Response #2: You and Nature

I think when we use the word “need,” it is being used in the sense that it is a necessity and that we cannot survive without it. However, I do believe that humans can survive without the natural world but with consequence, for instance, polluted air in which we have to breathe in man made oxygen and etc. When we use the word “natural world,” I always thought of it as our original surroundings such as streams and forest before humans have redefined the landscape with buildings and streets. I believe that what we need are plants, clean water and air, which is a vital part of our lives that we need to survive.

It may be true that there are those who can live without “wild things,” due to the advances in modern technology. We, as humans, can probably survive on synthetic material and man-made artificial food as well but I believe that everything comes at a price. With only the consumption of artificial food and contact with synthetic material, these can cause health problems such as cancer and etc. and further destruction of the natural world through pollution. However, even though I believe that we are capable of living without the natural world, I still believe that we should do everything in our power to protect it from further harm for the future generations. This is my assumption that no child wants to be born and held in an incubator because the air outside is harmful to their lungs or etc.

My guess is that scientists, environmentalists, and people devoted to the conservation of the natural world has been for a long time embedding the idea that without the natural world, there will be grave consequences. They have stressed the facts that if we continue to harm the environment further, not only will the natural world be scathed but also us as humans. For instance, due to the Industrial Revolution, pollution has increased ten folds causing pollution to our air such as thinning out our ozone layer, which is essential to keep away the sun’s harmful rays from penetrating to the surface causing rise in heat, and causing a dominoes effect of other harmful outcomes. I think that the majority of us humans only will take action if we feel the immediate effect of events such as those listed above.

However, people who are only looking to make a profit might argue that nature/environment are full of resources that we should use to make our lives more accessible and easier. Therefore, manufacturing and production as increased and a majority of the people are more concerned with materialistic issues such as products and celebrity news then the environment. Due to advertisements and the lack of knowledge about our environment and nature, I believe that my generation does not know as much about nature then past generations has known. Like the article “Beyond Hope,” this links to this issue of the natural world because we are just hoping that nature will take care by itself and we are only after the simple pleasures in life.

This image that I have chosen is one of the artworks from the artist Anthony Gormley, titled “Waste Man.” Gormley, who is considered a Green Artist, incorporates how humans are affecting the natural world through the disposal of their waste, which causes pollution and etc. such as those I have stated earlier. I believe that he is representing people who believe they do not “need” the natural world, through setting fire to the artwork that is made from tons of garbage. Thus, even with modern technology, humans are still having issues of disposing waste properly so as not to damage the natural world.

Gormley, Anthony. Waste Man. 27 July, 2008. http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://graememitchell.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/galerie-lelong-andy-goldsworthy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://artismoving.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html&usg=__iWPVXZfvssd823ppxDNLzdVj4Pc=&h=378&w=380&sz=92&hl=en&start=143&um=1&tbnid=fQ5b5dl2xOw6cM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dartists%2Bwork%2Bon%2Bnature%2Band%2Bmodern%2Bworld%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D126%26um%3D1