Watch this video with Ernest Callenbach about his visionary novel Ecotopia (1975), about the secession from the US of the eco-minded in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. Comment on two good ideas devised by the citizens of Ecotopia and/or two that would have met with serious challenges or resistance.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
HW for May 19 - Telling Stories about Ecology (anthology, pp. 251-258)
In the article "Telling Stories about Ecology", William Cronon commnents on the history of "the Plains' States" (in...
-
Annotated bibliography - where you reference and explain briefly two sources that you plan to use - ONE at least has to be a scholarly arti...
-
Please find and try to define at least two keywords in the entry for "cultural geography" by Mark Paterson. You can complement t... -
Answer to either or both: 1. Compare/contrast the two excertps, in light of the concepts of "border", "im/migration" and...
Two ideas that I find interesting from the citizens of Ecotopia are:
ReplyDelete- Due to a balance between the rural and urban worlds, the population can organize itself in a much closer and more environmentally conscious way. In other words, Ecotopians are able to bring agriculture to the city, managing, in part, to produce plant-based food in a self-sufficient way, also changing the typical food consumption patterns of the United States (fast food, per example). Thus, those who grow up in this environment would be more conscious about this issue, and from childhood they would see that this was the best thing for themselves and for the world in which they live.
- In line with the thinking previously explained, by having a closer relationship with Nature, Ecotopians become more conscious of it, for example by reducing the consumption of fossil fuels, opting instead for renewable energy, as well as the call for recycling, always keeping in mind the impact, even if it seems minimal, that an individual has on their society. In other words, the idea that an individual had to reduce his influence on the degradation of Nature/World, many others may have had, so the impact of this action will be enormous (e.g. going by bike instead of by car).
1. Women's leadership is the first idea that is, or would have been, challenged and resisted. The majority of leadership in Ecotopia would be by women. In the video, Callenbach explains how women are highly effective leaders in the community. We have seen some progress for women in leadership positions in America, but hardly enough. Multiple qualified women have run for president and continuously fail. Still, to this day, we have not seen a woman represent the country.
ReplyDelete2. Ecotopia would make choices related to agriculture and production that benefit long-term environmental and health causes, instead of instant monetary gain. This would cause resistance because a lot of Americans push for business owner freedom even when it means massive destruction to the country. The US currently allows mass destruction to health, workers, and the environment to benefit businesses and corporations for profit. Callenbach explains we are trashing our soils, improperly distributing food, and being ripped off by US car companies, to name a few from the video. Ectopia would implement sustainable practices that are both profitable and better for the environment.