By Geena Golon
Humans and nature have always had a direct and almost spiritual bond. The human existence has been enriched and nurtured by this wild entity that fills our existence with wonder and enchantment. However, since the first humans began to try to tame what is untamable and utilize its attributes for the sole purpose of progress and survival, the course of the future became clear. Unless humanity can make decisions based on the needs of the earth and let society come second, we are doomed to fall out of balance with the very source of our survival and lose a connection to one of the few parts of the world that can touch our very souls.
Nature on its own lies in a very delicate balance; every living creature has a specific niche in the ecosystem. As humans have become more centered in society rather than the environment, the aspect of comfort has overshadowed the idea of an overall design for nature. Humans have fallen into a pattern of self service and greed in the name of development. Due to the delicate balance and the potential threats of disaster, it is necessary for information to convey a strong and factually supported message in order to inspire the immediate response that is required to prevent lasting damage to our earth. Rachel Carson, the author of A Silent Spring, uses research she gathered over the course of the use of DDT being used to rid areas of the United States from pests. Her argument included how the chemicals would have affected birds, fish, aquatic ecosystems, mammals and humans. Her overwhelming numerical evidence of the quantity of deaths and descriptive details on the deaths of different creatures not only supplies the reader with the reality of the effects humans can have on our environment, but a look at the scale of destruction.
Appealing to the empathetic nature of humans is not a practice exclusive to Carson. In Mark Kitchell’s A Fierce Green Fire, the audience is consistently reminded of the beauty of the earth through cinematic shots of the landscapes and creatures in question. Scenes of the flowing Colorado River and followed by illustrations of whales and videos of the children and parents affected by the Love Canal. After, the audience is presented with the harsh reality of the extent of the damage that has actually been done. To provide an additional tug on the heart strings of the audience, the director chose to add heart-wrenching auditory stimulation. The segment on the Love Canal contains not only the facts of what the extent of the damage done to children who lived near the toxic waste, but interviews with tear-full parents who had miscarried or given birth to still born children. Furthermore, the leader of the group of activists provided an interview of how she was personally affected by the damage done to the environment and videos of the numerous meetings and struggles these women had to endure in order to provide a safe environment for their families. By providing this, the director was able to bring the reality of the situation much closer to the audience than if he had been told from an outside perspective.
In addition to these interviews, both Kitchell and PBS producers of Rachel Carson’s A Silent Spring provide sound clips and videos of the effects humans have on their environment. Videos of whales being hunted and sound clips of the screams of these creatures paired with the stories of the men and women who risked their lives to save them add to the attempt at reaching the viewers sense of empathy. Instead of just stating that creatures such as birds and fish died in fits of seizures from consistent exposure to DDT, clips of these delicate creatures were provided to connect the viewer to the situation and make the consequences more tangible.
Attempting to appeal to the empathetic nature of humans is not a practice solely confined to motion picture. In his journals, Henry Thoreau attempted to connect the reader to the beauty that he saw in the environment. He described how He understands that each part of the Earth is special and interconnected. Furthermore, when humans cut down a tree in the forest in order to supply lumber for their society, Thoreau watches and describes the events. He refers to the tree as a noble creature and describes its majesty and place in the forest. Furthermore, when the tree finally falls, he describes it as both incredibly awe inspiring and tragic; as if a hero has fallen in battle. This provides the audience with a sense of sorrow and distain for those responsible. Thoreau further appeals to the emotions of humans by describing the saw that cut down the tree as a scary and menacing creature. He creates a sense of fear around the object and connects the reader to how the tree would be feeling in the situation.
Both Thoreau and McKibben provide their readers with a sense of distain and almost fear of the objects that humans bring into nature. As a way of providing the reader with the feeling that nature is sacred and special, McKibben describes the magic that he once felt at a local swimming hole he frequented with his wife. He provides a visual representation of a very generic experience but conveys the picture in such a way that the reader could associate the feeling with a memory that they have. McKibben describes the feeling of swimming in water and letting the calming sense of nature overcome your body. This feeling of calmness and then intrusion of a human entity provides a connection for the audience to the experience McKibben had and helps convey a need to protect the environment and keep it sacred.
Wendell Berry uses a similar method as McKibben. Instead of connecting the audience to the appreciation of nature that he has through description of common experiences, Berry describes the process that he used to connect with the environment. He describes not only the healing process of the land that he and his wife purchased, but the healing process they themselves went through. By referring to their own experience, they make living their lifestyle of taking only what they need and living for the land attainable to anyone who wants to work hard.
Keeping with the theme of making the dream of living for the earth and not for you, this article provides the reader with a short and simple list of small changes that they can implement to their everyday lives. By providing small lists and easily achievable goals, the reader is not intimidated by the aspect of changing their whole lifestyle and is therefore motivated to make these positive changes. http://cotap.org/reduce-carbon-footprint/
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