The Beauty of Nature and Its Role in Nurturing People
The book, Walden, describes a chronological record of events when Thoreau was living in Walden Pond. In the book, Thoreau illustrates the various aspects of weather, the natural occurrences and thoughts regarding the different situations. Throughout the book, it is evident that Thoreau not only believes in the beauty of nature but also highlights its role in nurturing people. As such, people need to protect nature owing to its potential in positively impacting on their lives. Thoreau regards nature as his bride while the Walden Lake acts as the earth's eye with the first pearl in Concord's crown (Walden).
The Comfort and Companion of Nature during Solitude
In the solitude chapter, Thoreau records that in a single night; he walks into the forest and feels the freedom that calms his emotions. When he went back home, many visitors leave some gifts in his home. Nonetheless, he lived in a lonely surrounding with his close neighbor was a mile away with no vicinity of the surrounding with only the fence and the railway noticeable. The nearest neighbor to him was a mile away with no observable houses. As it began to rain, he had realized that living alone in solitude was dangerous and isolated him from the other individuals within his neighborhood. He felt the gentle rain drift down with every sound and scene of the rainfall offering a source of companion to his loneliness. Indeed, nature dispersed his bad emotions. In the book, he wrote, "every little pine needle expanded and swelled with sympathy and befriended me (Walden)." As he experienced during the rainfall, he considered nature a sympathetic source of consolation to mankind that provided relief during the solitude period.
The Harmony of Living with Nature and the Importance of Loneliness
Additionally, he never felt lonely, because he believed that the earth was a little point in the universe that connected many individuals within the environment. The distance of two farthest inhabitants was very close in the earth. Besides, people were living in harmony with nature as it offered an endless source of life for its inhabitants. Surprisingly, he felt loneliness was good for people as people lived too crowded, congested areas exerting the interference with others resulting in conflict over various resources within their surroundings. He had a deep pursuit of loneliness at Walden Lake as he wanted to think and explore life and theories in a lonely state of mind. Loneliness caused him several profound thoughts. Nonetheless, he believed that people would not feel lonely as he believed that nature was a source of positive measure in improving the physical and mental health of individuals throughout their lifetime. Thoreau highlights that besides nature providing for food, shelter and a satisfying serene environment; nature also improves people's emotions thereby necessitating mankind sympathy.
The Impacts of Global Warming on the Environment
Elsewhere, Mckibben's The End of Nature is about the impacts of global warming on the environment (McKibben, 2017). People believed nature was a machine which supported every creature on Earth; however, humans' activities have negatively impacted on its sustainability. In the first chapter, the author mentions a theory similar to Thoreau's concept. Since the Earth is vast, people use the horizon to understand and describe its composition and characteristics (McKibben, 2017). For example, although the pilot flies at the fastest speed, there is only a small line that it follows as its path. Nonetheless, in the space, the earth could be smaller than it is thought as space could be narrow.
The Need for Conservation and Protection of Nature
In the chapter, "a path of more resistance" of the book, The End of Nature, Jim Stolz points out that hiking almost 900 miles. In the journey, he came across grizzly bears severally. He realized that human beings are no more valuable than other creatures. When it comes to the reasoning, Thoreau believed that this rut trapped us. Although many people were affected by Thoreau's argument, it is still apparent that individuals would still undergo their normal activities. As such, the rut was not good for the living organisms on the earth surface. The natural ecosystem was dying. Many animals and environment were ruined especially rainforest which consisted of several species of animals. Thus, humans have a responsibility of conserving and protecting their nature as a way of ensuring that they live in harmony with the resources.
The Traditional Man-Centered Theory vs. the Biocentric Theory
Across the chapter, the author highlights certain theories including the traditional man-centered and biocentric. The traditional and man-centered theory highlights that people use their own opinion to understand the world with no major differences between the human and bear. On the other hand, the biocentric theory asserts that people are part of the earth's system that people as a part of the world while placing intrinsic value to all living creatures. Thoreau explained the biocentric theory where he considered the entry of people into the forest as a means of self-reflection. For example, in Walden, Thoreau described the nature in terms of human concentration rather than the overall objective of unity. Further, the humble philosophy was developed asserting the importance of all things apart from the humans. Animals do not need sympathy as they had their right. Human's sympathy comes from an opinionated approach towards other creatures despite failing to recognize being part of God's family.
The Significance of Lifestyle Choices and Nature's Connection to Emotions
In the Walden, the book illustrates the need to live in harmony despite their daily struggles with life. Thoreau only lived around the Walden Lake for more than two years while leaving the place after self-satisfaction and content. Thus, whether people chose to live in seclusion, it is part of their choice as long as they respect their wishes. Again, the book centers on lifestyle. Lifestyle choices can largely prove to people the kind of person you are in the society. However, most people in the city prove to others that they have failed to get what they really wish to acquire. Additionally, Thoreau introduces his feelings and insights into the description of the natural scenery of Walden Lake and the aspects of his life. The insights within the book serve as a reference point to human choices. In Thoreau lifestyle, nature can feel people's emotion. Nature offers several benefits. For instance, when Thoreau felt lonely, the rain and plants gave him comfort that he believed offered more than others could provide for him.
The Need for Unified Approach to Resource Harvest
After reading The End of Nature, I believe that environmental problems are practical issues that impact on human livelihoods. With the growth of the human population in geometric series, the living space of human beings is diminishing. Humans have adventured and occupied all parts of the earth. Even if we want to make a place without human beings at a certain moment, it is difficult. Thus, with the diminishing space, it is crucial to understand the limits of space while realizing the dangers to the earth through exploitation and withdrawal of human resources. Humans need to avoid the anthropocentric theory that only premises on their ideology of taking control of other creatures on the earth surface and embrace a unified approach to resource harvest.
Environmental Problems as Philosophical Issues
In addition, environmental problems are philosophical issues. The author believes that "man-center" was a deep-rooted concept, and human beings gradually became the origin of value after plundering natural resources easily. In order to meet the unlimited needs, humans have increased pollution into the atmosphere, cut down and burned large areas of tropical rainforests, sprayed a large number of pesticides in the fields, and changed thousands of rivers to be unsuitable for fish. Besides, the past movement of environmental protection also took place under the influence of anthropocentrism that only centers on human satisfaction.
The Insensitivity of Humans towards Nature and the Importance of Conservation
In the book, the author recounts the insensitivity of humans towards nature that negatively impacts with the biodiversity across the earth surface. Conversely, it is wrong to neglect the sustainability of the earth's resources as it likely to cause devastating effects on the environment. At the same time, he emphasized that there is still room for human beings to choose, to continue to consume the natural ecological lifestyle at will with an option of conservation. As such, it is attractive to treat nature as a strong entity, but this way is extremely dangerous, just like the ecological problems caused by the greenhouse effect. If we do not act, the destruction of the natural home will be difficult to ameliorate. Therefore, the author utilized the theory by explaining that people do not need to sympathize with plants and animals as they think they have more value than other creatures. Humans are created by God like animals and plants. Thus, people need to protect the environment and respect nature. Interestingly, the author also mentions that people can choose a lifestyle either by continuing the extravagant and wasteful lifestyle which destroys the natural ecology infinitely or endeavor to protect their environment. Actually, he did not put forward strong reasons for people to stop their non-environmental lifestyle. Environmental protection lifestyle is a non-industrialized, non-modern, more similar to the state of ancient life, which is obviously safer, but this lifestyle does not attract to most people and unsuitable for the modern development. Although it seems more attractive to continue to treat nature as an aggressor, humans would ruin and end the benefits associated with nature.
Advocacy for Environmental Protection and Conservation
In these two books, both authors advocate for environmental protection and conservation of nature. During the industrialization of capitalist society, the rapid development of the American economy there was a continuous progress of society that shifted human focus towards earning more money and enjoying the life in the society at that time. In order to make money, people began to reclaim land continuously. Several forests disappeared and animals became extinct. As a result of a series of environmental problems, such as the rapid decline of forest coverage, the increasing soil erosion and the decreasing diversity of organisms, the whole natural ecology has been destroyed and polluted endangering the living organisms.
The Importance of Sympathy and Internalizing the Benefits of Nature
In conclusion, Thoreau's sympathy in the Walden points out the need to assess the value of nature through sympathy in a bid to protect the valuable resources. Moreover, in the book, The End of Nature, the author describes that mankind fails to sympathize with other creatures in understanding how their impacts negatively impact on their surroundings. As such, the two books emphasize the need to internalize the benefits as a way of sustaining their existence.
References
McKibben, B. (1999). The end of nature. New York: Anchor Books. Retrieved from https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B00MKZBT2G.
Thoreau, H. D. (2017). Walden. Layton: Gibbs Smith.
