The Massive Exploitation Of The Earth 's Resources

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.

Humans have constantly struggled to manage resources for 50,000 years, ever since they developed inventiveness, hunting skills, and efficiency. When they fail to manage and they destroy the environment around them. Diamond discusses eight types of environmental damage: deforestation/habitat destruction, soil problems, water management problems, overhunting, overfishing, harmful introduced species, human population growth, and increased per-capita impact of people. In Diamond’s best seller, Guns Germs and Steel, he explains how human population growth and food demand are directly correlated. When the population becomes unmanageable, humans strip their land of resources. The major theme of environmental damage is simply overexploitation of

Environmental history explores a variety of topics in order to connect nature to humans. In doing so, a new history emerges. As this history unveils itself, it becomes evident that throughout time, humans have taken it upon themselves to improve the nonhuman world for their own gains. Numerous scholars have contemplated this idea, and while they do not all agree on the meaning or the means of improvement upon the land, it remains a constant theme. By exploring the theme of improvement to land, a clear path forms. The idea of improvement in environmental history creates artificial agency for humans, as well as revealing that improvement cannot happen without having an adverse effect on humans.

There is an unwritten sense that the bond between man and nature is predestined. Humans may have a physical relationship with each other, but the connection with nature begins at birth. However, continuous advancements in technology, as time passes, weakens the bond between humans and nature. People have become fixated on technology and checking social media, so much that they lose touch with nature. Even though humans only need water, food, and shelter to survive, humanity has an ever growing need to innovate and improve man’s living conditions. Humans tend to think of nature as responsible for providing for humans, instead of vice versa. Today’s society lives in the fast lane, where instead of being able to enjoy leisure

Never in the history of the human species have we been in such a rapidly changing environment. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, we have been making social, economical, scientific, and environmental changes and advancements at an unprecedented rate. Societal advancements, while much appreciated by the average Joe, have been detrimental to our environment. Every days forests are cut, rivers polluted, and once ecologically important areas are cemented over to compensate for our rapidly growing population. As the status of our natural world becomes more critical by the year it is important that we look at the driving factors and reasons for this destruction of the natural world. While pollutants and globalization are the driving

Diamonds article focuses on telling the story of the Rapa Nui and how their society fell apart after they had plundered all of the resources present. His message is that if we do not change out ways “we shall have exhausted the world’s major fisheries, tropical rain forests, fossil fuels, and much of our soil…” (Diamond 1995). While Diamond warns of the danger of overusing our resources he says that we still have an advantage that the Rapa Nui did not have, which is written history. Diamond argues that with this knowledge we should, and he hopes that we will, be able to avert the crash of society due to overusing resources. Catton warns of a similar danger but his message focuses on how unsustainable our society has become because of “substances we obtain from sources not subject to replenishment by our manipulations” (Catton 1980). Catton’s major worry is that our dependence on non-renewable resources has returned us to the societal state of hunters and gatherers. He argues that we are now hunting for fossil fuels and when they run out we will have a societal collapse because our industry runs on fossil fuels. Both authors warn of ecological embeddedness, Diamond focuses on resources in general whether or not they are replenishable while Catton focuses, for the most part, on non-replenishable

The Industrial Revolution was arguably the largest turning point in the history of the interaction between people and nature. New manufacturing techniques allowed for a rapid increase in the power, capability, and convenience in lifestyle for humans. Unfortunately, immense consequences for the environment also started to result. The changes were particularly significant in North America at this time, since advanced lifestyles had not been around long enough to make an impact on the vast wilderness compared to many of the areas in Europe. In the United States, a sense of limitlessness toward so many resources represented the view of the majority, and overall appreciation for and connection

Along with my love for the environment came a pain in watching it suffer around the world as human development encroached onto once untouched regions. I felt powerless and desperate to somehow use my individual influence, no matter how small, to slow the damage to the planet and lessen the impact a growing population was having as we dive deeper for resources.

Improvement of technology and its use has been the foundation for American economics. Although such innovation does create jobs, customs, and cultures that contribute to the American lifestyle, it can also create pollution that harms the environment and brings about environmental injustice. People focus on outcome effects of a certain project. Whether its main goal is for economic gains, to help improve the way American people live, or even if it is harming the ecosystem in any way, they will intervene. However, what people don’t pay attention to is the tool that is being used to accomplish such goals that can produce complications as it relates to the environment and injustice that comes with the utilization of technology.

The world’s natural resources are quickly being used up to extinction or are very close to that. From different species of animals to the planet’s natural resources from natural gas to fresh water, our planet’s natural resources are quickly eroding. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has the prediction of complete water scarcity by 2025 to the 1.8 billion people that are predicted to be living in regions with absolutely no water available. (theguardian.com)

There have been various changes taking place on the earth. Some of the changes have been positive while others have been negative. Man has been associated with various activities that have contributed to significant destruction of earth and species or animals that occur in these areas. However, sometimes natural causes are associated with the destruction of the environment. There are various ways in which man have been associated with destruction of the environment. Some of the common ways in which destruction has taken place is through pollution such as release of harmful gases and overuse of resources. Others include destruction of habitat such as clearing of forests and alteration of climate associated with human activities. However, there are also ways that have been outlined as possible in averting changes that have taken place on earth. Such changes may include the use of alternative energy such as the biogas. A focus on how man has been involved in the destruction of the planet at an alarming rate will help in highlighting ways to overcome such effects.

The decline of the environment due to natural and human exertion is known as the degradation of the environment. The natural weather occurrences such as heavy rain, flooding, storms, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. are not administered under human control. These meteorological phenomenon’s wreak devastation on the environment from time to time causing the land to become unsuitable to cultivate. On this subject matter, the human population does not contain the power to stop the wrath of Mother Nature. Rather, we are forced to sit back and watch. Nevertheless, humans engage in a crucial role towards the degradation of the environment in which we live in. Unavoidably, the degradation of the environment is a rising and utmost worldwide subject. I accept that the root cause to environmental degradation is the excessive use of resources on our land utilized by the processes under capitalism. As Jensen wrote in Endgame, “The global industrial economy is the engine for massive environmental degradation and massive human and (nonhuman) impoverishment.

If we look deep down in the roots of the evolution of the Homo Sapiens from the primate apes, we notice a basic and natural tendency of the evolving man; to find for himself the best and to develop his life and the way of his living, and this is the behavior which sets him apart from the rest of the organisms. The zest, for him to find the best had and will lead him to develop, not only physically, but, also mentally. Due to this tendency the primate apes have developed into Homo sapiens, and will continue to do so. With the development of man, man’s practices developed and soon formed the foundations of his present day technology, as man evolved his technology evolved. The basis of this technology

In today’s world, nearly everything has an impact on our earth. Ever since the creation of life, we have had an effect on our environment. As most of us receive the benefit of our actions, we become oblivious to the environmental destruction we are perpetrating. For example, when you drove your car to work today, there was little consideration for what it took energywise to get there. Imagine having to pay someone to push your 3,000 pound vehicle all the way to work. Impossible, yet you paid under four dollars for enough energy to move you thirty miles, but at what cost? In the mid 1700’s, the world’s population grew and better farming techniques were developed. Soon followed an offspring of innovations and inventions that made everyday life easier. England, who had the factors of production which were land (to grow food), labour (people to do work), and Capital (money to start a business) took advantage by being the first country