“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” (Abbey) These words, written by Edward Abbey in 1982, resonate the ideas proposed by John Muir nearly a century prior. While both Muir and Abbey both appreciate the natural beauty found in the American Southwest, only Abbey recognized the threat of human intervention on the preservation of the natural beauty of these wilderness areas.
In Explorations in the Great Tuolumne Cañon, Muir describes the area that would later become Yosemite National Park in great loving detail. It is obvious from his writing that he is mesmerized by the beauty of the area, and is willing to risk self-harm in order to more fully immerse himself in
…show more content…
His distaste for this action is evident in Canyonlands and Compromises as he describes the plight of the conservationists as they fight to preserve the remaining unspoiled land in the American Southwest. Once renowned for its pristine air and landscape, the area now is under assault from pollution from tourist travel and coal burning power plants. Compromise, he reasons is a misnomer for the actual events transpiring in this area. Conservationists are forced to relinquish some of their desires in order to prevent losing all negotiations. He argues that urbanization of this area threatens its survival, and likens such growth to a cancer (Abbey). While he, like Muir, is enamored with the beauty of nature, Abbey has seen the effects of human intervention on the Western United States, and advocates for preservation instead of promoting the lands. A century of growth and exploration changed the focus of the environmentalists since expanded use of fossil fuels led to destruction of some of the formerly unspoiled areas. Muir’s emphasis was on reveling in the magnificence of the mountains, while Abbey cautions of the effects of exploration and accompanying greed on the health of the
Susan Rhoades Neel - A Place of Extremes: Nature, History, and the American West In her essay, Susan Rhoades Neel examines the significance of the environment of the American West when shaping western history by referring to and analyzing regional approaches claimed by Webb, Limerick, Worster, and White in order to deemphasize Frederick Jackson Turner's frontier thesis. In fact, most historians may regard Turner's theory as the most influential and adequate one in attempting at giving meaning to the mythical territory of western America as it offers a common sense for the entire American nation. Nonetheless, because of the particular emphasis on nature and the human - nature relation, new approaches have been developed in order to outline
A young William Palmer witnessed firsthand, the environmental damages inflicted by Britain industrial revolution. Palmer had a vision for Colorado as the hub of Western industrialization that promised a better society where business can thrive harmoniously with humans and the natural world. A dilemma arose when he realized that his vision for Colorado, railroad trains and mechanical missionary would destroy the country’s beautiful landscape. Andrews argues that Palmer’s had an inter struggle between profitability and ethical issues arising from the expanding and very expensive industrialization. One of the difficult situation was the working and living condition of the coal
Chris McCandless was introduced to the magic of nature at an early age although he was raised in a family that chose to live off their riches rather than their land. One of the largest influences to McCandless would have been his grandfather. “The old man’s backwoods savvy, his affinity for the wilderness, left a deep impression on the boy,” (Krakauer 109). Many of those who question McCandless’s dedication to the wilderness, had not understood his personal influences. McCandless had an interest for nature from a young age that flooded into his adolescent years that explains why he had such a fascination for leaving his home for Alaska.
Jimmy Carter, a former US president effectively incorporates logos – facts and evidence, pathos – appealing word choice and emotion, and ethos – credibility to build his persuasive argument. Carter strives to contend that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry. First, throughout the article, there are many situations where Jimmy Carter incorporates facts and examples. For example, he states, “The Arctic Refuge might provide 1 to 2 percent of the oil our country consumes each day.” By using such numbers, Carter forces the reader to evaluate the situation by recognizing the difference between an insignificant financial income and enormous damage to the territory.
John Muir was naturalist, author, philosopher, and a great advocate for preservation in which he took interest in since he was very young. Later in his life, he wrote many letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature which were read by millions. His most powerful quote consisted of few words, “Climb the mountain and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as the sunshine into the trees Although both Gifford Pinchot and John Muir sought the need of nature in humanity, their views greatly differed. Pinchot saw conservation as a means of managing the nation’s natural resources for long-term sustainable commercial use. On the other hand, Muir sided more with preserving the land than conserving (Muir, John).
Mendocino,CA is an astonishing town with a great history. The things that were most important that has shaped Mendocino is geography and climate. In this essay, I will be talking about the main causes of the shaping of Mendocino,with its tall redwood trees and foggy climate,and explaining more in depth about these topics. One of the main causes is geography. Geography has a lot to do with the shaping of Mendocino for a few different reasons.
During westward expansion, land has played a key role in the existence of humans. It has been the individual thirst for power and expansion that causes humans to feel the need to gain land. Even in medieval times, one could not be considered nobel unless one had acquired land. In addition to seeing land as a powerful entity and a symbol of strength, it is also seen as necessary for the preservation of human existence. Infact, Andrew jackson in his address to congress on the Indian Removal Act, John.
40) The Okanagan people live by their code of ethics to collectively collaborate and make decisions on a consensus basis to make a positive decision for all people—elders, mothers, fathers and youth. They also practice conflict resolution known as the traditional “En’owkinwiwx” process which provides a powerful experience to the conscious mind and helps (or persuades) individual to listen and follow through with changes. This would be a powerful tool to utilize in the efforts of changing the mindset of individuals to be more conscious and protective of our natural environment and respecting our Mother Earth. Moreover, the ancestors’ connection to the land and nature resulted in knowledge development of the stories of origin and became the natural teachings that have formed the education system in emanating the sacred teachings of land
I had the opportunity to go to Mexico and visit the Yucatan rainforest and this lead me to be able to explore nature and feel the peaceful impact it can have on someone 's life. Chris McCandless was determined to create a new life for himself and be the one to control his own destiny. “Chris changed his name, gave the entire balance of a twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet…. His family had no idea where he was or what had become of him until his remains turned up in Alaska”. This quote is from Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild and shows how McCandless left everything from his old life in order to create a new life for himself.
In his 1995 essay “The Trouble with Wilderness,” William Cronon declares that “the time has come to rethink wilderness” (69). From the practice of agriculture to masculine frontier fantasies, Cronon argues that Americans have historically defined wilderness as an “island,” separate from their polluted urban industrial homes (69). He traces the idea of wilderness throughout American history, asserting that the idea of untouched, pristine wilderness is a harmful fantasy. By idealizing wilderness from a distance, he argues that people justify the destruction of less sublime landscapes and aggravate environmental conflict.
seclusion, so called simplicity, the beautiful landscapes, its hard no to believe that alaska could cure all of our issues. the dreamers and the misfits that jon krakauer meantions in the quote from page four in Into the Wild expect alaska to patch up the unsatisfactory holes in their lives. a person being interviewed from Into the Wild, Jim Gallien, explains that people, such as Chris McCandless, have certain expectations for alaska; these expectations include easily living off of the land and claiming "a piece of the good life". all of these people that expect "the frontier" to save us believe that since they will live an imagined simplier life, most of their problems will be cured. the holes they search for something to fill could be caused
The Alaskan Bush is one of the hardest places to survive without any assistance, supplies, skills, and little food. Jon Krakauer explains in his biography, Into The Wild, how Christopher McCandless ventured into the Alaskan Bush and ultimately perished due to lack of preparation and hubris. McCandless was an intelligent young man who made a few mistakes but overall Krakauer believed that McCandless was not an ignorant adrenalin junkie who had no respect for the land. Krakauer chose to write this biography because he too had the strong desire to discover and explore as he also ventured into the Alaskan Bush when he was a young man, but he survived unlike McCandless. Krakauer’s argument was convincing because he gives credible evidence that McCandless was not foolish like many critics say he was.
John’s book, like all others, holds various strengths and weaknesses. Largely, St. John’s thesis is supported by offering a varying look at the borderlands throughout multiple decades and discussing the progression of change as it occurred across eras and regions. St. John provides interesting historical details that would otherwise probably not be known to the reader, such as her statement in the Introduction that the desert border running from west of El Paso to the Pacific Ocean did not conform to any previously existing geographic features. This fact, like others provided in “Line in the Sand,” might not seem interesting but indeed is in the sense that it forces the reader to consider it and to contextualize it based on what the reader knows of the border. For example, reading this fact, I was forced to contemplate how the border boundary was formed west of Texas and how the line that is in place to day came to be.
Feige's goal is not only to explain how exactly American History is rooted in nature, but also to stress the presence of nature in historical events that is often overlooked or entirely ignored by other historians. Throughout the book, the reader is made clear this is Feige’s primary goal of the text, demonstrating the importance of environmental history of the United States and prove that nature’s role in America’s past is more vast and influential than what is thought. Fiege continuously explains how historical events are sometimes entirely shaped by nature and proves so by exploring the geography, topography, weather, disease spread, and other features occurring in nature and how they
Sweat leaked down my face and fell to the fresh earth below. The mid-summer heat was unbearable, but I knew that it would pay off. I had hiked two miles in scent-free camouflage to this particular spot. Grandpa’s land, with the tallest of oaks and thickest of brush, was where I would spend countless hours in the early mornings and late nights of fall’s best days. Deer season was still two months away, but I backpacked in with all the things I needed: a stand, mineral block, rake, and dripper.