reflection-znt

1

Zhang

Taoning Zhang

Professor Walter

English 1C

January 26th, 2021

How can think like a mountain solve the environmental problems we face in 2020?

What is destroying Earth? Why is the environment we live in deteriorating every day? Most of us may already have an answer. We as humans continue to destroy the environment, endanger other species, and destroy our home. All living things, including human, depend on Earth. We rely on the water, soil, air, and food provided by Earth. However, we have been creating environmental problems such as global warming, deforestation, acid rains, floods, and distinction of animals continuously. Several of the most urgent environmental problems include climate change, pollution, deforestation, water scarcity, loss of biodiversity, as well as soil erosion (Marks, 2018). If humans continue to destroy the environment we are living in, we would also cease to exist one day because we could not live without clean water, fresh air, land, or food. The environmental problems we currently face are detrimental to our survival. Therefore, it is important to “think like a mountain” as suggested by Leopard when it comes to environmental conservation.

Humans should put ourselves in the shoes of the wild life and think like them because we are all interdependent. We rely on each other. Humans could not live without the wilderness or the natural world. Our ecosystem is a complete cycle where we all depend on each other. If humans only think about ourselves and ignore the environment, environmental conservation would not be realized. Humans would seek “machines, votes, and dollars”, which are all material gains. In the long term, this would cause trouble for the environment we rely on. If the environment is damaged, humans would not be able to survive either. As Leopard suggests, “In wilderness is the salvation of the world”. Only if we think like a mountain and realize the importance of wild life and the natural world, we would be saved. It is a poetic expression of good advice on the relationship between man and nature. Thus, from the point of view of protecting the nature, thinking like a mountain would help us to better understand the importance of environmental conservation.

Moreover, thinking like a mountain help us to face the environmental problems and find solutions. Humans are not the master or conqueror of the natural world. When we think like a mountain, we see ourselves as part of the natural world. We see the wolves, deer, and other living beings. We start to understand the meaning of the “howl of the wolf” (Leopard). When humans are too focused on ourselves or our economy, we tend to overlook the wellbeing of wild animals and the environment they live in. We have to think like a mountain because it allows us to understand the harms we are causing to the environment and the negative impacts we have brought to the animals and creatures living in the same environment. Governments lack the motivation to solve the environmental issues as they are more focused on the economy and human welfare. However, government policies spend largely on public support (Kulin and Seva, 2019). If the public feels that environmental conservation is important, the government would be more likely to increase government spending on environmental protection and carry out effective policies to solve environmental problems (Kulin and Seva, 2019). When we think like a mountain and feel the pain of the creatures, we would start to imagine our own future if we continue to destroy the environment and ignore the environmental problems we face today. Only then, we would realize the necessity to preserve the environment and start to act. With collective effort, people would also be able to push the government to make positive changes to protect the natural world.

On the other hand, thinking like a mountain is not enough to solve all of our environmental problems. Humans have done many irreversible harms to the environment. For instance, global warming has led to melting of glaciers (Marks, 2018). Soil degradation has caused loss of usable land and polluted water (Marks, 2018). Thinking like a mountain is only the first step to solve the environmental issues and save our environment. It helps humans to recognize the voice of the wilderness and the natural world. After thinking like a mountain, we still need to take more actions, come up with effective policies, and carry out these policies to resolve previous environmental issues, reduce further environmental damages and save the natural world we are living in.

In conclusion, thinking like a mountain enables us to listen to the voice and needs of the wilderness and recognize that humans are also part of the natural world. We would not be able to live without the wild life. When we think like a mountain, we would be able to feel what other creatures feel and realize the importance of clean water, air, and land. When we think like a mountain, we will truly be part of the wilderness and mother nature. We will stop focusing on material gains such as money, politics, and the economy. We will look from a long-term perspective and strive for environmental conservation and sustainable development. Therefore, thinking like a mountain is the first, and a critical step for us to solve the environmental problems we face in 2020.

Works Cited

Kulin, Joakim, and Ingemar Seva. “The Role of Government in Protecting the Environment: Quality of Government and the Translation of Normative Views about Government Responsibility into Spending Preferences.” International Journal of Sociology, vol. 49, no. 2, 2019, pp. 110–129., doi:10.1080/00207659.2019.1582964.

Leopard, Aldo. “Thinking Like a Mountain.” A Sand County Almanac, Oxford University Press, 1949.

Marks, Joshua. “The 6 Most Pressing Environmental Issues-and What You Can Do to Help Solve Them.” Inhabitat Green Design Innovation Architecture Green Building, Inhabitat, 1 Apr. 2018, inhabitat.com/top-6-environmental-issues-for-earth-day-and-what-you-can-do-to-solve-them/.