25 years old. UWF Grad 2016. Journalism Major

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Getting to know Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey was a well-known American author and essayist famous for his activism of environmental issues, criticism of public land strategies and anarchist political opinions. Through his work, Abbey constantly expressed the belief that the West was in danger of being industrialized to death, and that the only resolution falls in the protection of wilderness. Abbey was the author of 21 books in his lifetime, some include Dessert Solitaire, The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Brave Cowboy and The Fool’s Progress. The award-winning documentary film, “Edward Abbey: A Voice in the Wilderness,” is a look into Abbey’s life as he was remembered by several of his closest friends and family. I would say that Abbey’s love for nature and the environment was very apparent in this film and he succeeded in inspiring many to go out and protect the wilderness

The film effected Abbey in a positive way, seeing that it showed how hard he worked at encouraging people to care more about the environment. Even after his death, Abbey’s passion for the environment continues to inspire many and will continue to be remembered.

Throughout the film, there were several images of the places that Abbey loved and protected so severely. The unusual clips and interviews with Abbey, along with over 100 unusual and unpublished photos offer an intuitive look into the personal life and viewpoint of Abbey. In addition, his friends and family helped the viewers recognize who Abbey really was.

According to the film, Abbey was someone who had equal love for his family, friends and the environment, and was very honest and opinionated about it all, no matter what anyone else thought. With this, I feel that the film did reflect positively on his legacy to the environmental movement.

I would have to say that Abbey definitely made a difference, considering that his passion and dedication for the environment inspired many and continues to inspire many, even today. Seeing that people continue to use his work, along with further research, to find new ways to defend the environment, he is definitely relevant today.

After watching this film and researching further, one part of his life that impressed me was his constant dedication towards environmental issues, along with the continuous amount of work that he did to inform and encourage people to help with the environment and defend it, no matter how many others criticized him. That right there is a true example of fighting for what you believe in, even if others tell you differently.

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Josh Fox’s “Gasland” and Aldo Leopold’s “Land Ethic”

After watching Josh Fox’s 2010 documentary called “Gasland,” I can definitely say that it was comprehensive in a way in which this film guides understanding of the issue that was happening with a lot of meaningful information. In this documentary, Fox isn’t really working for anyone specific. After receiving a letter from a natural gas company offering to lease his family’s land for $100,000 to drill for gas, that’s when he started this documentary and ventured out and talked to several people and their families that were also being affected by this natural gas drilling. As far as Fox’s loyalty, I honestly feel that he is definitely fighting for us. He took the time to venture out and find out all this information from others that were being affected and these people expressed their concern and fear of the effects of the drilling. Fox was definitely dedicated to finding out who exactly is responsible for this contamination of natural gas.

           I feel that this film does provide a forum for public compromise on the use of natural resources as envisioned by Aldo Leopold. As portrayed in this film, I do feel that fracking violates Leopold’s Land Ethic, especially considering how much Leopold expresses his compassion for the land.

           As far as criticism of this documentary, “Gasland” developed quite a controversy even before it premiered on HBO. According to a source, there was a thorough analysis of Fox’s film, posted by Energy in Depth- a PR initiative of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA)- accusing him of mischaracterizing drilling and hydrofracking and hovering over facts that opposed his anti-fracking case: “Unfortunately, in the case of this film, accuracy is too often pushed aside for simplicity, evidence too often sacrificed for exaggeration, and the same old cast of characters and anecdotes- previously debunked- simply lifted from prior incarnations of the film and given a new home in this one” (Bryan, 2001). Of course Fox responded, contradicting the industry’s oppositions: “I am issuing the following point-by-point rebuttal of their claims, not because I feel obligated to address what are clearly falsehoods and smear tactics, but to show the depth of the industry’s assault on the truth and to point out their abfuscations, misleading spin on information, and attempts to shut down questions about their practices” (Bryan, 2001).

           If Aldo Leopold were alive today and he watched “Gasland,” I feel that he would probably have quite a bit to say, considering he is very knowledgeable about the sense of land ethics, and the importance of love and respect for the environment.

After watching this documentary, I actually learned a lot about drilling for natural gas. One of the parts about the film that really surprised me was the fact that the water was so contaminated that it actually lit on fire. That blew my mind. The other aspect that really surprised me was that there were so many people that were affected by this drilling, and it seemed that no one wanted to help at first. All in all, I feel that this was a successful documentary as far as getting a point across.

                                               References

Walsh, Bryan. (2001). A Documentary on Natural Gas Drilling Ignites an Oscar Controversy.Time Inc. Retrieved from http://science.time.com/2011/02/26/a-documentary-on-natural-gas-drilling-ignites-an-oscar-controversy/

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Value of the Land

Listening to Earth, a book by Christopher Hallowell and Walter Levy, focuses on environmental issues, with several readings that offer a variety of both academic and personal perspectives from some well-known authors. In chapter 1: Value of the Land, the authors presented are John Muir, Mary Austin, Aldo Leopold, Margaret Know and Barry Lopez.

“The American Forests” written by John Muir takes a religious route with Muir establishing a connection between God and Earth. In the beginning of his excerpt it states that he “believes that nature is God’s temple and abusing it is sacrilegious” (Hallowell & Levy, 7). I feel that the point that Muir is trying to make is that our environment is precious and we should take great care of it. I personally agree with the concept Muir is making here, simply because God created the environment that we live in and we should appreciate that and handle it with care, not destroy something that was created for us.

In Mary Austin’s “My Neighbor’s Field,” she describes how much she cherishes a piece of land that is owned by her neighbor who does not take very good care of it. In this excerpt, I feel that Austin’s point is that she does not believe that her neighbor is using his land for good use when it comes to the environment. Personally, I can definitely see Austin’s point of view; she just wants her neighbor to appreciate his land as much as she does and treat it with love and care. 

The author of “Land Ethic,” Aldo Leopold, proposes an argument that is broken up among six ethical aspects that are expressed towards the environment and the community. In this excerpt, I feel that Leopold is trying to express the idea of land ethics and he wants readers to have a better understanding of how to apply those ideas within a community. Personally, I agree with Leopold when he states that “it is inconceivable to me that an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land, and a high regard for its value” (Hallowell & Levy, 29).

Margaret L. Knox, the author of “The World According to Cushman” is a freelance journalist who writes about environmental issues. In this excerpt, Knox closely observes a property rights advocate named Chuck Cushman, and she is eager about revealing Cushman’s “exaggerations.” After reading this excerpt, it is very obvious that Knox is very motivated in revealing Cushman’s tactics about the environment. I can understand where Knox is coming from when she explains her point of view towards Cushman and his ideas.

 “Caring for the Woods,” written by Barry Lopez, takes a more personal route about his experiences with nature. In this excerpt, Lopez discusses nature and its relationship with culture. “I’ve come to believe, at the age of 49, that sacrificing the biological integrity of land to abet human progress is a practice my generation must end” (Hallowell & Levy, 36). I feel that the point that Lopez is trying to make is that there is a great amount of pain that he feels towards the reality that nature is fading more and more as time goes on, and he is wasting his time trying to fix it. I can only imagine how he would feel about today’s environmental issues.

After reading this chapter, I have taken in several different views and opinions about environmental issues. I can say that these authors truly care about the environment that they live and the land that they own. They are great with explaining and expressing their concern in way for the readers to better understand the importance of taking care of our environment, and what comes along in doing so. 

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Using social media to express the public’s opinions about pollution in the Pensacola area

My Twitter reporting: https://twitter.com/sarabear1213

My Storify reporting: https://storify.com/sarabear1213/toxic-survey

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Favorite places where nature calls: Beaches, Ocean life 

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My Connection to Nature

My connection to nature is close in certain places. I don’t go outside as often as I would like to, but when I do have the time, it is definitely a great environment to be. I feel that many people do not actually take at least an hour or two out of their day to just simply enjoy the outdoors and take in what goes on in the natural habitat that surrounds us every day. There are so many living organisms in our environment that a lot of us take for granite at times. There are many beautiful places on this Earth that have such a wonderful environment. For instance, one environment that I absolutely love to visit is the beach. I’m sure many others could relate. The beach is an environment that is welcome to whomever steps foot there. The beach allows you to just relax and enjoy the natural habitat around you. There is that wonderful breeze, the sun rays shinning down on you, the sand between your toes, the salt water on your skin, and even a few creatures that live in the salty water. You could also take a stroll along the beach as the water flows in and out along your feet. All of this is a natural environment that we have the advantage of enjoying at our own free will whenever we choose. Another environment that I absolutely love to visit is the ocean itself. Being a certified Scuba Diver, the ocean is an environment that I have had the privilege to experience first hand. The beach is a beautiful place, but the life that lives deep within the waters is a beautiful site to see. There are several creatures that live in the ocean, and having the advantage to swim among them is like being in a whole new world for that moment in time.