution, outward expansion, and depletion of natural resources occurs, I'm afraid, as time goes by, it is becoming increasingly too late. I think the cliche, hindsight is 20/20 is certainly applicable here.
Since I bought a trash sorter for this project, I plan to keep using it and take advantage of my neighborhood curbside recycling service. There is a schedule set up to put out plastics one day, glass one day, and paper another day. It must be sorted and in the blue recyclable bags that my trash company provides. I do think that every little bit helps in the recycling effort. If everyone had the same attitude as me, we would not have the mess we have now. I feel good about doing something worthwhile for the environment, and I am sure if others put in a little effort they would receive the same satisfaction