Abstract RachelCarson's 1962 book, "Silent Spring," unquestionably served as a catalyst in the formation of the modern environmental movement, rousing many to action, and profoundly altering the public conception of government, industry, and the human relationship to the natural world. This paper explores the myriad ways in which Carson revolutionized nature writing and her profound impact on American life.
From the Paper "Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of Carson's writing is its lack of overt glorification of the natural world. Gone are Muir's mountain "temples," "bathed in light, bathed in floods of singing water," or "the wild sheep of God" that populate Mary Austin's' landscape. Carson boldly does away with the grandiose language usually used to evoke emotion, and in its place she creates an overriding tone of objectivity. A trained biologist, she presents a vast body of information in a style that is succinct and straightforward, designed to have a logical, rather than artistic or spiritual, appeal. References to the divine, for example, are almost entirely lacking - a marked contrast between her work and that of most other writers. Rather, one races through a series of vividly sketched case studies and statistics, which together paint an increasingly convincing and dire picture. It is this tone of objectivity, somewhat ironically, that creates much of Silent Spring's tremendous emotional impact."
Abstract This paper describes the lives and works of four people who's collective positive impact on the environment and on society's understanding of the natural world is powerful: John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Henry David Thoreau, and RachelCarson. The author illustrates that an understanding of their lives and professional contributions is necessary for any student who wishes to become informed as to the effect the expansion of American cities and technologies has had on the planet. The paper includes a brief sketch of each individual, and concludes withe the author's impressions of their place and impact on environmental studies.
Outline:
Henry David Thoreau
John Muir
Aldo Leopold
RachelCarson How have these Ideas Affected me Personally?
From the Paper "If that sounds a little esoteric, what the author is basically saying is that Thoreau was very experienced in the ways of humans and the wilderness; he lived next to Walden Pond for more than two years; he climbed mountains; he explored forests and hiked a great deal; and yet his "excursions...were not mere physical journeys but contemplative odysseys through which he gradually overcame the alienation of the person..." (137). When he wrote about his journeys into nature, he certainly wasn't writing a travelogue; he was in fact expressing through the creative genius of his mind's eye the many ways the bright spirit can interpret an experience with the wilderness. "
Abstract RachelCarson is celebrated as one of the most influential conservationist of the 20th century and one who will continue to to inspire generations to come. This paper examines the life story of Carson, beginning with her childhood, her university education, and her love for nature. It also focuses on Carson's most famous book, "The Silent Spring", which opened the world's eyes to the dangers of pesticide such as DDT and changed the course of this form of destruction to the environment.
From the Paper "In 1958 Carson received a letter from Olga Owens Huckins, owner of a private bird sanctuary in Duxbury, Massachusetts, who was horrified one day to find birds dead and dying throughout her property (Rachel pp). Explaining that only days earlier local agencies had conducted a massive, unannounced spraying of the pesticide DDT, Huckins begged Carson to find someone in government to look into the regulations regarding chemical spraying (Rachel pp). Carson had long suspected the danger posed by the use of DDT and in fact had once tried to interest Reader's Digest in an article based on research by Elmer Higgins and Clarence Cottram at the Fish and Wildlife Service, but Reader's Digest declined and the findings were never released to the public (Rachel pp)."
Abstract An analysis of RachelCarson's literary work "Silent Spring". The author analyzes the message in the novel and Carson's use of language and symbolism to convey the message.
From the Paper "Be it known that the tapestry of life is formed by the lives of people. Each person is like a thread and it is difficult for the thread to see how it affects the whole. In this blindness, institutions are sometimes accepted that are not necessarily healthy. Once accepted the institutions begin to mar the design the tapestry. Sometimes in these moments a voice will arise that will help those who were blind to see. This voice in the wilderness will rush upon the consciousness of people like a mighty wave changing peoples perspectives demanding them to reevaluate their actions. This was so during the American Revolution when Tomas Pane wrote Common Sense. This literary worked helped lead Americans to the overthrow British rule and to found the United States. Later in American history Harriet Beacher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin which demanded that black slaves be freed. In recent history Rachel Carson shocked her reader into action when she was able to blend her talent as a writer with her scientific expertise into the literary work Silent Spring."
Abstract This paper discusses how RachelCarson and Barbara McClintock,two of the most successful 20th century female scientists in the world often had their early work denigrated and ignored. Carson's work helped the world recognize the destructive and deadly powers of DDT and its relatives and helped establish the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Barbara McClintock won a Nobel Prize in 1983, after more than fifty years of research in genetic transposition. This paper looks at how both women had difficulty finding decent positions and reaching acceptance from their peers and how female scientists today continue to make great strides in research and technology, but still have difficulty in being taken seriously by their colleagues.
From the Paper "She began writing as a way to make extra income to help support herself and her mother, and left the Bureau of Fishers in 1952 to devote herself to writing. She began studying the effects of pesticides on people and animals as early as 1945. "'The more I learned about the use of pesticides, the more appalled I became,' Carson recalled"(Matthiessen). She went on to write one of the most influential volumes of the decade, "Silent Spring," which vehemently condemned (with startling and graphic research as evidence) the use of pesticides in commercial and agricultural spraying for the control of insects. Her description of the total annihilation of songbird populations where spraying occurred is chilling even today."
Tags: jumping, genes, nobel, prize, research, pesticides, agricultural, chemical, industry
Abstract After providing a brief autobiography of the author of "Silent Spring", RachelCarson, the paper discusses the book itself in a chapter-by-chapter summary. "Silent Spring" was Carson's way of presenting to the public the dangers of the use of DDT. The paper also includes quotes from the text.
From the Paper "In Detroit, Michigan the Michigan Department of Agriculture decided to cover their city with Aldrin pellets, the most dangerous poison at the time (and the cheapest), to destroy their population of Japanese Beetles which had arrived in Detroit on plants imported from Mississippi. Carelessly they sprayed the pellets over the human population and when it rained over night the pellets were watered down and puddles of lethal poison lay scattered across the ground."
Abstract This paper reviews and discusses the books "Silent Spring" by RachelCarson and "Cities in the Wilderness" by Bruce Babbitt. The paper then goes on to discuss how the presidents of the USA have dealt with energy and environmental issues, similar to those raised by Carson and Babbitt in their respective books.
From the Paper "The Nixon administration was ineffectual at changing the policy, and gradually, the oil embargo ended and gas lines disappeared. In addition, many different public agencies oversaw the energy policy, and that was inefficient at best. President Carter attempted to find alternative energy sources and regulate fuel consumption but Congress would not work with him. When Reagan took office in 1980, he did make some attempts to lower gas prices, but his administration still supported the oil and gas producers more than the people, in fact, his was a decade of close relationships with key oil and gas producers. He even removed the solar electricity generating panels President Carter had installed to help reduce energy costs at the White House. It is clear that the real solution is to raise energy taxes, but no president has been willing to go that far with their policy and thereby alienate many of the people."
Abstract The paper looks at the influence of the book on the ban of the use of DDT, and how it spurred revolutionary changes in the laws that have been destroying air, land and water of this planet. The initiation of the environmental movement is explored in relation to the book and the development of this movement is traced.
From the Paper "Seldom there have been incidents in the history of mankind that a single book has managed to alter the path of history, but Silent Spring written by Rachel Carson did precisely that. The book forced the ban on the use of DDT, after its publication in 1962, and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws that have been destroying air, land, and water of this planet. The obsessive concern of Carson for the future of this planet and the humanity that has been living for billions of years, echoed forcefully throughout the world, as her expressive book has been influential in the initiation of the environmental movement (2)."
Abstract This paper examines Jonathon Kozol's "Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America" which discusses the many problems associated with homelessness, such as keeping the family together. It argues that the cause of homelessness is simply the lack of housing and gives reasons for the lack of housing.
From the Paper "Jonathon Kozol argues in Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America that the cause of homelessness is simply a lack of housing. The families he describes in this book including the woman he calls Rachel and her children are ..."
Tags: homelessness, Rachel and Her Children, Jonathon Kozol
Abstract This paper attempts to assess why Rachel, a fifteen year-old Jewish girl, attempted suicide, and what can be done to improve her quality of life. The paper prevents the fictional character of Rachel as a teenager who was admitted to a psychiatric ward after taking 10 Panadol tablets. Rachel's sister brought her in, disclosing that Rachel had had a fight with her father for dating the 18 year-old son of a Kosovan asylum seeker. The paper attempts to explicate the three primary issues impeding Rachel from gaining full confidence in her life: (1) infatuation, (2) inter-religion dating and (3) depression. The paper concludes by extrapolating lessons from Rachel's life to the experience of adolescence in general.
From the Paper "Human love and close relationships which involve social behaviors include issues at several levels and which are spread across through the subjective and the objective cultures. The processes involved in the development, maintenance, and/or dismissal of love are greatly influenced by several internal and external factors. (Tzeng, 1993, p. 83) It now needs to be understood as to whether romantic love is eternal, or would it fade as time passes? If love is to fade off, we need to understand as what are the consequences? For most people, these would look to be strange questions. Definitely, the songs, poems, novels, and films being witnessed by our society have shown love as the ultimate value in life and they can be energetic, overwhelming and perfectly blissful. Love is being believed by our younger generation as which makes the world progress; there is absolutely nothing which is not possible for lovers, love has no limitations and a life without having love is not a life at all and that exists forever. (De Munck, 1998, p. 17) But this is not the true face of love. Love is sometimes sad, and it can be as sad as death which is a supreme and mortal pain. It would lead to endless miseries for those involved and also for the near ones of the lovers. As time passes love tends to show its negative side and it leads our younger generation to depression and to commit suicide when they are unable to face its consequences. (Toner, 2003, p.39)"
Abstract The paper looks at the life of Christopher "Kit" Carson, an almost mythic character in American history. He played an important role in the United State's expansion as a major player in the government's war with the Navajo Indians, finally forcing them off their lands. The paper reports on Carson's childhood. As his father died when he was nine years old, the need to work prevented him from ever receiving an education. His story is remarkable because in his lifetime Carson played so many roles that aided in Westward expansion in addition to Indian fighter: mountain man, trapper, guide, and sheep rancher. Both during and after Carson's life, astounding stories were told about his bravery, great strength and heroic deeds he had performed. The paper concludes that the story of Carson reveals both the good and the bad; while playing an important role in the Untied States expansion, he participated in important ways in subjugation and mistreatment of Native Americans. He was an army officer who followed his orders, but today those actions are recognized as wrong. His life is an example of those complex times.
From the Paper "Christopher "Kit" Carson, who was born in 1809 and died in 1868, has become an almost mythic character in American history. He started out as an apprentice to a saddle-maker, but made his way to the West, where he became a fur trapper and guide. He started out enjoying good relationships with Native Americans and even married Native American women twice in his life. Eventually he was an officer in the Civil War, and he played a major role in the American government's war with the Navajo Indians, finally forcing them off their lands."
Abstract This paper is a critique of James Rachels' four main arguments for the legalization of voluntary active euthanasia. Rachels argues that voluntary active euthanasia is more passive than "letting someone die," that it is morally acceptable for doctors to assist terminally ill patients in voluntary suicide. The author illustrates how, since Rachels is a philosopher, he quickly dismisses the legality of most of his suggested answers.
From the Paper "James Rachels discussed euthanasia in a very liberal view in his article ?Active and Passive Euthanasia,? included in the sixth edition of Thomas Mappes? Social Ethics: Morality and Social Policy. His challenges to the status quo are four-fold. First of all, active euthanasia is more humane than passive. Next, the doctrines in practice decide life and death on irrelevant grounds. Third, there is no moral difference between active and passive euthanasia. And his last argument is that the most familiar reason for keeping active euthanasia illegal is invalid."
Abstract This paper examines Anne Carson's prose poem "The Glass Essay" in terms of the post-modern condition, which reduces human experience to the self and fragmented meanings, to loneliness and senselessness. It focuses on particular events in the poem, such as Carson's descriptions of her mother and a past love affair, and her insights into the mind of Emily Bronte. The paper ends by pointing out that, though the poem is written in the post-modern form and tradition, its conclusion presents a not so post-modern self but rather a very human, heartening, and timeless self.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
A Past Love Affair
An Aging Mother
On Emily Bronte
The Post-modern Self
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper "Throughout "The Glass Essay" Carson describes the profound loneliness that has always been part of human experience known to some individuals more than others and that is seen as a strong part of the postmodern personality. The world is thought to have changed with a great loss of faith in authorities, institutions or ideas of art or value that leave many people feeling they have no bearings, or that life is only absurd and senseless. People are believed to be more cut off from one another than was true in the past and with the resulting loneliness involving only the self as a reliable reality. It may be said that postmodern ideas of the self stress this extreme individuality and its results, no past grouping or category seeming to have relevance."
Abstract This paper is an analysis of the paper, "Active and Passive Euthanasia", by James Rachels, published about 30 years ago in which the question of the morality of all forms of euthanasia was examined. The paper presents a critique of the theme, style, language choice, contents, conclusions and strength of Rachels' paper.
From the Paper "In his essay "Active and Passive Euthanasia", James Rachels explains that the traditional distinction between active and passive euthanasia requires critical analysis. The conventional doctrine is that there an important moral difference between the two that must be carefully examined. Rachels writes that the distinction between active and passive euthanasia is thought to be critical for medical ethics. This idea can be challenged in a number of ways. One is that active euthanasia is in many cases more humane than passive euthanasia. Another is that this idea rests on..."
Tags: ethics, euthanasia, passive, active, assisted suicide, right to die, NDR, James Rachels, moral ambiguity
Abstract This paper, based on James Rachels' essay "Killing and Letting Die", explains that, although killing and letting someone die may be very different from some moral perspectives, from other viewpoints and in certain scenarios, they can be equivalent. The author uses examples from Rachels' essay to explore the issue of intentions and the concept of action versus inaction. The equivalence thesis, which implies that nothing separates killing and letting someone dies because both actions have the same consequence in that both persons end up dead, is evaluated and supported by the author.
From the Paper "The reasoning Corrie ten Boom exercised was somewhat a combination of a few of the viewpoints that Rachels covered. What she did was refuse to reveal the name of a man (who would be killed if she spoke), but this man himself was responsible for many other deaths, and would continue to cause the killings of others. She felt that her revealing this man's name was an action equivalent to killing him, and it is from that that I will explain her view. She believed it was better not to kill this one man (by revealing his identity) than to save others."
