Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter and Final Review of "The Fate of Nature."

For the fourth quarter of "The Fate of Nature," I read Part VI of the book which covered chapters 33-38 and pages 329-368.  The main focus of this last part dealt with "the problem and hope."  The problem, is not so easily defined.  In simple terms, the "problem" is human's thoughts about and treatment of nature.  So, what is the "hope?"  What can we do?

Hope for the Future

In chapter 33, Wohlforth tells the story of a woman named Antonia who he felt had a special drive and a special passion for the environment.  Wohlforth sat down with her and asked if she thought she was a special person since she deeply cared for other people, animals, and the environment.  Antonia said, "I wish more people were that way.  And I think there are a lot of people who are that way.  And I think the more other people see it, the more they will become that way too."  Wohlforth states that this is the very meaning of "hope."  He also stresses that with hope comes change.  Can we change social norms?  Can people themselves change?  The answer is yes.

Change

Change can be predicted and planned, it can result from desire and hope, or it can be accidental or unintentional.  The relationship we have with the earth is changing.  It can be changing for better or for worse.  Wohlforth stresses that it is our decision in what direction we go.  Chapter 34 discusses that climate change is the biggest threat to our oceans.  It is one of the root causes for death of an entire species or even an entire habitat.  Wohlforth further reinforces that it is our sense of community and connectedness to nature that will make a difference.

Celebrations

The final chapter is titled "Celebrations" and discusses hope for the future.  We can have hope because more people are deciding to choose community over competition.  Wohlforth says that we all have a lot to learn, but that in growing, we can make positive changes in our environment.  He ended up recapping some of the stories he had previously told and leaves us with the image of two killer whales moving a spirit from the blue sea to the "blue, starry sky," further stressing the connectedness of humans and the environment.

Book Overview

In this book, Charles Wohlforth discusses many aspects of the environment and more specifically, his experiences in Alaska.  He draws on personal stories and philosophical discussions to provoke the reader's thoughts.  He challenges the reader to define themselves and their relationship with the environment.  As stated in earlier posts, he discusses some of the history of Alaska and its people, goes into great detail about the Exxon Valdeez Oil Spill, and what this means for the future.  In the first part, he talked about the Chugach people who live in Prince William Sound.  He discusses their beliefs and their connectedness to nature.  The Chugach people place value on every part of nature: rocks, grass, trees, animals, the ocean, etc.  What they took from nature, they gave back.  The book also stresses the importance of reviewing this mindset and why we should care.  Then, we moved on to the oil spill and all of the power big corporations had over the media and how strongly the influenced communities.  This was very shocking to read.  Finally, he brought up the discussion of hope and change.  

Three Important Points and Their Significance 

Of the many concepts discussed in this book, there were a few topics that really stuck with me.  One is looking back to the past.  In the stories of the Chugach people, it brought me back to the talk we had in the first couple weeks of class about the blade of grass and the shining star.  We metaphorically and literally walk all over the resources that we have and use every day.  It made me think about different aspects of the environment, and when I walk outside, I see things differently.  A second important point is to raise the critical eyebrows when we hear new information.  When Wohlforth talked about the oil spill, I was surprised at all of the behind the scenes things that went on.  Is something true just because someone tells us it is?  Should we believe everything we see on the news?  Who is behind this project/research/advertisement and how much funding are they providing?  All of these questions and more need to be asked to determine source credibility.  

Both of these combined bring me to my third point of interest or importance.  This point, is to spread hope and create change.  As people who are educated and people who may be leaders, we have to know how to use our resources and our power to spread the word.  Whether it is environmental health, or other related topics, we need support and a channel.  We need to understand that there is hope and we can make a change.  Many of us in this blog group and in this class are already taking great strides to reduce our footprints.  We can enhance this by spreading the word to others that we come in contact with, and telling them the impact of their actions.  Overall, I really have gained a new perspective of myself and the decisions I have to make.  This has put some fuel on my fire, and I hope I will continue to feed it as I progress in our major and the profession.  

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed learning about this book as I have.  It has been great to see every one's topics and learn from each of you without having to buy a textbook.  

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars."

-Walt Whitman