What is Nature?
What sparked the debate about what is "natural" in the chapter?
Sam's question about natural vanilla flavor in ice cream.
Which philosopher suggested that "natural" things have an internal source of change?
Aristotle.
What is a common definition of wilderness?
Land set aside from human interference.
Who said, "The idea of nature contains an extraordinary amount of human history"?
Raymond Williams.
What is one negative effect of suburban zoning framed as environmental protection?
t raises housing costs and excludes minorities and lower-income families.
According to Sam, what is natural and what isn’t?
"Everything from the Earth is natural; everything else isn’t."
What is the Daoist concept for acting without deliberate effort?
Wu wei
Why is the concept of wilderness contradictory?
It’s a deliberate human construct, often requiring the removal of local populations.
What theory reflects the capitalist ideals of competition and specialization?
Darwin's theory of natural selection.
What environmental argument is sometimes used to justify limiting immigration?
Overpopulation contributes to environmental degradation.
What term describes the human search for a moral realm free from human influence?
Natural conscience.
How does Daoism define unnatural actions?
Actions that go against one’s natural de or essence.
What is one reason why modern environmentalism struggles with its goals?
It must connect humans to nature while simultaneously separating them to protect it.
How does tourism commodify landscapes like Vermont or Inishbofin?
By turning local traditions and natural beauty into marketable goods.
How did industrial interests create skepticism about climate change?
By funding contrarian scientists, spinning media narratives, and suppressing government reports.
What example does the chapter provide of someone sacrificing their life for nature?
Homero Gómez González, who fought illegal logging in the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Reserve.
What contradiction arises when humans act to "follow nature"?
If humans are part of nature, all actions are natural; if separate, humans cannot truly follow nature
What example shows the harm of excluding indigenous practices from conservation?
The Maasai herders in Kenya whose grazing improved grasslands for wildlife.
Why is the term "ozone hole" a social construction?
It dramatizes ozone depletion for narrative impact, even though no actual "hole" exists.
What percentage of climate scientists agree that humans are causing climate change?
97%.
What danger does the concept of "natural differences" among humans present?
It has justified oppression, including slavery, genocide, and inequality.
Which Daoist thinker argued that wu wei justifies social hierarchy?
Kuo Hsiang
What was the outcome of excluding villagers from the Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary?
Bird populations declined because grazing stopped, disrupting the ecosystem.
How did Charles Darwin come up with the idea of natural selection?
By reading Malthus’s Essay on Population, which influenced his ideas on competition and survival.
What is an example of environmental exclusion in the U.S.?
he creation of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area displaced 1,000 families.