Creating an Artificial Environment Essay

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity”, these are the quotes of the famous German physicist Albert Einstein in relation to how the world has become overly reliant on technology. As a result, we have taken nature for granted while also ignoring the adverse effects of technology. The making of steam engine, the usage of fossil fuel and the creation of chlorofluorocarbon are all technologies which has benefited us greatly and are continuing to do so, but like everything on this earth there are always negatives to counter the positives This is the balance that we must find between nature and humans.

In 2008, Robert Louv wrote a book titled Last Child in the Woods which elucidates the expanding gap between people and nature. Louv develops an argument in one section of the book that states technology is the cause for the separation of people- specifically those of the technological generation- and nature. In the passage from Last Child in the Woods, Louv uses anaphora, rhetorical questions, and appeals to ethos to develop his argument regarding the gap technology is forming between people and nature.

In a fascinating statement, Stenger says, engaged in a cumulative and ambitious race to modify and gain control of our environment, and in the process we have come close to domestication ourselves” (112). By controlling our natural environment, we control ourselves, and essentially we would become domesticator and the animal. Stenger is not alone in his belief that we become something different when to take away the wilderness, Annie Leonard comes to similar conclusion, even though she does not state it in the same way Stenger does. In her video “The Story of Stuff” Leonard outlines how humans have created a culture of consumerism. We want stuff, we need stuff, and stuff is our life. The only thing that makes life worthwhile, is acquiring stuff because it gives us status (Leonard). However, like Stegner says, this was of life that promotes the world we create over the wilderness, even at the cost of the wilderness does not make us happy. Leonard points out that our national happiness started declining right at the point when our society started becoming driven by consumerism. Destroying the environment, forgetting about the environment to focus on ourselves as the biggest and most important thing in the world

To conclude, the choices that humans make with technology affect this Earth. It could either be a negative outcome like destruction or it could be positive and be a spark of a new hope. As this society continues with these old ways which have already exceeded our humanity, they are just creating more destruction. If humankind can change these ways, there could be hope for a fresh start, and a new beginning. All in all, let’s stop this technology from exceeding humanity and begin

Through removal and technology, humans have started to become isolated from the wilderness and the nature around them. This view distinctly contrasts with Thoreau’s perspective. “Though he [Thoreau] never put humans on the same moral level as animals or trees, for example, he does see them all linked as the expression of Spirit, which may only be described in terms of natural laws and unified fluid processes. The self is both humbled and empowered in its cosmic perspective,” states Ann Woodlief. The technologies that distract and consume us, and separate us from the natural world are apparent. Many people and children ins cities have seen little to no natural-grown things such as grass and trees. Even these things are often domesticated and tamed. Many people who have never been to a National Park or gone hiking through the wilderness do not understand its unruly, unforgiving, wild nature. These aspects, thought terrifying to many, are much of why the wilderness is so beautiful and striking to the human heart. “Thoreau builds a critique of American culture upon his conviction that ‘the mind can be permanently profaned by the habit of attending to trivial things, so that all our thoughts shall be tinged with triviality,’” pronounces Rick Furtak, quoting Thoreau’s Life

As a US Citizen we conform to regulate and maintain the foundation that connects us as a whole. The whole is made up of multiple people who share the same values, and is necessary in a long term successfully running society like the USA. But in times of change, we must stand out as individuals and refrain from the collective unit in order to redirect the long-term path of society. Time and time again displayed throughout history, men and women have departed from the collective whole in order to change their surroundings. Often it’s these type of individuals, such as Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King, and Bill Gates; who revolutionize the world they live in.

Human desire for affluence over the course of modern history has proven to be a driving force in the detriment of the natural world, demonstrating the apathetic outlook humans have towards our . Richard Louv’s Last Child argument describes the loosening of interest in our current generation; it has built a wall that one day may cut our ropes from earthly surroundings. Although this passage was written with incontrovertible accuracy about humans in the present, the author’s bias outlook, which reflects in the tone of his writing,makes this piece undeniably one sided, which not only takes credibility away from the author’s argument, but also creates this controversial idea of modern technology serving as an unhealthy focus in today’s society that only distracts humans away from the environment.

Within the modern world, and the modern thought process people have about our connection with new technologies is one of constant expanse. All caution is thrown to the wind in an attempt to satisfy one insatiable hunger for a certain type of keeping up with the Jones-es. Many authors speak on the wonder of technological advances on society by the exact means of how they work, however, Richard Louv is not this kind of author. He presents technology as useful, but with an underlying tone of a technological numbing agent. We begin to only see it instead of what Earth has given us millions of years. Technology is only a certain part of the problem with the real problem being humanity's mindset toward our greatest asset, nature. Mr. Louv uses extremely profound and intelligent rhetoric to push forward the idea that us as humans are already so broken away from nature, that eventually it will be deemed illogical we used it for anything other than a means produce by it. Richard shows three areas we have really broken apart from nature with the three examples of ad space for parks, extra commodities for an SUV, and the genetic modification of animals.

The Importance of Individuality Many people throughout the world have different definitions of individualism. According to Merriam-Webster, an online dictionary, “the belief that the needs of each person are more important than the needs of the whole society or group” is the definition of individualism. This definition seems to view individualism as a bad thing for society, but if each individual is not able to rely on themselves, then there would be no society because no one would be able to get anything done.

Given these points, Technology has many long-term affects that can lead to many problems like over-relying on the internet, not developing our mind the way it was suppose to be, and etc. Like Socrates one said, “ We are exposing our brains to an environment and asking them to do things we weren’t necessarily evolved to do, he said, We know already there are

Throughout world history, people have come up with brilliant new ideas to make life easier, and as time goes on, research, making food, and getting news, has all become instantaneous. It now only takes the push of a button to cook a thanksgiving meal or the click of a remote to find out what’s happening across the world. These things are often taken for granted, and rarely does someone stop and say: “I wonder what turning on this extra lamp does to the environment?” This statement sounds insignificant when there are people starving in other countries and people are training for the army. Yet, being concerned about the environment is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the environment should be one of the biggest concerns among people, as

Today children and even adults depend on technology to make use of time. Even kids are so engaged to all these technology such as smartphones and tablets, they don’t know what they are missing in the real world. Technology today has its many pros and cons, but the overuse in technology among humans is what troubles us. In the essay “Last Child of the woods” By Richard Louv he writes an argument between man vs nature to defend his position that technology is interfering with nature. He uses a wide variety of Rhetorical devices to organize his essay such as hyperboles, anecdotes, metaphors, diction and even a little sarcasm to prove his arguments.

In todays society we have a lot of comforts that we take for granted. Our daily lives are filled with plethora of gadgets, services, and machines that make our lives easier. Back in the mid 19th century there where not as many comforts as we have today. However, you would still have given up luxuries, if you decided to go live in a cabin in the woods. Henry D. Thoreau did just this when he built a house on the shores of Walden Pond. I believe that he did this to define the limits of his own strengths and connect with nature. This has made me come to reflect on what consequences do modern comforts have on our understanding of ourselves, and if we are out of touch with nature. My theory is that there are comforts that in

"What we call Man's power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument."

Technology is continuously developing and has begun creating shortcuts for the American society. As a society we need to find a balance between our technological use and our everyday life. In my opinion, society has become too dependent on technology. The more advanced technology becomes, the more it seems to be gaining control over our lives. Even though technology is offering society many beneficial qualities; it also is causing many negative effects to occur. Technology is affecting society socially, mentally, and physically.