How Environmental Representations Have Changed Over Time as a Reflection of Climate Change and Social Justice by Lananh Tran

Thesis

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:10:13 UTC

Representations of the environment have changed over time as a reflection of the increased awareness of climate change as well as changes in our social climate. Older texts generally represented the perspective of educated, wealthy, white men and focused on the pristineness of nature, with nature represented as an oasis from civilization, while contemporary texts tend to be more inclusive of social minorities and tend to represent how human civilization and the environment bleed into one another due to how humans contribute to climate change and how climate change can affect people, especially people from marginalized communities.

(1862) Thoreau: Wilderness Paradigm and Individualism

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:21:57 UTC

"Let me live where I will, on this side is the city, on that the wilderness, and ever I am leaving the city more and more, and withdrawing into the wilderness... (Thoreau 34)"

This quote shows how Thoreau viewed nature and civilization as being opposite to each other, "on this side is the city, on that the wilderness..." To Thoreau, "wilderness" and civilization were two different spheres. Thoreau made it clear that he viewed human civilization as being poisonous to the purity of nature. Nature was something that he revered for its simplicity and for what it could offer to his sense of spirituality and independence. During a time of technological advancement of the industrial revolution, Thoreau and many other city dwellers wanted to return to a simpler time, hence that is why Thoreau placed such an emphasis on the benefits of going out into the wilderness because it was apparently untouched by mankind.

There is a focus on individualism in Thoreau's writing. That is why he wrote, "Let me live where I will." He was a proponent of the idea of an individual taking charge of their own life, and leaving behind the busy and stressful city life to live independently and simply in nature. He emphasized that an individual should follow their own path and use nature as a means of self-discovery and introspection. There is more of a focus on the importance of "self" as opposed to the importance of politics, social issues, and the rest of society.

(1912) Muir: Privilege to Explore the Wilderness and Pristine Nature

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:22:05 UTC

"From the west coast of Florida I crossed the gulf to Cuba, enjoyed the rich tropical flora there for a few months... I decided to visit California for a year or two to see its wonderful flora and the famous Yosemite Valley. All the world was before me and every day was a holiday, so it did not seem important to which one of the world's wildernesses I first should wander...Slow indeed was my progress through these glorious gardens, the first of the California flora I had seen. Cattle and cultivation were making few scars as yet...(Muir 1)"

This quote shows how Muir had the privilege to explore nature and the wilderness. He fails to acknowledge his privilege and does not pay respects to people who inhabited the land that he is exploring. His only desire was to travel, explore, and document the "wilderness" that he encountered. His exploration of the Sierra Nevada and other places was like a vacation away from the city. He valued the natural wonders that he encountered and he would describe the settings around him in great detail, highlighting the beauty, grandness, and scale of the landscape. Because of Muir's portrayal of the west as being less of an untamed wilderness and as more of a place with intrinsic beauty, it was significant in shifting the public opinion towards preservation of natural landscapes. Muir chose to write about the superficial beauty of the land and chose to omit the culture and the history of the land because it was not important or relevant to him. Muir's writing pushed forward the sentiment that only settings and objects that were considered "natural" and beautiful were worthy of being preserved. Objects, settings, and people that were considered unnatural were unimportant, irrelevant, and undeserving of care or attention.

(1862) Thoreau: Untouched Land and Manifest Destiny

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:22:16 UTC

"And that way the nation is moving, I may say that mankind progress from east to west... We go eastward to realize history and study the works of art and literature, retracing the steps of the race; we go westward as into the future, with a spirit of enterprise and adventure (Thoreau 34)."

In this quote, there are undertones of colonialism and westward expansionist effort especially in how it is written, "we go westward as into the future, with a spirit of enterprise and adventure." Thoreau believes the west is where there is wilderness because it is land that has not been settled by white men. Although he is not explicit about it, there is a clear influence of colonialism in his writing. He encourages others to push westward "into the future," and this makes sense when considering the social context and historical background during his life. It was an era of expansion by European settlers and this era was marked by the displacement of Native American communities. Thoreau is probably aware of this, but it is not relevant to him because of his societal standing and who he is. He has the privilege to be complacent and to be disconnected from society. He is never harmed by westward expansion or colonialism, instead, he sees it all as "enterprise and adventure" and he sees the west as untouched, pure, wilderness instead of land that has already been inhabited by people before him.

(2017) Pico: Nature and Social Politics

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:22:25 UTC

"it seems foolish to discuss nature w/o talking about endemic poverty which seems foolish to discuss w/o talking about corporations given human agency which seems foolish to discuss w/o talking about colonialism which seems foolish to discuss w/o talking about misogyny (Pico 12)."

In this quote, Pico is saying that nature and the environment do not exist in a vacuum and that it is impossible to talk about environmentalism without thinking about social issues, history, and how humans interact with the environment. Breaking down elements of this quote makes the reader think about social issues as they relate to the environment. Endemic poverty is a problem globally and the effects of capitalism, socioeconomic inequality, and climate change affect people differently depending on where they live and their level of income. Big corporations in developed countries are responsible for most of the carbon emissions; these corporations choose to continue with their practices even though they know it is at the expense of people and the environment. Colonialism has stripped indigenous people of their land and has led to industrialization and land use change. Colonialism makes it easy for larger countries to take advantage of smaller countries and extract resources and cheap labor from them. Misogyny relates to climate change in that there are gendered impacts of climate change and that there are patriarchal power structures that have made climate change possible.

This quote exemplifies how humans and the environment are intertwined because people have affected the environment and the environment affects people. Pico's version of a nature poem reflects this idea: he writes about the broader social implications of climate change/environmentalism and how this relates to his identity as a person of Native American heritage and as a gay man. Pico writes about nature, contemporary life and also references historical events and historical patterns such as colonialism. He weaves together all of these ideas and shows the interconnections. He does this in a unique style that is similar to text rants and text speech.

(1991) Williams: Atomic Bombs' Effects on Land and People Downstream

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:22:45 UTC

"And each time there was a nuclear test, ravens watched the desert heave. Stretch marks appeared. The land was losing its muscle. The women couldn't bear it any longer. There were mothers. They had suffered labor pains but always under the promise of birth. The red hot pains beneath the desert promised death only, as each bomb became a stillborn. A contract had been made and broken between human beings and the land. A new contract was being drawn by the women who understood the fate of the earth as their own. (Williams, 288)."

In this quote, Williams speaks on how the US government testing atomic bombs devastated the deserts, the ecosystem, and how the effects of nuclear fallout have caused women in William's community to develop breast cancer. Williams compares the desert to a pregnant woman suffering. She highlights that there is nothing good about environmental degradation, that there is only pain and death. There is a sense of urgency and a call to action for the government and for mankind to pay attention to how they are changing the environment. William's writing differs from older texts (Thoreau and Muir) in that there is a greater focus on social politics and environmental degradation. Unlike Thoreau, there is less of a focus on enjoying nature for the purpose of self exploration and to escape from the follies of civilization. Unlike Muir, the goal is not to protect the environment for its beauty and to protect what is "natural," but instead the goal is to protect the environment because the health of the environment directly affects the communities that inhabit it. William's writing critiques humans interfering with nature and calls into question what the implications of human technology and development have on the environment. There is an emphasis on the environmental protection as well as on environmental health and public health. This quote emphasizes how humans have changed the "fate" of the earth and how this has negative consequences.

(2022) Export Waste, Global Inequality, and Climate Change

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:24:34 UTC

"Export waste is the practice that occurs when countries transport their waste that they deem recyclable abroad, and it is typically transported from developed countries to developing countries. Given that in 2021, plastic production had skyrocketed to a total of 10 billion tons, and that, between 1988 and 2021, around 250,000 million tons of said plastic waste was transported abroad, it is clear that the Global North has taken full advantage of the practice of exporting waste (Naomi)."

This article and this quote refers to an environmental issue that hurts poor countries abroad, primarily countries with people of color such as Vietnam and Indonesia, as highlighted in this text. Export waste is a problem caused by people living in developed/industrialized countries and it only harms people in developing countries. It is not a coincidence that historically, these industrialized nations are the ones that have colonized smaller nations and oppressed their people. Export waste harms the health and the environment of people living abroad, however the Global North turns a blind eye to this.

This quote which highlights the issue of export waste shows the interconnection of humans and the environment and how human practices contribute to the oppression of certain groups and damage to the environment. With climate change and the increasing awareness of the existence of social inequalities, issues like these and texts like these are brought to light more often than in the past.

(2023) Environmental Justice Case in Alabama

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:24:46 UTC

"It's more than systemic racism. I think that it is - actually, systemic discrimination against rural communities is underlining it. I think that rural communities across the U.S. are suffering from the same problem. People just didn't talk about it (Elliott)."

This quote shows how the social issue of systemic racism affects the environment and people who are living "downstream." According to this quote, "rural communities across the U.S. are suffering from the same problem." The problem that they are referring to is environmental hazards (due to lack of government funding and poor infrastructure) are disproportionately affecting rural communities, which consist primarily of black americans. These environmental issues are exacerbated by the effects of climate change. This source talks about how effects of systemic racism and environmental racism may not be intentional, however there is a call to action to make changes that combat these inequalities. The same is true for changes that affect the environment. Changes that are made to the environment will directly affect the people living in that environment.

Publication of Silent Spring

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:27:41 UTC

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was significant in starting the modern environmental movement in the United States (Carson 1). Silent Spring was about the effects of pesticides on environmental health. This led to a change in the way that the environment was viewed. The popular view of the environment changed from the wilderness paradigm to the ecology paradigm (Menrisky 2023). People began to think that humans were interconnected with nature and that we have an obligation to coexist peacefully with nature. Gone was the idea that nature was separate from civilization and gone was the idea that nature was pristine. It was no longer pristine due to too much anthropocentric change. This book caused the public to think more rebelliously and to consider and protest against the dumping of chemicals, nuclear radiation, pesticide usage, etc.

(2023) Pollution Harming Hispanic Residents

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:28:16 UTC

"Expired permits... enabled Suncor to operate with annual emissions of 866,100 tons of toxins and gases, including sulfur dioxide, benzene and hydrogen cyanide emissions beyond approved limits during malfunctions. The refinery is in North Denver, where Hispanics make up almost 30% of the population (Asma-Sadeque)."

This quote is about a major oil refinery in Colorado that has allegedly been operating in ethically and legally questionable ways. The company emitted pollutants at a rate that was not legal. These pollutants are harmful to human health. The company was aware of this, but did not stop their practices. This company is like many others that prioritize financial gain over safety and the well being of people. Not only did the company's practice harm the environment and people, it harmed a population of people who do not have the power to avoid that harm. The population "downstream" in this case is North Denver, which has a population that consists of 30% hispanic residents.

Romanticism: Response to The Industrial Revolution

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:30:10 UTC

The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid technological and industrial development during the mid-19th century. The industrial revolution caused damage to the environment that would continue to worsen over the following century, ultimately amounting to irreversible global warming and climate change. Many people felt anxiety over this period of rapid change and sought a return to older, more primitive ways of life (Menrisky 2023). This led to the emergence of romanticism, which was a rejection of modern life. Thoreau and other city dwellers had this romantic idea of nature and the wilderness as a refuge from the city and industry. They viewed living in nature and moving out to a more secluded area to be a return to simpler ways and a way to regain independence and promote self discovery. This furthered the wilderness paradigm. During this era of romanticism, nature was viewed as pristine, separate, and distinct from civilization and industry.

Civil Rights Movement

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:30:26 UTC

The Civil Rights Movement, like the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, was an event that led to changes in literary environmentalism (Menrisky 2023). The Civil Rights Movement challenged social norms and sought to find justice and equality for black americans. The Civil Rights movement led to changes in thinking among the public; people began to think broadly about social issues and environmental issues. People began to consider how social and environmental justice intersect. The Civil Rights Movement, which drew attention to racial injustice, also made people consider the concept of environmental racism. Civil rights activists considered the experiences of marginalized communities (predominantly POC) and how these communities were disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. The Civil Rights Movement resulted in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is the basis for many legal cases concerning environmental justice in the US.

Racist History of Environmentalism

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:30:42 UTC

The US Conservation Movement including the creation of national parks was rooted in racism and eugenics. Conservationists and radical environmentalist leaders in history were commonly white supremacists and eugenicists (Menrisky 2023). To them, wilderness and nature was "natural" and "pure" and was a symbol of white power. People of color and other marginalized groups were considered unnatural and a threat to the social norm. Some radical environmentalists also supported forced sterilization and population control measures against populations with low-income and disability. The eugenics movement and radical environmentalism aligned at times and shared common goals such as the eradication of human lives, especially human lives that were of "less value" to society. John Muir, Madison Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt, who were conservationists, were all known to have been racist people who supported eugenics and the elimination of nonwhites, "small forms of life," and those deemed unnatural (Purdy 3-5).

Manifest Destiny and Native American Genocide

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:31:08 UTC

Manifest Destiny was an ideology in America from the 19th century. According to Manifest Destiny, under the will of God, white American settlers should push the western frontier at all costs, including taking the lives of Native Americans who inhabit land in the Western United States (Menrisky 2023). Land past the western frontier was considered the "wilderness." The land and the people who lived on this land (Native Americans) were wild and needed to be conquered, according to this ideology. Manifest Destiny was intertwined with the American identity and American individualism.

The colonists killed many Native Americans in their effort to pursue Manifest Destiny. Native Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and they were displaced. The effects of Native American dispossession can be felt to this day.

Works Cited

lananhtran1 — 2023-11-27 21:32:35 UTC

"American Progress, chromolithograph print, c. 1873." Britannica, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/Manifest-Destiny. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Asma-Sadeque, Samira. "Colorado: EPA investigates if pollution unfairly harms Hispanic residents." The Guardian, 30 December 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/30/epa-colorado-hispanic-minority-review. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Carson, Rachel. "Cover of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson, 1962." Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 1962, https://www.si.edu/object/silent-spring-rachel-carson-1962%3Anmah_1453548. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Carson, Rachel. "Silent Spring." Perusall, https://app.perusall.com/courses/engl-2635e-literature-and-the-environment-sec001-1238/the-explosive-bestseller-the-whole-world-is-talking-about-762120338?assignmentId=7DkaWCEL2Mc3PKj8k&part=1. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Elliott, Debbie. "Landmark environmental justice case aims to fix an Alabama county's sewage problems." NPR All Things Considered Podcast, 11 October 2023, www.npr.org/2023/10/11/1205245131/landmark-environmental-justice-case-aims-to-fix-an-alabama-countys. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Melley, Brian. "A wood-carved statue of John Muir by R.L. Blair is seen on the road leading to Sequoia National Park." AP News, 17 January 2015, https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/407fbff/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2001+0+0/resize/1534x1024!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.googleapis.com%2Fafs-prod%2Fmedia%2F5e85c00034cf418f9accd6a6c6daa241%2F3000.jpeg. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 9/11" 11 September 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 9/13" 13 September 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 9/25" 25 September 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 10/18" 18 October 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 11/1" 1 November 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Menrisky, Alexander. "ENGL 2635E Lecture 11/25" 25 November 2023, University of Connecticut, Storrs.

Muir, John. "The Yosemite." Perusall, https://app.perusall.com/courses/engl-2635e-literature-and-the-environment-sec001-1238/the-yosemite?assignmentId=6AyBXPLAq3JBkqqCB&part=1. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Naomi. "Export Waste: How it Exacerbates Global Inequalities and is Counterintuitive to the Fight for Climate Action." Unicef Voices of Youth, 2 May 2022, https://www.voicesofyouth.org/blog/export-waste-how-it-exacerbates-global-inequalities-and-counterintuitive-fight-climate-action. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Pico, Tommy. "Nature Poem." Tin House Books, 2017.

Purdy, Jedediah. "Environmentalism's Racist History." Perusall, https://app.perusall.com/courses/engl-2635e-literature-and-the-environment-sec001-1238/purdy_environmentalism-s-racist-history-677432161?assignmentId=amsgHje9rZYtBDkTC&part=1. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Thoreau, David H. "Walking." Perusall, https://app.perusall.com/courses/engl-2635e-literature-and-the-environment-sec001-1238/thoreau_walking-227692729?assignmentId=wFxy9qybQZSeA3Ch7&part=1. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Wallace, James H. "March on Washington--Marchers Gathering at the Lincoln Memorial After Walking from Washington Monument Grounds." Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, 28 August 1963, https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2011.11.32. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Williams, Terry T. "The Clan of One-Breasted Women." Perusall, app.perusall.com/courses/engl-2635e-literature-and-the-environment-sec001-1238/_/dashboard/assignments/xEso4kFT7YQnneQ5c. Accessed 9 December 2023.

Climate Change

lananhtran1 — 2023-12-10 10:05:02 UTC

Climate change affects people differently depending on where they live and their identity: race, socioeconomic status, and gender. In other words, climate has asymmetrical impacts (Menrisky 2023). Climate change is largely due to the emission of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. Industrialized nations emit much of these greenhouse gases. The United States emits about 20 tons of greenhouse gases per capita per year when the goal is to limit emissions to just 2 tons per capita per year to stay on track for global equality and climatic stability (Menrisky 2023). Climate change and human actions on the environment also have asymmetrical consequences. Many people from marginalized groups, including racial minorities in the US and people from countries of the global south, face environmental injustice at a disproportionate amount. This injustice continues to occur because these people are treated as if they do not exist and are subject to "slow violence" which is hard to prove and to represent (Menrisky 2023). Slow violence is injustice or harm towards a group of people over the course of many years. The violence is not direct or obvious, it is slow, incremental, and can last for years, but the effects are large.