Throughout history we have tried to conquer the wilderness, tame the jungles, and master theelements, and we are still trying to conquer space. But are nature and humankind necessarily in conflict?We created civilization to protect us from the undesirable features of the outdoors and, to some degree,from harm. But now our experience of the natural world is so mediated that many of us know it only as itis presented on television or online. Has our relationship with nature changed so drastically that naturenow exists within civilization, as contemporary naturalist Bill McKibben suggests? Do we now containnature rather than being contained by it? How does our perspective on Ralph Waldo Emerson’s classicessay “Nature” change now that nature is threatened? Can we balance human progress and economicwell-being with environmental protection?In recent years, humankind’s attitude toward the natural world has changed. Before Rachel Carson andothers began to alert us to the dangers of pollution, most people simply didn’t think about theenvironment. And looking back over the last half century, it is hard to imagine what may be in store for usover the next fifty years. Are we yet to see the consequences of what we have already done to alter theenvironment?Question: What is our responsibility to the natural environment?Your Task: Carefully read the text provided. Then, using evidence from that text, plus two crediblepieces of research you gather on your own, write a well-developed argument regarding our responsibilityto the natural environment. Clearly establish your claim, distinguish it from alternate or opposing claims,and use specific, relevant, and sufficient evidence from these three texts to develop your argument. Do notsimply summarize each text.Guidelines: Be sure to:● Establish your claim regarding our responsibility to the natural environment.● Distinguish your claim from alternate or opposing claims.● Use specific, relevant, and sufficient evidence from at least three of the texts to develop yourargument.● Develop claim(s) and counterclaim(s) thoroughly and in a balanced manner, supplying the mostrelevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both, anticipatingthe audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.● Express the appropriate complexity of the topic.
