The Lorax and Environmentalism

The Lorax and Environmentalism: An Introduction to Environmental History Procedure: Watch the < The Lorax= by Dr. Seuss. After watching the video clip, answer the questions below. It is okay to use the internet for research. Analysis: Answer the questions below using complete sentences. 1) What is the Lorax? What is his purpose in the movie/book? The lorax is a < symbol= of nature, and his purpose is to speak for the trees. He looks like an orange little animal with a beard. In this movie, all the trees are being cut down just for an unnecessary amount of money, resulting in ecosystem catastrophes and a lot of pollution. 2) Roosevelt and Pinchot’s policies, called utilitarian conservation, state that forests should be saved < not because they are beautiful or because they shelter wild creatures of the wilderness, but only to provide homes and jobs for people.= How do the Once-ler’s way of business compare to Roosevelt and Pinchot’s idea of forestry. The Once-ler’s had a very similar mindset to Roosevelt and Pinchot’s idea of saving the forests only to create homes and jobs for people. However, the Once-lers were not trying to preserve the trees at all, not even planting trees after cutting them down. I disagree with both of them, but at least the utilitarian conservation was replanting trees. 3) John Muir, a geologist, author and first president of the Sierra Club, opposed Pinchot’s ideas of conservation. His outlook, biocentric preservation, emphasizes the fundamental right of other organisms to exist and to pursue their own interests. Which character in the book has similar views to Muir, what is your evidence, and why are these views so controversial today? John Muir has very similar views to the Lorax in the book/movie. My evidence is that the Lorax would repeatedly say things that the animals that lived off the trees and stuff deserve to coexist with the Onceler family. Just like Muir, they were fighting for the animals. These views are controversial today because global warming is at its worst point than ever before, so we NEED to change something in our world. 4) Rachel Carson, considered by many to be the < mother of environmentalism=, added a new set of concerns to the environmental agenda. She awakened the public to the threats of pollution and toxic chemicals, specifically DDT in the water. Discuss the different toxins that were produced in the production of the thneed. State at least two toxins and discuss how they affected the wildlife. Two toxins that were caused by the production of thneed was CO2 in the air and oil spills in the waters near that area. CO2 affects everyone, because it thins our atmosphere, creating an overall warmer earth. Meanwhile, oil spills destroy aquatic ecosystems by killing all the organisms in the water. 5) Though the Once-ler polluted the area where he lived, environmentalists have now concluded that the new concern for our planet should be one of global environmentalism, because we are all interconnected and events that occur on the other side of the globe have profound and immediate effects on our lives. Describe three things that could have global effects in the production of the thneed. Three things that could have global effects in the production of the thneed is the extra CO2, the oil spills, and the trees being taken down. Like I said in the previous answer, extra CO2 creates a weaker atmosphere, warming up the Earth. Also, oil spills killed aquatic ecosystems, lessening the amount of organisms in the ocean. Lastly, less trees = less CO2 absorbers, and less oxygen produced. 6) Many environmental problems are interconnected and can have compounding effects. After reading < The Lorax=, look at the list below and discuss the implications of how any two or more of the items can cause a worsened environmental effect. · Energy consumption · Waste disposal · Human population explosion · Deforestation · Loss of biodiversity · Water pollution · Soil erosion · Global warming · Food shortages · Political unrest Deforestation and water pollution are two items that can cause a worsened environmental effect. They can cause a worsened environmental effect because of less O2 being produced, and a decrease in aquatic ecosystems. 7) How would the thneed factory be different in a developing country versus a developed one? Discuss issues such as raw material use, waste disposal, energy consumption and worker rights. I think that the thneed factory would be different in a developing country versus a developed one because of many factors. Firstly, a developed country would be mass producing the product, like in the Lorax. Mass production = greater waste disposal, more energy consumption, and poorer worker rights. The worker rights would be affected because due to the higher demand in products, the workers would probably be put into greater labor, yet still paid very little. 8) In the last part of the movie/book, the Lorax uses the word < unless=. What does that mean? How can you, as an average citizen, make a difference in the environment? Explain. I think that it means unless the kid that is listening to the story embarks on making a change, nothing will change. He gave him a seed, hinting that he could create a change by planting the tree. I can make a change by recycling, avoiding littering, and many other ways. I could plant a tree, volunteer to clean up beaches, and more! This would make a small difference, but it takes many people to create a difference. 9) Many economists argue that the solution to the Lorax’s dilemma is found in properly defined property rights. What does this mean and how would this solve the problem? Explain. I think it means how people handle the resources in their property. Solving this problem would need the owner of the property to handle the resources well and responsibly, in order to help out in creating a change in the world! If the Oncler handled his resources well, that ecosystem would be in a much better state.