A Modest Proposal Concerning the Environment
* Based on Jonathan Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” (1729).
It is a melancholy object to those who travel through this great country to see isolated corners of this fair realm still devoted to protecting the environment. The wretched advocators of these ideals are frequently seen doling out petitions and begging at their neighbours’ doors to feed their obsession, which keeps them in the contemptible poverty that they so richly deserve.
I think it is agreed by all parties that it is an eyesore to see these people blockading the roads to prime tree-cutting land and bombarding our most respectable government with impractical proposals. It is not so Herculean a task to
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Thence, it will be made clear to you the proper procedures of stripping Mother Earth of her treasures. Also, should you wish to obtain a break from environmental exploitations, there are great places in cyberspace such as www.therainforestsite.com and www.tree4life.com/ingles/ingles.htm where you may effortlessly click your way to saving rainforests. However, I am confident that there will not be any objections to my modest proposal.
There. I have too long digressed, and therefore shall return to my subject. The advantages of my proposal are many. First, there is no need to stray far from our present treatment of the environment.
Secondly, we thrive in a capitalist society, in which we privatize profits and socialize losses. While our nation is rich in natural resources at the present, we will be able to export our goods at high prices and pocket the profits.
Thirdly, we will be doing our world a favour by eliminating the weak and maladaptive organisms while creating new and interesting
Lischer, Richard The Preacher King: Martin Luther King Jr. and the word that moved America Oxford University Press: 1995. Print
Dr. King’s speech starts off with a very strong and well calculated use of logos. He starts his speech with a historical background of African Americans situations in America. He enlightens the audience that 100 years earlier Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which gave all the slaves their freedom. Then after that statement he says that 100 years later African Americans are still not free. Yes, they are no longer sl...
Whenever Martin Luther King Junior, began to speak, he held everybody’s attention. This was the case in 1963 during the pinnacle of the Civil Rights Movement when Martin gave his career defining speech “I Have a Dream”. Over a quarter million people attended the protest, and the crowd varied in color as well as cause. A crowd of this size would certainly frighten most people; but Martin was not the type of man to be phased easily. Martin grew up on the racist streets of Atlanta, Georgia and faced much adversity in his life. Not even thirty-five Martin would give a speech that would shake an embroiled nation to its core. Martin Luther King Junior gave a speech to beautifully wove together the three appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos into one
Nordhaus, Ted, and Michael Shellenberger. Break Through: From the Death of Environmentalism to the Politics of Possibility. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007. Print.
organisms such as plants, animals and humans to achieve a specific beneficial purpose. The pros
A collection of people, green-anarchist radicals, as many would call them, sit cross-legged in the grass, listening to various musical acts and speakers, while absorbing the old growth redwood trees they are surrounded by. They are voicing their pleas of protection for the very earth their toes were sinking into, the very nature they found themselves surrounded by, the very nature they were watching be destroyed. Collectively, the words of the immoral, dedicated fighter Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. echoed around them: “If a human being doesn’t have something they’re willing to die for, they don’t deserve to live”1
In the United States 20% of the adult population report that they are living a flourishing life (Keyes, 2002). However, a high percentage reports feeling as if they are ‘‘stuck’’ or ‘‘want more’’ and are yet not diagnosable with a mental disorder (Fredrickson, 2008). Because happiness has been found to be the source of many desirable life outcomes e.g. career success, marriage, and health, it is of importance to understand, how languishing individuals can reach this ideal state: How can well-being be enhanced and misery reduced (Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005). Over the past decade, research in the field of positive psychology has emerged to provide evidence-based methods to increase an individual’s psychological well-being, through so called positive psychology interventions (PPI’s). PPI’s are treatment methods or intentional activities used to promote positive feelings or behaviour. PPI’s vary from writing gratitude letters, practicing optimistic thinking and replaying positive experiences. A meta-analysis of 51 independent PPI studies demonstrated significant results in the effectiveness of PPI’s increasing well-being (49 studies; r = .29) (Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009).
Through this portion of class readings and discussions, we have sought deeper meaning and understanding of philosophies of individuals and organizations that revolve around the fundamental aspects and notions of deep ecology and eco-activism. These associations offer more views and attitudes on how an individual and society can create and maintain a kinship and positive influence with the natural environment.
Many people assume that the environment is not in danger. They believe that as technology advances, we do not need to worry about renewing natural resources, recycling, and finding new ways to produce energy. They state that one person in the world does not make a large difference. In reality, each individual's contribution greatly affects our environment. Our natural resources are slowly disappearing, and we must work together to save them and the Earth from ruin.
Health and longevity positively correlated with high life satisfaction which means that individuals with high life satisfaction are more likely to be healthy and live longer (Pressman and Cohen, 2012; Diener and Chan, 2011). It was also reported that people with high life satisfaction have stronger and cardiovascular systems (Pressman and Cohen, 2005). Productivity and effectiveness in the workplace as well as success in career is also attributable to high life satisfaction (Tay, Kuykendall, Diener, 2015). Additionally, individuals with high life satisfaction engage in more physical activities (Huang and Humpreys, 2012). Presence of meaning in life as well as search for meaning in life correlated positively with life satisfaction. It is also notable that the older the respondents are, the meaning in life and presence of meaning in life also increases. Therefore, it is deemed that internal assessment of one’s purpose in life can affect life satisfaction (Santos et al.
Robbins et al. (2011, p. 186), states ‘Change is an organizational reality and affects every part of a manager’s job’. Today’s wave of change primarily created by economic condition so change is now such a constant feature of organization life (Goodman, E. 2011, p.243). Organizations need to be changed at one point or another in structure, technology or people. These changes are defined as organizational change (Robbins et al. 2011, p.18). Organizational change is important because changes can increase effectiveness and efficiency, the innovation of products, services as well as dealing with changes in external and internal forces (Goodman, E. 2011, p.243). However, ‘the bottom line is that organizational change is difficult because management systems are design and people are rewarded for stability’ (Lawler, E.E. & Worley, C.G. 2006, p.11).
...ly overcome our financial security, but also, maybe even more importantly, protect our environment so that future generations may enjoy the beauty of raw nature.
While walking through the park last Sunday, I observed a shocking scene. There were two cans: one for recycling and one for trash. The recycling receptacle had only an empty Dr. Pepper can and a few used Ozarka water bottles. On the other hand, the trash can had a plethora of half eaten meals, wrappers, banana peels and disgustingly even bottles, cans, newspapers and plastics that could have been recycled. Because people do not understand or do not care to understand about conserving our resources, many reusable items are being put in landfills when recycling these items could help save the environment. People should know the negative impact of throwing away a water bottle or newspaper, purchasing meat from the grocery store or consuming gasoline has on the environment, and many do not. By informing society about how their decisions affect the environment, we can help save our planet and change our attitude toward the land we live on, the water we drink and the air we breathe” and truly show respect for the stuff that we depend on.
People have to start off understanding what environmental sustainability means. Allie Sibole author of, The Ethics of Sustainability: Why Should We Care?, shares a perfect example, “Sustainability is a moral response to an incredible gift” (Sibole 1). What she explains is, our planet is the beloved gift. People need to not take
The natural conservancy is an organization that is out to conserve the lands and waters on which life depends on. In this paper, I will argue that the natural conservancy organization mission statement captures the true essence of environmentalism. The mission statement of the Nature Conservancy represents the true essence of environmentalism since it recognizes the intrinsic value of all living beings while prioritizing the importance of protecting nature for future generations.