What Is Kaijū?

David Suzuki once said, “When we forget that we are embedded in the natural world, we also forget that what we do to our surroundings we are doing to ourselves”(Suzuki 260). Through this quotation, Suzuki was attempting to convey the fact that climate change is a direct repercussion of human interference with the environment and thus every individual will be affected by its impact on our planet. David Suzuki is a world-renowned Canadian geneticist and an environmental activist, most famous for his devotion to the environment and his dedication to raising awareness about the importance of the maintaining the environment in order to create sustainable living conditions for generations to come.Throughout his article “Genetics after Auschwitz,” Suzuki appeals to history by referencing the Nazi death camp Auschwitz, in an attempt to persuade the reader to learn from the past in order to prevent the recurrence of similar events in the future. In another article called “Hidden Lessons,” David Suzuki states that the majority of children today are shielded from the environment because of they are forced to grow-up in urbanized communities. This results in their lack of consideration towards the environment itself and a careless attitude that creates various environmental problems for the human race. David Suzuki persuades and informs the reader of the substantial impact of humans on nature in his articles, “Hidden Lessons” and “Genetics after Auschwitz,” through the use of the

In a chilling recollection of mankind’s current misdeeds towards the environment in “The End of Nature,” McKibben’s call for action is one paramount to the survival of the human race. In essence, McKibben argues that the futures of both nature and ourselves are delicately yet undeniably interconnected. Furthermore, he urges that “we” (ALL humans) are the deciding chip in said bond. By doing so, McKibben implies that action must be situated if we are to expect any change in such bleak a situation. This argument can clearly be found when McKibben speaks out on a myriad of environmental issues in the past, present, and future. McKibben begins to accustom readers to a pattern in which human ignorance juts out from past environmental experiences.

Irma, Harvey, Mexico City earthquake, the 2011 tsunami in japan, Haiti earthquake; nature time and time again smites us with its relentless and unmatched force. Though out the years mankind has battled for survival against the brutal conditions nature has thrown at them and they have created themselves. Continually, without hesitation, they have risen from these disasters to build and grow a new. Yet still, mankind seems to bath in its own naivety at the truth of what nature really is for them. Without haste they push against nature and forget all it has done for them. This idea of respect, however is not so easily forgotten by all. Many writers and poets tell beautiful stories and tales of the power and care of mother nature’s hand extends. One such poem, “The earth is a living thing”, by Lucille Clifton, brilliantly adds to such ideas. The idea that nature poses not only strength but the smarts and heart right along with it. A concept that is not readily shared by many essay writers. Despite these other writers, John Muir follows suit with Clifton in, “A Wind-Storm in the Forest”. Where Muir bashes his reader with the harsh reality of winter, followed by an explanation of the gentle caring hand nature extends to us all. Mother nature has the power to shelter and protect, nurture and grow, but also has the power to demolish and take away everything

The relationship between humans and their environment is a topic that engenders much debate. Humans are intellectual. They can think, reason, feel and make deductions or hypothesis and seek to solve or prove their deductions or theories. The environment on the other hand is inanimate and exists by means of natural laws and principles that govern the universe. It cannot prevent man’s exploitations; it cannot take up arms and fight. However, in its own way, by natural laws, it makes efforts to purge and renew itself from the effects of man’s endeavors. Mangor (2002) argues that like the ocean that

Throughout history, humans have had a strong reliance on nature and their environment. As far back as historians can look, people have depended on elements of nature for their survival. In the past few decades, the increased advancement of technology has led to an unfortunate division between humans and nature, and this lack of respect is becoming a flaw in current day society. In Last Child in the Woods, Louv criticizes modern culture by arguing that humans increasing reliance on technology has led to their decreasing connection with nature through the use of relevant anecdotes, rhetorical questions and powerful imagery to appeal to ethos.

In his book, Last Child in the Woods (2008), Richard Louv illustrates his distaste for the widening divide between man and nature by his use of exemplification, narration and hypophora. Louv’s purpose for writing this book is to inform the audience that mankind should change its ways and move towards a lifestyle that is more appreciative of its surroundings. Louv uses a frustrated tone to invoke the feeling of guilt within the reader because they are responsible for making humanity unappreciative of nature.

Val Plumwood in her essay “Paths Beyond Human-Centeredness,” illustrates the impact that humans have on nature and non-animals when it comes to preserving environments. Understanding that nature has it’s living properties that let it thrive among its resources allows for people to grasp the complexities that come about when construction companies destroy the environment in which they work. Plumwood uses the term dualism to refer to the sharp distinction between two classes of individuals. There is the high class, which is considered as the “One.” In contrast, the other side of the division consists of individuals that are classified as lower and are subordinates to the “One” as “Others.” This account on dualism allows the reader to understand how humans can significantly alter the environment because of the way they perceive its resources and inhabitants. Plumwood defines five characteristics that illustrate the oppressive actions that change the connection between human relations and the relationship between humans and nature.

The Western world is the dominant society with specific parameters for modernity, which understands nature-people relationships from a perspective that is grounded on human domination over the environment. Nature is regarded as a provider of resources (e.g. oil, timber, cupper, rubber, etc.) for the profit and greed of a market-based economy that seeks infinite development. Consequently, the human-nature relationships are subject-object, implying

The man’s fatal flaw was that he allowed his desires to be louder than his instincts. He knew the weather was too cold for a journey, but he wanted to have dinner at camp. He saw the dog shy away, but he shoved the dog forward not wanting to lose time. He knew that getting his feet wet could be his death, but he was angry about being late to see the boys. He consistently did not make informed judgements and he failed to see how high the stakes were in understanding his environment. Hence, it is important to not only understand the environment but also how it intertwines with human culture. Humans are a self-sabotaging species. Many are ignorant to the damage pollution does to not only the environment but also to us. If the river that was once used for drinking water is now filled with toxic chemicals where does one find a refreshing

Arts of Living on a Damaged Planet… emerged as an outcome of an international and interdisciplinary conversation, which took place during the eponymous conference at the University of California in 2014. The book’s contributors unpack controversies associated with the ‘anthropocene’, ‘a geologic epoch in which humans have become the major force determining the continuing livability of the earth’ (p. G1). These controversies are associated with the superimposition of human and non-human living spaces, and the volume’s two-part discussion gravitates towards the problem of masking the destructive effects of human civilization. The project’s interdisciplinarity is its key feature – the book’s chapters present research in anthropology, environmental studies, ecology, botany, bacteriology, zoology, developmental genetics, microbiology, evolutionary biology, particle physics, philosophy of science, feminist science, history, literature, and literary criticism.

Everyone in my generation has probably grown up seeing ads or watching videos about pollution or about the environment in general, so much, to the point that these constant reminders about protecting our planet are already part of the norm for us. While these reminders have had positive effects, like how more and more people have become informed of the Earth’s condition, many people, myself included, still remain indifferent to the threats our environment faces. I won’t lie; I’m no saint or crusader for the cause, but every now and then certain videos or articles strike a chord within me and makes me reflect on the way how I’ve been living affects the environment. One such article was the one we read last week in class, “The Sixth Extinction” by Elizabeth Kolbert in the Upfront magazine.

The Japanese film “Gojira” was made in the early 1950’s, shortly after WW2 and the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan. The nuclear bombs American forces dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki left a sore spot in Japanese society. It reminded and allowed Japanese citizens to relive the horrible horrors that occurred after the blast.

In this text, William Cronon analyzes the perspective of nature in today’s society. The author elaborates on the concept of nature and the environment; Cronon challenges popular ideas related to these concepts. According to the text, there are many perspectives of nature throughout society. These different perspectives influence how we react and view the environment. A prominent view that is mentioned in the text is nature as something that is “out there.” In short, this perspective perceives nature as something separate from humanity. For example, a person might take a trip into nature and return back to their home that is separate from the nature they experienced. Cronon challenges this perspective by implying that nature might not be disconnected

Some may say we have lost the connection or relationship with nature . The world as a whole has become more and more distant as time has went on. The earth is used for so much but many don’t take enough time to realize how much it is actually used. The relationship between the earth and its people is explored in Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Nature” and Mark Twain’s “The Lowest Animal” In both of these pieces the authors go into the relationship between nature and the people though they both have this in common they each have their differences as well. While comparing and contrasting these texts it opens up the mind to view things that may not usually be seen. Such as the behaviors and habits of the many people that live on this planet earth.

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.