StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore - Book Report/Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
The book itself in general is about the ways in which humans are using our environmental resources and how this use of environmental resources has caused a serious imbalance in our nature.The book is also about the way in which humans are forming themselves around capitalism and not the other way around. …
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER92.7% of users find it useful
The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore"

The Shadow Our Future Throws - Al Gore The shadow our future throws is a chapter in Al-Gore's book, Earth in the balance: ecology and the human spirit. The book itself in general is about the ways in which humans are using our environmental resources and how this use of environmental resources has caused a serious imbalance in our nature. The book is also about the way in which humans are forming themselves around capitalism and not the other way around. The chapter in which he elaborates the theories underlying the questions of globalism and capitalism are detailed in the essay, 'The Shadow our Future Throws'.

The name itself is a signifier that actions can lead to disastrous consequences if we leave progress unchecked. The first theory that Gore mentioned concerned the 'Chaos Theory'. The 'Chaos Theory is also known as the butterfly effect (because the plot of the mathematical model crosses each other like a butterfly). It is easy for example to say that chaos exists but in the nature of man and science everything is neat and well-ordered with charted predictability however in every stable known natural phenomena for example, exists unpredictable uncharted and chaotic phenomena.

For example, the movement of the earth's tectonic plates that caused the inevitable tsunami destruction that affected South Asia and Southeast Asia. We know the cause of the tsunami, what we do not know is why. Therefore, the earth is moving at a chaotic erratic and random pace that cannot be known to man specifically. However, due to the fact that the chaos theory is difficult to chart and understand, scientists have the tendency to wait back before proceeding into any statement. This is a plausible move however but Gore argues that it might be too late when the world's climate is changing rapidly due to the greenhouse effect.

Initially, the earth has a particular manner in which it will swing 'pendulum-like' from state to state. The earth is able to recuperate itself continuously but the rapid changes and avid materialism and capitalism that is being overzealously advocated today is moving the natural environment too fast too soon. What are the effects on the environment and the earth of our rapid pollution Often the target of such rapid pollution is portrayed by the media as the work of irresponsible loggers or irresponsible swidden agriculturalists but nobody seems to question why there are swidden agriculturalists, to what extent are their involvement with slash and burn agriculture that affects the forest and causes deforestation and where does all the trees go The answer is quite simple, it is transported to developed countries.

Resources belonging to developing countries are simply used for materialism and capitalism of developed countries. The cost of capitalism is this, we move and shift natural resources from one part of the globe to another without realizing the consequences of our actions. In addition the problems of import and export are also apparent with the high cost of capitalism in maintaining 'freshness' of packaged goods. The media does not portray the perpetrators of capitalism and the wreckage of environmentalism to be the work of developed countries, on the contrary, environmentalism and environmentalists concentrate their efforts elsewhere by creating humanitarian problems instead in the developing countries (Tsing 2005).

However, this does not mean that there should be disjointed efforts on conserving the environment but rather, joint efforts on conserving the environment, one that cooperate for the initiative of other and other's communities instead of hoping to preserve solely only developed communities. Capitalism and environmentalism are two sides of a sword and are strange bedfellows but the truth is, they are action and reaction of one another. Previously, man and still today, those of the hunting and gathering communities have always lived harmoniously with nature, they do not have the attitude of keeping and gathering for later but instead perceive that there will always be abundance and they take only what they need (Sahlins 1972).

This is in line with Gore's theory of using science within the environment especially when he uses e= mc2, the formula for the theory of relativity. Our use of mass affects our experience that is shaped by time and space (Gore 1992:48). In conclusion, we are able to use science as a means to concentrate our efforts on reducing global effects of pollution thus saving ourselves from the rapid change in climate. In fact, we can use whatever means and resources that we have with us to change this situation, the media must cooperate, science must cooperate and above all, everyone must cooperate but we also must keep in check that our relationship with our society is also our relationship with nature.

References: Gore, Al. Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992. Sahlins, Marshall. Stone Age Economics. Chicago: Aldine, 1972. Tsing, Anna. Friction: An ethnography of global connection. Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press. 2005.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore Book Report/Review”, n.d.)
The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore Book Report/Review. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1526841-the-shadow-our-future-throws-by-al-gore
(The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore Book Report/Review)
The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore Book Report/Review. https://studentshare.org/literature/1526841-the-shadow-our-future-throws-by-al-gore.
“The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore Book Report/Review”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1526841-the-shadow-our-future-throws-by-al-gore.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Shadow Our Future Throws by Al Gore

Law In Practice - University Level-3-CIVIL PROCEDURE

He has met with an accident and is injured.... The injury was caused to William due to the negligence on the part of the driver Mr.... B.... Johnson in a RAT.... The accident took place on 12th April 2007.... William… suffered compound fracture to his left arm, a lacerated face (as a result of being thrown through the windscreen) and still complains of lower back pain....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

The Harlem Renaissance in American History

It provided the intellectual and cultural means for the voices of the marginalized to be deliberately heard amidst the racism and discrimination of… The development of jazz poetry, and the conceptualization of the “two-ness” of the souls of the Afircan Americans and the emergence of “the New Negro,” were all calling for a renewal of the African-American identity....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

History of Cities and Their Architecture

After some fruitless attempts to sell it locally, nearly transformed into a restaurant, the German authorities decided to return the marble and… The dispersal of constituents extended over different continents.... According to Köstner and Gottschalk, the company that delivered the marble blocks chose to reuse them later in Germany (Curtis, 2008)....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Komodo dragons and their behaviour

It also examines the life of amphibians with the same motive as that highlighted above, for reptiles (Ariefiandy et al.... Some of the early examples of amphibians include Westlothiana and Hylonomus, Casineria, which according to history may be some of the only known land-dwelling amphibians (Ariefiandy et al....
14 Pages (3500 words) Essay

Carl Jung's Concept of Individuation

The paper “Carl Jung's Concept of Individuation” summarizes the philosopher's idea that everybody should get hold of the first stage (the shadow) and the second (anima/animus) before getting to the third stage (the Self).... It is Jung's idea of the 'self': Individuation means becoming a single, homogeneous being, and, in so far as 'individuality' embraces our innermost, last, and incomparable uniqueness, it also implies becoming one's own self.... “Projection” on the people around points to the person's shadow essence....
9 Pages (2250 words) Literature review

Gentrification and Urban Neglect

In a way, it is encouraging social injustice that our grandparents fought hard to eradicate within society.... The "Gentrification and Urban Neglect" paper contains an annotated bibliography of such articles "Murder of a teenage boy on London Street exposes city's great wealth divide" by Andrew Anthony, "Social housing and anti-gentrification campaigners disrupt Property Awards" by Nicola Slawson....
8 Pages (2000 words) Annotated Bibliography

The Genealogy of Morality

The Freudian defense mechanism of repression states out guilt has denial for hidden desire (Teubert et al 43).... The psychodynamic theory of Freud puts it out that guilt comes from our behavior.... It also suggests that we built a defensive mechanism to protect us from the guilt we would go throw if we knew how bad our negative desires are.... Because humans are naturally egocentric, guilt makes us assume that others are of great importance in our thoughts and actions than we actually do....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Wind Turbine in Cameroon

This will ensure continuous and stable supply (Dominy et al.... The "Wind Turbine in Cameroon" paper is aimed at broadly exploring methods used in designing wind turbines, their functions, and the side effects in relation to Cameroon.... Cameroon needs to invest in wind turbines as one of its energy production and supply....
9 Pages (2250 words) Lab Report
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us