http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/promised-land-trailer-matt-damon-john-krasinski-372998

Here's a link to that new movie about tracking.... just in case anyone was interested. haha

Climbing a Peak That Stirred Kerouac - NYTimes.com

Climbing a Peak That Stirred Kerouac - NYTimes.com

Gasland Quote

I just finished rewatching Gasland, and I pulled this great quote from John Fentons, the farmer from Wyoming, who says:

This is my way of life, you know. My father and my grandfather were old time cowboys, you know. And my grandfather on my mom's side were farmers in Nebraska. This is my family heritage, you know. This is our family farm. We're proud of this. But, by god, if your way of life is being besieged, and your health is under attack, I don't know what else you can do. I don't know where else I can go... The biggest thing I want people to know is you're not alone if this is happening to you. I'm in the same boat as you are. And what we need to do is we need to get together and we need to stand up, and we need to speak with a unified voice and we need to stand up to these assholes.

If you want to find the original source, he starts at around 42:30 into the movie, in the "Easter in Wyoming" chapter.

Group viewing/discussion of gasland

Hi, does anyone want to get together to watch Gasland again? If we have a group, we can use the presentation room in Leavey. I've already reserved it for Saturday from 7-9 pm.

Group 2-Change

Evolutionary changes: Change in the environment over time: toxic in the ground water and air, many animals suffer drinking the toxic water.

If the animals continue drinking water that contains poisonous fracking chemicals, then human will easily get poisons from consuming the products from those animals.

If they continue this practice around the human neighborhood, we can easily see great changes in human health. 

Chemicals alter genes in humans/plants/animals and pass down through generations the mutations

Epidemic of diseases among organisms living around the area, area may no longer be inhabited

Revolutionary changes: A process of getting more people to recognize the problem and fight against the fracking industry by using social medias, it could be a revolutionary change.

Different generations and populations have different views toward the practice. First, natural gas is clean and necessary for country if it want to become independent in natural resources (energy). Second, method of obtaining natural gas need to be carefully regulated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Industrialization, larger oil supplies, new techniques of extracting oil

Growth/ Decay: Fracking chemicals is likely to become more dangerous as the fracking industries continue to expand their practices.

Ground water is connected to the river; therefore, it could lead to many other environmental problems within human and non-human communities.

Chemical imbalance in soil due to ground water

Fracking growing (to oil companies), but the idea is decaying (to US residents)

Problem likely to become more serious

Values:

Privacy, Heritage, Industrialization, Unlimited Opportunities, Property, Personal belief, Individualism, Justice Inequality, Future orientation, Directness/Honesty, Patriotism, Money, Activism, Human health, human rights

          

                                           --Victoria, Christina, Tony, and Chris               

Group 3---Form/Structure

This is what I have and maybe you guys can add stuff to this post.


Form/ Structure:

Signing the contracts with the drilling companies:
                   Superficial: personal profits
                   Deep: continuity of family traditions, land ownership, relationship with "distant" people            and local people

Fighting with the majority:
                  Superficial: individualism, justice
                  Deep:  freedom, citizenship, rights and occupation

Gas wells:
                   Superficial: personal values vs. national profits, hierarchy
                   Deep: social needs, modifying nature, land ethics


Values:

Individualism
Freedom
Family value, tradition, heritage, staying connected with ancestors
Education
Independence
Ownership
Citizenship
The Frontier Spirit
National identity
"American Dream"
Community, relationship with others
Justice
Civic rights

Group 4- Contrast

Contrast:
trust vs. skepticism/protection
acknowledged authority/power vs. individual activism

majesty/love of country vs. commodity/economical resources
community vs. exploitation
tradition vs. innovation
public curiosity vs. corporate secrets
natural gas access vs. groundwater contamination

maximum efficiency/production vs. safety of residents/nature
All of the real chemicals used vs. what the companies say they use
Nature activists vs. drilling companies
Those who aren’t affected by the effects vs those who are
Those who do not experience fracking, only see as another sourceHuman decency vs. personal gain
Big guy vs. little guy
Public lands vs. private hands
Use value vs. exchange value
Moral assumptions vs. corporate detachment


Values:
Tradition
Lineage
Freedom
Community
Ownership
Connection
Optimism
Rights

Personal identity
Family heritage
New Life
Opportunity
Ownership
Pride

Values
Manifest destiny
Innovation
Imperialism
Competition/ free-for-all
Legacy

 

- Katie Larson, Kent Oya, Jared Ong-Siong

 

 

Group 1

Hey group one comrades,

Let's all add our contributions on this post, then put out a definitive post once we've settled on a good list of cause-effect things.

Ryan

What I have so far:

• The drilling of gas is:
• A means to privatize a commodity that can then be sold.
• A means to acquire an energy source
• The logical continuation of historical American energy policies.
• An activity that harms people nearby, but can benefit those who are farther away.
• People vote for their representatives when they are convinced they will work for them.
• Companies support candidates who are willing to support their interests.

My Views on Fracking (and Related Topics)

The frontier has always been about development. Most of the original settlers of the so-called "Wild West" came not because they wanted a life free from civilization, but because they wanted to bring development to land that had lain unused by non-native people. Far from being the embodying the independent, rugged ideal of the frontier, the people we see in Gasland are part of 150 years of the U.S. federal government trying to establish and maintain its sovereignty on land that it did not effectively control for much of the past 230 years.

Through the fracking debate, we see the conflict between the rhetoric used to justify expansion - lofty talk of individualism, independence, liberty and nature - and the true motives behind the settling of the West - profit. To a certain extent, I think the sad fact of the matter is that the people whose water is being poisoned are just pawns in a larger political and economic game, and that the system that we have in this country is optimized to ensure the best outcomes for the wealthy and well-connected, and the vaunted American Cultural Values are just ideas used to justify continuing the system to the vast majority of the population, who would otherwise be outraged by the allocation of resources.

Actually, that's probably too cynical.

Response to A4 Readings

      In the N.Y.Times article, Applebome interviews some villagers fighting against the natural gas drilling companies that cause pollution and serious illness to the neighborhood.   The villagers like Ms. Jastremski and Ms. Huntington use their personal force and commitment to do the research, visit the industrial companies and publishing their voices in local newspaper. They deserve sympathy and understanding, but they didn't manage all the victims in the neighborhood to form a larger voice. Instead, they would like to do all the work alone, although it's the most difficult, time consuming way to earn attention. This fact shows one important American value, Individuality, which means people would rather achieve their goals by their own ability and hardworking, even though sometimes the goals are similar. 
     In Will's essay, he also points out the core value of American culture is individualism, and this spirit refers other values like optimism, since being confident and positive lets people have the courage to solve the problems themselves. All these values will go to one destination, freedom.  To Will, freedom is more like the civic value for America, since it is the motivation of hardworking and the ultimate goal of everyone. 
    Schneekloth and Turner talk more about how the American cultural values were formed and introduced by the frontier. The brave, confident frontier came to this new land and formed a new country. Many great virtues of them leave deep effectiveness in American history, and those virtues become the model and values that effect how Americans think and take action even after over three hundred years.   

By Yawen Luo 

Everglades National Park Map

http://www.planetware.com/map/everglades-national-park-map-us-flever.htm

Mesa Verde in One Image

I think it aligns with Olwig's portrayal of parks as idyllic places, and with the cultural perception of Native Americans as being in tune with the rhythms of the natural world.

 We can see this perception in the famous advertisement produced by Keep America Beautiful:

Zion National Park

So here are some pictures of Zion National Park taken by my brother and a few taken by me... sorry there are so many. I just think some of them are pretty cool. Also the ones of my brother are to show what people will do in order to get "the perfect shot." I hope he doesn't kill me if he ever finds out i posted these here, and also, hope you enjoy!!

-- Victoria

http://youtu.be/6iG5L1AdsSk
This is a video i found as well, it is also one of my sources.

Alone and at home crossing the Sierra -- latimes.com

Alone and at home crossing the Sierra -- latimes.com

Ten design lessons from Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture by Matt Linderman of 37signals

Ten design lessons from Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of American landscape architecture by Matt Linderman of 37signals

Grand Canyon National Park

(citations for images included in the paper)

Joshua Tree National Park Pictures

The first image is a general map of the park, while the following three portray the physical attractions that entice visitors to the park. The symbolic Joshua trees, for which the park is aptly named, are displayed in the second picture, and the final two show the awe-inspiring rock formations that are products of years and years of erosion. As displayed by the third picture, many rock-climbers are attracted to JTNP in order to experience the sheer spirituality associated with interacting with such a  powerful landscape. 

Katie Larson

Pictures of Yosemite, California

      Yosemite is one of the earliest national parks in the U.S.. The purpose to build the park around Sierra Nevada is for human recreation and environment reservation at the same time.  (Photos are from the official website of Yosemite: http://www.yosemite.com/explore-yosemite/photo-gallery, http://www.yosemitepark.com/)

A Selection of Photos from Mesa Verde

These are photos of Mesa Verde National Park, primarily drawn from the park's official website. The first four show the cliff dwellings that are the park's primary attraction. The final image shows how a road that once strayed into a neighboring reservation, but which was rerouted once local Native Americans started selling souvenirs, food, and helicopter rides on the roadside.

Introductions Handout

Introductions: Notes and Goals

In the kind of essays we are writing in this course, your introductions must offer the following:

THESIS: a succinct statement of the central claim that the rest of the essay will explain/expand upon.

CONTEXT: a brief statement of the information that your reader needs to understand in order for your thesis to make sense.  The context should include the following:

A preliminary statement or implication of the STAKES inherent in your argument/issue.  In other words, WHY should the reader care about this topic?  What will it cost her not to understand your argument?  

An indication of the state of play of the conversation about the topic of your thesis, i.e. the conventional wisdom, the conventional ignorance, or the most salient elements of the ongoing dispute.

If at all possible, your introduction should also include a HOOK, an opening sentence or two that startles or charms your reader into reading further.

You may also want to include a ROAD MAP in or near your introduction.  This series of claims will lay out HOW you will be proving your argument.  This often includes a terse statement of your primary supportive claims and especially the LOGIC of their organization.

EXAMPLE:

Stephanie Solis did not know that she was an illegal immigrant until she was eighteen.  Until then, her parents had been able to hide the fact that they had broken the law when they brought their infant daughter to the United States.  Solis’ discovery of her illegal status may be unusual, but her predicament is not.  This year alone about 70,000 undocumented students will graduate from American high schools.  Immigration excites powerful emotions on both sides of the debate; livelihoods, ways of life, and lives all seem to be at stake.  However, the very importance of the topic tends to lead people to get emotionally attached to their positions and to avoid confronting the complexities of the issue.  For example, the immigration debate in this country tends to focus on adult immigrants; it often fails to account for the millions of children brought into the country by their parents.  It is true that these children’s very presence in this country is a crime.  However, many, if not most of the children illegally in the United States came here when they were too young to have deliberately done anything wrong.  Many people oppose “rewarding” adult immigrants by giving their children citizenship.  But like it or not, those  millions of children are already here and something must be done to allow them to become fully productive residents.  Therefore, for both moral and practical reasons, Congress must pass a law creating a pathway to citizenship for all people brought to the United States before they turned eighteen.

(h/t J. Enfield)

Annotated Bibliography Handout

The Annotated Bibliography:

It is the goal of the annotated bibliography first to establish your control over your sources and then to show me (and yourself) how you intend to employ their information.  A good annotation provides a succinct summary of the article, and it should give some insight into the articles relevance to your own agenda.  This is the first step in establishing the “because” explanation (warrant) upon which the Toulmin supportive approach turns.  The more relevant information you pack into the annotation, the more your own argument is going to take form before you start writing.  You will also find that beyond helping to sculpt the contours of your own analysis and approach, the annotated bibliography easily becomes your works cited page (bonus!).

Example:

Grant, Barry Keith (1996).  Rich and Strange: The Yuppie Horror Film [Electronic

Version].  Journal of Film and Video, Vol. 48, No. ½ (Spring-Summer 1996): pp. 4-16. URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20688090

Grant examines a subgenre of the contemporary horror film, the “Yuppie Horror film,” focusing on the way that this subgenre employs the same elements of traditional horror films but shifted to exploit the 1980’s-early-1990’s social and cultural preoccupation with material success.  Using a wide variety of films as his support, Grant demonstrates the way that Yuppie horror replaces monsters and the supernatural with financial horrors such as losing one’s livelihood, social standing and/or material possessions.  This essay will provide material for my analysis of the salient economic anxieties and cultural tropes that motivate the affluent villains in Bret Easton Ellis’ short stories, the Devil Wears Prada (1989) and Let Them Eat Stake (1990).    

Segments #1 and #3 of the Murray Bookchin interview we looked at in class

Toulmin Method

A2 Sample Essay Start

Socially Deep Ecology

            The fundamental premise of both Bookchin and Bradford’s arguments against deep ecology is that the environmental crisis is rooted in social conflict, and that deep ecologists fail to commune nature with society. Therefore, deep ecologists disregard the very forces of domination and manipulation that are common in social interaction and directly correlate with environmental degradation. Bradford and Bookchin also elaborate upon the subject of humanism, referring to the dualism of deep ecology as contradictory and naïve. They denounce deep ecology’s ironic sensitivity to the ideal of anthropocentricism even though deep ecology emphasizes humanity’s justified polarity with the environment. The excerpts of Davis and Dideon only confirm Bookchin and Bradford’s critique of deep ecology. Davis’s firefighters and Dideon’s lifeguards compliment the argument that deep ecology is avowedly un-humanistic. As well, the presence of an inherent social hierarchy seen in the tenement and mansion fires in Davis and the symbolism of the greenhouse in Dideon show the obvious underlying social influences that refute the ideologies of deep ecology.

            Leopold and Berry talk of deep ecology as an ecological philosophy that recognizes the interdependence of the living environment, and emphasizes the inherent value of all organisms aside from their utility to human beings. Leopold states that, “an ethical relation to land can(not) exist without love, respect, and admiration for land and a high regard for its value (…) far broader than mere economic value” (Leopold 20). They attempt to look at nature holistically, and empathetically, stressing the “cosmic oneness” of our environment and our ever-growing reliance towards its resources. And in the respect that the ideological change that they fight for is mainly that of appreciating quality of life rather than standard of living, deep ecology makes a fair point.

However, Bookchin and Bradford realize the utopian aspect of this ideology and thus disregard it, commentating that society in actuality consists of power struggles that neglect sympathy. Bradford states that deep ecological thought is “blind to the actual organization of power, as well as to the operational characteristics of what is fundamentally an exterminist civilization” (Bradford 421). Thus, contrary to deep ecology’s vision, the sources of our ecological crisis are rooted in a class-based, hierarchical society. This is easily seen in the vast amount of fires throughout Los Angeles County that Davis describe in his “Ecology of Fear”. Davis emphasizes an obvious social problem that arises in the midst of firestorms that ravage both inter-Los Angeles and Malibu county. He recognizes the clear economic differences between the “overcrowded tenements of the Westlake district” compared to the perfection of the mansions that line the Malibu coast.