| Papers [1-15] of 100 :: [Page 1 of 7] | | Go to page : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 —> | Search results on "WILDERNESS BILL": |
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The Wilderness Bill, 2007.
A brief overview of the 1964 Wilderness Bill.
828 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the Wilderness Bill, developed out of the work of the Wilderness Society, led by Howard Zahniser. It looks at how the bill came about as a response to the rapid urbanization and sprawl of the nation, which resulted in a rapid decline in the amount of protected wilderness space. It also shows how, at its core, the bill created a legal definition for "wilderness" and, when the Wilderness Act was enacted on September 3, 1964, it protected over nine million acres of federal wilderness area.
From the Paper
"The parameters of the Wilderness Act are aimed at ensuring real protection to federal lands for the preservation for future generations. According to the Wilderness Act, all land that is protected under its jurisdiction became areas of public land. Further, a designation as being a wilderness is an additional protection given to the land that supersedes any less protection granted by the administrative agency overseeing the national forest, national park, wildlife refuges and other forms of public land. The Wilderness Act also places an emphasis on conservation instead of tourism or public use. "
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Benign Wilderness and Malign Civilization, 2006.
A new look at the concept of wilderness in the face of Canada's growing population and increasing urbanization and what this means for the relationship between civilization and the wilderness.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 8 sources, $ 53.95
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Abstract
The rhetoric of wilderness is a site of conflict in modern Canada as the traditional concept of wilderness is challenged by the country's growing population and expansion of its urban areas. This essay examines this process in terms of contemporary critical revision of the concept of wilderness as a human construct and the consequent reappraisal of our understanding of the relationship between people and the wilderness.
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?Wilderness and the American Mind?, 2002.
Discusses Rodney Nash's book on the American population's changing view of the wilderness.
1,597 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 52.95
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Abstract
In the book "Wilderness and the American Mind" by Roderick Nash, the author writes that the attitudes of Americans towards the dichotomy between wilderness and civilization have shifted over time. The book shows how Nash analyzes the reasons for the shift, the nature of the shift and the possible direction for the future. The paper discusses how different attitudes toward the wilderness can be seen as different themes in American history and they are not entirely distinct in time, meaning that they may exist at one and the same time, though one or another will dominate and so be the mark of the age. The wilderness has been seen as something "evil," something to be conquered and tamed. The wilderness can be seen as something involving a form of communion, indicating a belief in the spiritual nature of the wilderness. More recently, the wilderness is depicted as endangered and as something to be preserved and protected.
From the Paper
"This idea would continue to infuse the environmental movement as it shifted to the protectionist mode, for there is often a quasi-religious aura to some of the more radical environmental groups that see protecting the wilderness as a religious act. The idea of protecting the wilderness and preserving it for the future also began in the nineteenth century with the work of men like Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York City's Central Park. By the end of the nineteenth century, the work of men like John Muir contributed to the movement to preserve lands as part of a national park system. When these lands were first designated a national forests, it was clear that they had been set aside for consumptive uses, but new priorities and new forces later brought into question many of the traditional guidelines for the use of this land."
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William Cronon's "The Trouble with Wilderness..." (1996), 2005.
This paper discusses William Cronon's "The Trouble with Wilderness or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature", which provides a helpful critique of tendencies to encourage a mistake of equating the wilderness with a paradise it is not.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 3 sources, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper relates that William Cronon's "The Trouble with Wilderness or Getting Back to the Wrong Nature" explains the escape metaphor attached to the wilderness, which draws attention from ecological work to be done in urban areas. The author points out that Cronon traces the long history of how culture addresses the wilderness, especially since the rise of science. The paper refers to three other articles supporting Cronon's thesis,which serves as a kind of warning to environmentalists of the folly of their ways in conceptualizing the environment and the work that needs to be done more accurately.
From the Paper
"William Cronon's "The Trouble with Wilderness - or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature", provides a helpful critique of tendencies to encourage a mistake of equating the wilderness with a paradise it is not. (1996) This romantic habit of mind does nothing to promote the ecological revolution the world must see if it is to restore and preserve the greater natural environment. Cronon asks that the reader 'rethink', first of all, what is meant by the term of wilderness, noting that there are various kinds of it, and that the wilderness, under any circumstances is not the Utopia that current environmental activists would have us believe is so."
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"The Trouble with Wilderness", 2006.
A discussion of environmentalism from the book "The Trouble with Wilderness", by William Cronon.
2,114 words (approx. 8.5 pages), 0 sources, $ 66.95
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Abstract
The paper reviews the book "The Trouble with Wilderness" by William Cronon. The paper illustrates the cultural biases inherent in the term, "wilderness". The paper illustrates how wilderness was considered a barren and scary place, but by the end of the 19th century, due to shifts in cultural ideology and the effects of industrialism, the American concept of wilderness changed dramatically. The paper further examines how the Bible presents two dualistically opposed views of wilderness: the Garden of Eden and the dangerous wasteland of the desert and how this dualistic worldview is at the root of the conflicts within the environmental movement. The paper concludes with Cronon's wish that all environmentalists pay attention to the cultural and historical context of wilderness.
From the Paper
"Cronon's main motive in writing "The Trouble with Wilderness" is not to criticize the environmental or conservation movements but to "abandon the dualism that sees the tree in the garden as artificial," (387). All nature is sacred and sublime, including the grasses on the prairies and the marshlands in Florida. Labeling some parts of the natural world as "wilderness" makes those parts valuable in the public consciousness and consequentially, the public may ignore the beauty outside their bedroom window."
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Literature of Wilderness, 2005.
This paper compares the use of the concept of wilderness in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Great Gatsby".
1,370 words (approx. 5.5 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that wilderness was a symbolic state used by Nathaniel Hawthorne in "Young Goodman Brown" and F. Scott Fitzgerald in "Great Gatsby" to show their protagonists' realizations that they have lost their meaning in their respective lives. The author points out that, in "Young Goodman Brown", Hawthorne used the wilderness as the setting for Goodman's path towards discovering and testing his faith in God by describing wilderness as a place where disorder prevails against civilization's mannered characteristic. The paper relates that Fitzgerald's portrayal of the wilderness in "Great Gatsby" shows the harshness of society towards individuals who deviate from its standards of conformity in terms of beliefs and values in life, a setting far less rustic and disorderly as Hawthorne's wilderness in "Young Goodman Brown".
From the Paper
"Even towards the end of the story, Hawthorne continued to haunt his readers with the theme of wilderness inherent in the hearts and minds of humanity. Posing the question, "Had Goodman Brown fell asleep in the forest, and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?," Hawthorne was actually creating disorder in the minds of his readers, making them also question whether Goodman's confrontation in the wilderness was an illusion or not. This unanswered question unsettled the ending of the story, leaving Hawthorne's readers groping in the "wilderness" of interpretation, just as Goodman had been lost in the wilderness of his heart and mind."
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Preserving the Wilderness, 2006.
Argues for the need to preserve the world's wilderness as these areas are a haven for habitat and biodiversity not found anywhere else on earth.
1,975 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 8 sources, APA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
Our entire society is governed by consumerism and competition and in order for our economy to thrive, our appetite for prosperity must continually grow. The paper argues that it is for this very reason that we must take wilderness protection very seriously. As a commercial society we are dependant on our abundance of natural resources and our common wealth of public land to fuel our ever-growing population. The paper argues that even if the average person never visits a pristine forest, their quality of life is seriously affected by its preservation.
Paper Outline:
Introduction
Why Protect Wilderness?
Wilderness as a Resource
Biodiversity
Wilderness as a Laboratory
The Arctic Refuge; An Urgent Risk
Conclusion
Bibliography
From the Paper
"Perhaps a fundamental importance of wilderness lies in its ability to provide a basis for understanding the effects of our current land-use practices. Wilderness offers us "an ecological laboratory" (Miller, 199) where it is possible to examine nature as it was meant to function. Multiple use approaches to land management and other attempts at conservation may well be practical solutions towards preserving wilderness. However, without being able to compare our practices to an area of land that has not been managed or disturbed, it would be almost impossible to judge the difference. In addition, the National Resource Defiance Council, or NRDC, claims that half of our public lands are home to endangered or threatened species. Unspoiled wilderness provides a habitat in which both nature and evolution can progress without disruption."
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In the Wilderness, 2006.
This paper looks at the writings of Henry David Thoreau with regard to the concept of wilderness.
2,295 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 5 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses author Henry David Thoreau's writings relating to the American idea (and ideal) of the wilderness. The writer explains that Thoreau wrote about the spiritual bond between humans and the natural world and that Thoreau's work ranged widely from writings on nature to justice and truth. In addition, the writer looks at how Thoreau combines the ideas of the study of nature as well as the more transcendental approach of contemplation and unconscious attachment. The writer also looks and compares Thoreau's ideas to the beliefs of John Muir regarding wilderness. Further, the writer discusses the development of Thoreau's ideas in his works.
From the Paper
"In fact, adds Oeschlaeger, Muir does not only go beyond transcendentalism, but includes dimensions that even Thoreau's idea wilderness did not attain. Why is it, then, that Muir does not always have the recognition he deserved? The first reason is that he wrote significantly much more as a naturalistic essayist in the tradition of Gilbert White than a systematic philosopher. Although there is philosophical prose in his work, he does not push his arguments but is discrete in his approach. There is a relentless questioning of anthropocentric viewpoints on nature and a regular acceptance of a biocentric perspective where humans have developed into an empathetic part of nature instead of a scientific observer separate from it.
Secondly, Muir's approach is more theological than philosophical. His love for nature is so great, that he can not divorce his ideas about God from what he sees around him."
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The Wilderness, 2002.
A creative essay on the surroundings in the wilderness.
958 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 0 sources, $ 34.95
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Abstract
A detailed and abstract essay describing the qualities that the wilderness possesses. The paper describes the nature, the fauna and the river in the wilderness.
From the Paper
"The air is pure, so clean and uninhibited by any foreign debris or pollution. The breeze blows gently and whistles as it passes through the underbrush. It is a rather warm day, approximately ninety degrees. The sky is endlessly blue stretching for galaxies without a cloud. The only sounds are those from lively mockingbirds, that of the wind passing through the treetops, and the river as it flows through its riverbed. The river flows graciously, with careless abandon, stopping for no obstacle in its path."
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"The American Indian Wilderness", 2002.
An analysis of the essay "The American Indian Wilderness" by Louis Owens.
650 words (approx. 2.6 pages), 1 source, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This paper will discuss how Louis Owens, in his essay "The American Indian Wilderness", evokes the usage of the essay format to describe the ways of the Native Americans in their habitats and the natural environment that they survived in. By revealing a thesis of Native Americans being here first, he states a thesis that can be readily agreed with. We can see how Owens argues for their ownership of the land before the great Manifest Destiny that eventually wiped them out.
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Oelschlaeger's 'The Idea of Wilderness', 2006.
An essay review of the book 'The Idea of Wilderness' by Max Oelschlaeger
2,148 words (approx. 8.6 pages), 0 sources, $ 67.95
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Abstract
This paper reviews Oelschlaeger's 'The Idea of Wilderness' from Prehistory to the Age of Ecology, giving an overview of interaction with nature from the earliest times of human existence until present times.
From the Paper
"There still is a sect of wilderness Buddhist monks, for example, that have been roaming the wilderness of Southeast Asia for centuries, living symbiotically with the jungle. The monks' rules demand they live entirely outside of the market economy, refusing any activities that divide them from a completely wilderness life: agriculture, herding animals, conducting trade or commerce, or storing food. In a sense, they are hunters and gatherers, but since they cannot kill animals, take from plants, or dig up soil, they instead collect from the generosity of the farmers. To repay for the burden put on their supporters, they must make themselves worthy--following the dharma, living frugally and virtuously, keeping their needs to a complete minimum.
The Idea of Wilderness covers Snyder's spiritual ecology and his "Eastern Connection" and interest in Oriental philosophy, psychology and religion. From his contact with the Zen Buddhism, he gained contact with ecology, to "hear the Earth Mother, welling up through the poet's song that sings of ancient sensibilities..." (262) " As Loa Tzu reminds, the name that can be named is not the Tao, the Mother of the ten thousand things."
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Wilderness Camping, 2005.
This paper discusses the requirements of wilderness camping on the Tahoe Rim Trail on the ridge tops of the Sierra Nevada mountains along the shores of Lake Tahoe.
1,100 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, as long as the camper takes a few precautions, the Tahoe Rim Trail is an excellent location for experiencing wilderness camping and having a wonderful camping adventure. The author points out that, for most of the trail's route, there are no established campgrounds; therefore, campers must follow the U.S Forest Service's (USFS) guidelines for "dispersed camping" along the trail, which means campers can choose a campsite anywhere along the trail, but the site must be within 300 feet on either side of the trail and should not be within 200 feet of a water source. The paper gives instructions for avoiding bear activity along the Trail and watching out for rattlesnakes.
From the Paper
"Clearly, wilderness camping such as that along the Tahoe Rim Trail depends on successful planning before the hike. If campers are planning to hike the entire trail, they will need to plan on carrying enough food and water for the entire trip, which can run into quite a bit of supplies. They can replenish water in some of campgrounds along the way, and there are some water sources along the trail. If water from these sources is used, campers should carry a portable water purification system. Campers should never drink unfiltered or purified water from natural sources. Food will be a major part of the planning effort, and a major portion of the weight carried on the trip."
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"A Season in the Wilderness", 2004.
A review of the book, "A Season in the Wilderness" written by Edward Abbey.
1,168 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Edward Abbey's "A Season in the Wilderness", a record of his work for three summer seasons as a seasonal park ranger in the Arches National Monument in Utah. The paper contends that the author deserves respect for his ability to describe in great detail all the wildlife in the southeastern Utah desert. The paper claims that Abbey obviously took very good notes and kept an elaborate journal in order to later put a book together packed with rich detail and glowing narrative.
From the Paper
"The author, Edward Abbey, explains to the reader in the Author's Introduction, what it was like to work for three summer seasons as a "seasonal park ranger" in the Arches National Monument in Utah. He kept a journal during those seasons, which recorded his feelings and his activities: the desert where he worked, he writes, is a "vast world, an oceanic world, as deep in its way and complex and various as the sea." But his book isn't just about the stunning beauty of the land in southwest Utah, although Abbey says (1) the desert where he worked "...is the most beautiful place on earth.""
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Diminishing Wilderness, 2005.
This paper discusses that the main reason for most endangered species is habitat destruction and suggests ways of overcoming the problem of the diminishing wilderness.
1,155 words (approx. 4.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 39.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, while some animals are resilient enough to cope with major habitat destruction, others, particularly those animals who have evolved to live in very specific types of habitat, cannot. The author points out that the ecological problem for the pygmy-possum was that the mountain on which the females live became a popular ski resort area with a road cutting across the path the males used to get to the females; ecologists solved the problem by constructing a corridor --a man-made tunnel under the road--for the males to use to get to the females. The paper stresses that biologists need detailed information about the ways endangered animals live, feed and reproduce in order to find a solution to diminishing wildernesses.
From the Paper
"There are numerous examples of habitat destruction and its effects on wildlife. For instance, the Richmond birdwing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly found in subtropical rainforests in Australia. This butterfly feeds almost exclusively on one plant -- the Richmond birdwing vine. As habitat shrank, a second problem developed: a vine called Dutchman's pipe pushed out the Rhichmond birdwing vine. The butterflies laid their eggs on the Dutchman pipe, which made a good environment for the eggs but was poisonous to the caterpillars. The result was that the butterfly lost nearly 70% of its habitat, and a further decline because of the intruding vine, which was not native to the area."
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The Wilderness in Literature, 2005.
This paper discusses the role of the wilderness in Rick Bass' "Days of Heaven" and Ernest Hemingway's "The Big Two Hearted River".
1,875 words (approx. 7.5 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 59.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, in the short story, "Days of Heaven", by Rick Bass, the main character comes to terms with his love of the land, although he knows that it will soon be gone and he must bear part of the responsibility for its disappearance; and that, in "The Big Two Hearted River", Ernest Hemingway, wrote of Nick Adams attempts to return to a land he had loved, after it had already been destroyed by development and construction, knowing that it would never be the same. The author points out that nature could be considered a main character in these stories: In one story, the land is about to be destroyed; in the other story the land is renewing itself. The paper relates that each author makes full use of the symbolism and human identity associated with the destruction and renewal.
From the Paper
"Both of these stories display a strong relationship between the main characters and nature. The caretaker in "Days of Heaven" has a longstanding relationship with the land that he has been chosen to care for. To find himself in a position of seeing that land being taken away, land that he strived to keep natural is a great disappointment to him. To put it simply, it is like seeing something you treasure be taken away and destroyed. Imagine the greatest treasure that a person holds dear to their heart being ripped away and sold off into smaller pieces so someone else can use it. How heartbroken would that person be? This is the situation the caretaker finds himself in. He is also somewhat responsible for it, as he cannot or is not doing anything to stop it from happening. The opposite is true of Nick Adams, who has come from a place in his life where he was an element of destruction for nature. He is no longer a part of that life, and has transformed himself into someone who lives with the nature surrounding him. He has found that peace that the caretaker had."
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