Individual and the Natural World

Class Summary for April 2, 1997

In a survey at the end of the class, here are some of the points that you mentioned as important lessons for the day.

Information about science:

• "DNA is a natural polymer and if stretched out it is one meter long." (DB)
• That the wilderness exists on several levels -- "the large spectrum of wilderness that exists in regards to molecules as well as the spectrum of wilderness on [the visible] earth." (TH)
• In the Power of 10 video, it was interesting to see how quickly the world changes with an exponent...." (JL)
• "I think that the video 'Powers of Ten' was really interesting. I often don't think of the fact that we are part of such a large universe, that we are just tiny little people on a tiny little planet called Earth." (AC)
• "There's something intimidating about the concept of that much open space beyond our solar system." (JD)
• "The synthetic alteration of molecules and the alteration of something natural--the film said it was an improvement. What is the determining factor of such 'improvement'?" (SM)
• "The appearance of atoms" (DS) (as fuzzy balls --JRS)

Notes on the history of environmentalism:

• "John McPhee's book came out in 1971 -- the year of the first Earth Day." (DB)

On the question of the individual's place in the natural world. Are we part of that world -- or is our role in nature somehow contrary to what is natural? Are we friends or enemies to the natural world?

• "....thinking about myself as an animal -- but not convinced that we do belong in the wilderness." (DB)
• Our film spoke of the synthetic alteration of molecules -- the alteration of something natural. The film said it could be an improvement, but "what is the determining factor of such an 'improvement'?" (SM)
• The conservation/preservation issue also relates to our current issue of genetics, i.e. cloning. How can wilderness be maintained with such drastic manipulation and destruction? (BY)
• "The idea that we as humans have chosen (possibly inadvertently) to exclude ourselves from the idea of nature." (DW)
• "When are we using the resources in a bad way that another animal wouldn't do?" (LW)

On defining the wilderness:

• "In my parents' day, camping or going to the wilderness was a nearby campground that was fairly primitive. In my day, where city life is overcrowded and pollution has extended, the local campground is no longer seen as wilderness. My idea of wilderness is much further out in isolated areas where few people are and pollution has not reached." (KD)
• "If you were to use a 'wilderness scale' to determine what is or isn't wilderness -- it's very subjective. Mt. Rushmore vs. Manhattan or Antarctica vs. the moon. What stipulates which area is considered 'wilderness' raised a broad set of answers. Is there a concrete answer? I don't think so." (AK)
• "To what extent can humans be allowed in nature and still have it be deemed a 'wilderness'?" (AK)
• "As to the question of wilderness and the natural world -- what is natural? Is man natural? Is meat natural? What if man cooks it, does it become unnatural? Unresolved issues quickly become very frustrating?" (JL)
• -- NOTE: Is it "OK" to be frustrated? Is learning in part a process of posing questions? being puzzled? KNOWING that there are riddles?! (BY)
• "How do other creatures perceive 'natural'? A beaver dam seems pretty natural to me, so Grand Coulee Dam should be about the same to a beaver, right?" (KB)

Things to know more about:

• "what kinds of conservation acts there are and when they came about" (DB)
• What parts of the United States have been "destroyed by mining, etc." (DB)
• How has the perception of wilderness changes as our world has modernized and expanded in population?" (KD)
• "Are we humans part of the natural world? At what point do we separate ourselves from the natural world?" (TH)
• "Greed as a determiner of perspective and priority in politics and conservation." (JJ)