California’s environment Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis gives us a very real and perhaps over the top view at the trouble California’s environment is in but they provide interesting parallels to other issues in California. Arguments provided in Ecology of Fear are very fascinating for example is theory that Los Angeles being destroyed could be a metaphor to humans actually destroying the city and state. Mike Davis describes in his book how a woman describes animals like cougars as “serial killers” who’s numbers should be cut down but do not stop living or walking through their territory. Also he goes into detail about how humans put themselves in harms way by living in areas notorious for wildfire and earthquakes, and moving into territories …show more content…
Mike Davis’s arguments are compelling because they do have truth to them, humans only suppress problems they do not solve them. The underestimation of nature by humans is what makes them surprised when tragedies like earthquakes, fires, and animal attacks weird. The illusions of control and safety we give ourselves hurt us; solutions suppress problems for example with gated neighborhoods. I agreed with his argument because of our encroachment on territory and over development of land. Humans are going to have accepted that we are hurting the environment and we cannot control what happens. Davis provides us with a very blunt and perhaps over the top explanation of the situation California is but without an explanation like this we will never take notice. Ecology of Fear by Mike Davis should be a wake up call for us in California that we do not live in a world. We should fear the environment not because does something disastrous, we should fear for what it can do and Mike Davis delivers on this point in Ecology of
Brendan C Lindsay author of Murder State writes about the early stage of California the violence that occurred, genocide of native people in the time era of 1846 to 1873. There are two claims that Lindsay makes in the book about the violence towards the native people and the genocide created by democracy of the Euro Americans. He demonstrates these two arguments by first the Euro Americans coming into the native people’s territory and taking it away from them and also the democracy that killed all the innocent native Indians. In Lindsay’s book Murder state there are three sections to the book “Imaging Genocide”, “Perpetuating Genocide” and “Supporting Genocide”.
The state of California recently banned the trapping of bobcats throughout the entire state. Carla Hall, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, shared her opinion on the topic through an editorial. Immediately, the author establishes tone in the first paragraph. After briefly stating that the murder of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe caused people around the world to become enraged, she writes, “...there is good-- and heartening!-- news from the wilds of California!” This opening sentence shows the author’s tone by taking on a glass-half-full attitude-- an optimistic and pleased tone for most article.
Mendocino,CA is an astonishing town with a great history. The things that were most important that has shaped Mendocino is geography and climate. In this essay, I will be talking about the main causes of the shaping of Mendocino,with its tall redwood trees and foggy climate,and explaining more in depth about these topics. One of the main causes is geography. Geography has a lot to do with the shaping of Mendocino for a few different reasons.
The world wars had a profound impact on the United States, and California was no exception. As a major agricultural and industrial state, California played a crucial role in supporting the war efforts of both WW1 and WW2. These conflicts led to significant economic and demographic changes in the state, as well as discrimination against certain groups. In this essay, we will explore the effects of WW1 and WW2 on California, and examine the connections between the two conflicts.
California was born in the middle of many issues of conflict. Crisis over slavery, political legitimacy, and conflict over land, labor, race and ethnicity ( Competing Vision 132 ).During the mid 1800’s California saw many transformations, some positive some negative. There was a slow reservations development for Indians, but a better established land ownership. With certain political figures, who rallied to remove laws, which discriminated against African Americans and rather high religious tolerance, California was taking a distinct shape.
California, the state everyone believes to be a lush beautiful state. However, what people believe to be a golden state is in fact an illusion. In “Chinatown,” Reisner disillusions the reader about the underlying problem California has with water. California is, in fact, a semi desert, and the lush greenery that is commonly seen on postcards and TV shows are only achieved by transporting water from hundreds of miles away. Reisner stated that California is the “only state with a truly seasonal rainfall pattern” because of the Pacific High.
Why do people come to california? Though people come to california for many, many reasons, the main reason people are attracted to this diverse state is the tales of success that are told. Many migrants came here in a hurry, expecting a better, easier life than the one back home, but most were disappointed. An example of this is the Great Migration, a large movement of African Americans from the American South, when many families moved away from the Jim Crow laws that segregated and oppressed them, and also looking for higher wages and better jobs in large cities. An example of this is shown in the article “The Warmth of Other Suns” when Isabel Wilkerson claims that they were “Not unlike anyone who ever longed to cross the Atlantic or the
She presents a logical and well-reasoned analysis of the cultural changes in California and their broader implications. By grounding her claims in facts and historical context, she appeals to readers' intellect and encourages them to consider the validity of her arguments. Furthermore, Didion evokes pathos through vivid descriptions and emotional language. Her use of sensory details and emotive words elicits an emotional response, prompting readers to engage with the essay on a personal and empathetic level. Through pathos, Didion taps into readers' emotions, encouraging them to reflect on
Fierce Climate Sacred Ground is a study conducted by Elizabeth Marino about the effects climate change has had on residents in Shishmaref, Alaska. Within this short text, Marino manages to utilize personal narratives (from Shishmaref citizens) as well as revelations of her own to demonstrate how environmental problems are the product of an ecological, social, and political processes. With this ethnographic study, the author intended to address the issue of climate change and related issues such as flooding in Shishmaref while touching on what can be done about the vulnerability its residents face. The book also illuminates the outcome of political and social decisions regarding climate change so that future responses can be done with a deeper
California is the “beauty of the eye of the beholder” since all people who come from different background, race, and religion are able to set their own dreams without being criticized. People especially immigrants have viewed California as the “land of opportunity,” which influenced them to leave everything behind in their hometown, to sacrifice their time and to focus on their dreams. Despite the fact that California was lauded as a utopian society, people soon found out that they were going through endeavors and couldn’t overcome them quickly as possible. In fact, Mr. Rawls wanted to express the grievances, struggles, and success that people endure in their rise to the California dream in his short essay, “California: A Place, A People,
The town proper lies below the sweeping, hilly slopes of Briones Regional Park while the nearby Mt. Diablo towers over the eastern skyline. Such picturesque scenery reveals only a part of Pleasant Hill's long environmental history, which stretches all the way back to before the Spanish colonization of Central America when only Natives American tribes resided in the area. Since that time, the natural landscape has undergone a massive amount of change caused by the seemingly inevitable consequence of human impact on the environment. Despite its best efforts to reduce resource use and limit harmful repercussions, Pleasant Hill still suffers from the same critical issue that all development imposes: no amount of legislation, recycling, efficient energy use, environmental education and awareness, or other means can counteract the effects that humans have on the planet. Buildings will be constructed, roads will be paved, resources will be consumed, and habitats will be destroyed, and there is simply no way to fully offset the burden of
It clear that from the time of Junípero Serra until now, outside forces have controlled the past, the present, and the future of the California Native
Sandra Steingraber is an ecologist and author who writes about the relationship between the environment and human health. Her written work titled “Despair Not” discussed how the murder of an abolitionist connects to the greatly relevant environmental crisis. No, the murder of one man did not ruin the environment, but the author uses this as a metaphor and connection between her personal experiences and current environmental and health issues. This method of persuasive writing has numerous advantages and disadvantages, therefore affecting its credibility. Two Crises, One Cause Steingraber writes that it is the time to face the environmental crisis in the spirit of Elijah Lovejoy.
Joan Didion’s “Los Angeles Notebook” is an essay that highlights the deeply mechanistic view of human behavior by using images that are both enticing, yet horrifying at the same time. Her audience is broader than the people of Los Angles, who she discusses in articulate detail. Being that her audience is generally aimed at people who are concerned about humanity and the way people operate together in certain scenarios. There is an eerie sense to this piece, as the subject is the hot winds known as foehn by scientists, but otherwise known as a “Santa Ana” by the people of the region. Didion claims that, in the simplest terms, “to live with the Santa Ana is to accept, consciously or unconsciously, a deeply mechanistic view of human behavior,”
California has one of the most severe wildland fire problems in the world. Population, vegetation, topography, and climate all play key roles in the probability of a wildfire occurring. In other words, it’s not a matter of “if” a wildfire will occur, but it’s a matter of “when.” In California, more and more people are choosing to live in communities near wildlands. These wildlands are composed of highly flammable vegetation which can be explosive.