Love for the Land

By Anthony D'Angelo III

This week, the emphasis of the class shifted from climate change to a focus on “land” and nature, and the human impacts associated with these natural settings. Chapter three (the link between environmental attitudes and behaviors) in Communicating Nature identified a bunch of themes and ideas that we saw brought to the forefront by the authors and directors. I though the title of the chapter was very appropriate based on the author stories we read and watched.  

The readings by Henry David Thoreau, Bill McKibben and Wendell Berry were all based on stories or memories of specific land areas. Thoreau and Mckibben’s stories are set in the forest, yet their broad environmental ideologies and the changes they are observing extend way beyond their personal settings and become symbolic of greater global issues. Although “the big picture” theme can also be ascertained by the Wendell Berry’s reading, I got the sense that he was emotionally and physically attached to a very specific piece of land, more so than the other authors.  

This focus on a singular topic can also be observed in the movie we watched this week, A Fierce Green Fire. In this case, five acts, with five specific environmental “battles” are shown. Each small scale issue is symbolic of larger global issues, and the small victories shown in the film are evidence of what people can accomplish when they devote themselves to a cause in the name of environmentalism. Finally, the Rachel Carson film Silent Spring did a wonderful job displaying the impact of Rachel Carson’s work on environmental policy as well as the American reader and the overall philosophy of the American people as it pertains to DDT and pesticides in general. 

I’m starting to notice that Bill Mckibben is all over our course, and to me that is a good thing.  We’ve seen him both in writings and in videos, and I’m starting to get a sense of what he may be like through the multiple sources of media we are using. His work is very easy to read. When I’m reading his stories, I almost feel like I can hear him lecturing them to me. I can sense the New Yorker in him. He seems very “matter of fact” and indeed very opinionated, and he uses hyperbole extensively to stress his ideas. For example, the title “The end of nature” in itself is exaggerated purposely to prove his point: nature is no longer independent of human interaction on any scale.  He discusses ideas such as rain patterns and weather issues as no longer being attributed to the natural flow of the planet, but being affected on a global scale by humans and technology. Even something as natural as walking through the woods is now disrupted by human activity such as the sound of the chainsaw.  Mckibben feels that nature and connecting with nature is intrinsically valuable, and that experiences with the natural world help remind us humans of things that are more powerful, older and rooted in the history of this planet that are beyond our control.

It may have been more appropriate to discuss Thoreau before Mckibben, as Thoreau’s ideas and works have clearly influenced the works and philosophy of Mckibben.  I must say, Mckibben was easier to read than Thoreau, and because of that, I connected with him more. However, I can definitely appreciate the poetic and descriptive style of Thoreau. It’s a very beautiful style of writing, and to me is symbolic of the beauty Thoreau saw in nature.  I thought the reading from Walden that we discussed in class was very interesting. I couldn’t believe how much description an author could give to the cutting down of a tree.  And I noticed yet another connection between Mckibben and Thoreau in the form of the saw. When dissecting both of the readings, that was one of things that stood with me. I feel as though Thoreau uses the saw/chain saw as a symbol to create a negative connotation with humanity/technology and the environment. And it’s a good symbol. The engine is loud, gasoline powered, echoing through the woods. The blades, jagged and sharp, numerous and relentless, metal lubricated in oil; the destroyer of trees. Man cuts DOWN a tree, watches it fall, and stands over it. The imagery I get is powerful and incredibly symbolic of the human mindset that nature is here for us to use and exploit.

Wendell Berry’s writing also wasn’t a terribly interesting read, but I definitely came away with some ideas about what he was trying to say. As mentioned earlier, I get the sense the Berry was a lot more attached to a specific area than the other authors, specifically an “undesirable” plot of land near the banks of the Kentucky River. I thought a lot of good themes could be derived from the reading, for example, the cycle of being raised on the land, going to a prestigious university, and returning to the land instead of joining the corporate world. However I connected with the theme of using the unwanted land. Immediately, the idea of sustainability came to mind when reading this story. Using old tested techniques like plowing with horses instead of modern technology is symbolic of the idea of sustainability by showing that the newest thing isn’t always the best thing, and that we as humans can do a better job of using our resources.  By loving his land, and by supporting his lifestyle off of said land, I thought Berry showed a great example of how sometimes less is more.

The Rachel Carson film Silent Spring was very interesting and eye opening. I got the sense that her work was very important through the various readings I’ve been assigned in this class and others, however watching the film and hearing the narration really helped me realize how impactful she was. I thought Meryl Streep was a nice touch for the Rachel Carson quotes. It’s nice to be able to put a voice to the words your reading. I also thought the use of the pesticide videos in multiple sections of the films helped highlight the attitude that most Americans had at the time concerning pesticides. The kids being sprayed while they were eating was truly horrifying.

My article contribution comes from an environmental protection website (http://eponline.com/Blogs/Environmental-Protection-Blog/2012/10/The-Sustainable-Rooftop-Garden.aspx).

 I was inspired to share with the class after the Berry reading, because I thought he did a great job of demonstrating how we can do more with what we have. In this case, in the tri state area, we have lots of tall buildings and urban areas. Sustainable roof top gardens not only serve the purpose of growing fresh food, they also help absorb co2 and capture runoff water. Also, they would serve as an aesthetic tool with the urban population for reconnecting with nature on any level.