The Anthropocene! Beyond the Natural?

Flyer from Presentation

            On April 25, 2017, I attended a lecture given by Holmes Rolston, which was located in the DUC theater. He spoke on the Anthropocene and his own ideas about it. Holmes Rolston seemed very knowledgeable about the Anthropocene, however he was difficult to follow at times. From his presentation I gathered the following information. The Anthropocene is between geology and policy.  Philosophers refer to Anthropocene as an elevator term because it starts in geology and is eventually pulled to philosophy. Which suggests that we are entering a new era.  From a geological viewpoint it talks about the international commission of stratigraphy, saying that wild nature will never have a dominate force on landscapes.

            Second he talked about the Biosphere and techno sphere, which revolved around the fact that “nature no longer runs the earth we as humans do,” according to Mark Lyans. Essentially entering the anthropocene is like a slippery slope, however we do not need to go all the way down this slope and we can just go part way. In order for the ecosystem services to grow there will be an advancement in technology. This advancement will need to predominately focus on achieving a sustainable biosphere as its highest priority. That out of all the settled contents besides Europe, the percentage of wilderness went from 1/3 to ¼, based on George Peterson’s 8 point scale of wilderness, out of the 12 zones.

            Planetary engineering is a large scale manipulation asking two questions: one what kind of planet do we want, and two what kind of planet will we get? That ideally it would make nature more user friendly, and that the living world is essentially like a big Lego kit.  The people who ultimately suffer from geoengineering are the poor people living in Africa. Then comes Anthropocene ethics which basically states that humans need to reconsider ethical obligations and take responsibility for the ending of nature. According to economist’s humans exploit resources, or at least rational people do.  Whereas Anthro-enthusiasts take a moral high ground and take more time trying to save the elephants that are essentially in turn damaging crops that could be feeding the starving people. Ultimately the idea of living in harmony with nature is far gone.

            To end Rolston said that no matter what the earth will always come back, it might not come back the same as it was, but humans will learn to reinvent the earth. In the end we need a tapestry of cultural and natural values not trajectory, and in the end our future must be the center semi Anthropocene and kept basically natural.

A Fathers Protection

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A Check Can Change Everything

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A Dolls House

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The Power of Words

The play "The Miracle Worker" is about a young girl named Helen Keller who is left blind and deaf after a childhood illness. Her parents Mr. and Mrs. Keller brought her to see many doctors hoping to get some kind of answer to help Helen, despite their effort they were left hopeless. The hiring of Annie Sullivan was their last hope in trying to teach Helen before putting her in an institution. Annie Sullivan was a young teacher who recently graduated from Perkins Institute for the Blind. Upon her arrival to the Keller home, Captain Keller was skeptical that Annie would be able to do anything to help Helen as it would be a miracle if she could. While the Kellers didn't agree with all of Annie methods in teaching Helen, as they saw it as cruel and unnecessary, they were surprised by the progress Annie was making with Helen. Through perseverance, persistence and hard work Annie was able to not only teach Helen words and language, but a whole new world.

Photo From The_Miracle_Worker, google images

The Importance of Food and Culture

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"The Unexpected Lessons of Mexican Food" by Armando Montaño, demonstrates the relationship between food, self and culture identity. It begins with Armando Montaño, the  main character, reflecting back to when he was five years old and his dad was cooking pinto beans in the kitchen, like his grandmother always used to. Montaño uses food as an escape from the struggles of growing up biracial in America. His cultural identity is heavily connect to food, explaining that by using sour cream, cilantro, cayenne pepper and tender meat he is able to make a food that is not Mexican nor American. Montaño explains that he is Hispanic, and is thought to fit a specific stereotype because of it. However, his Mexican side of his family sees him as white, and he speaks Spanish but its the formal kind you learn in school rather than the kind you would hear on the streets or in the market. His father plays a significant role in his life, as he takes Montaño on trips back to his home town, Eagle Pass, which is on the souther border of Texas and Mexico. This is also the birth place of at the famous nacho. According to his father the nacho symbolizes fusion of the Spanish colonizers and Aztecs along with the independence of Texas and California from Mexico. Nachos are a blend of many foods, which is similar to the people who make up the world. On Montaño and his father's trip they experienced  problems when they went to get a  room at a Best Western, and were told that there were none available solely based off of his father's dark complexion. From this the reader is able to assume that the story takes place in a time where racism is still a strong problem. Montaño describes his experiences, from the people who his father knows, to the strong smell of food, and the way his father seemed to have a gradual separation from his past, all the way to the popular Mexican dish made from beef heads. He draws upon the fact that these experiences prompted him to want to explore more, and his decision to study abroad in Argentina. Montaño also emphasizes his fathers strong connection to his culture, by talking about how his father reconnects with it through the students, especially the minority ones. Overall this story instills the importance of heritage and culture into the reader from Montaño's emphasis on the connection between culture and food.

A Playlist About Me

Who I am

First things first my name is Rachel, I am from a small town centered between Appleton and Green Bay called Wrightstown. Here at UWSP I am double majoring in Social Work and Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. Back home I spend most of my time riding my horses and going to horse shows.