Food and Sustainability in the Appalachian

Like much of the modern United States, The Appalachian region practices an unsustainable way of food production. Most of the food is imported into the stores and restaurants from across the country. The way the farms are set up also are a nuisance to the environment. The short film, "The Meatrix", addressed problems like animal conditions and poor quality of food, but they also talked of the pollution of these factory farms. The run off from the feces and chemicals in these farms are actually a great harm to water ways in the area. This is a byproduct of the system that is often overlooked by the general public and I was quite surprised to find it out myself, but it is an issue that needs more exposure to show the seriousness of it.

Ethics in Environmental History

        This piece of tapestry depicts a Florentine wolf hunt that was common in the time. This is an example of man exerting his dominance over nature. Wolves were considered to be an "evil" part of nature and they would eat livestock. This was a problem so bounties were put up for wolves as if they were  criminals and the wolf hunter became a celebrated part of the culture. Man was not able to find peaceful cohabitation with these creatures so he removed them from the environment. Today the wolf population is completely wiped out in some areas and they are confined to less populated areas in northern Europe and Canada. Wolf hunting became a practice that led to the extinction of a species for the ease of mind of mankind.

Environmental Ethics: The History

     In an excerpt from an essay by Ross Wolfe, he give's a brief overview of humanity's relationship with nature. The history can be divided into 4 parts: Mysticism, Fear, Knowledge, and Exploitation. As our relationship progressed, it never seemed like the relationship was bettering. The rise of romanticism brought a renewed respect for nature. Although, this was only found in the artists, poets and philosophers of the period and had little affect when put next to the ecstasy of valuable natural resources and the continued industrial revolution. This makes it seem especially difficult for a shift in the consciousness of society to live a more nature oriented lifestyle; To go against "progress". This shift would truly be a radical change in history.

http://p2pfoundation.net/History_of_Humanity%27s_Relationship_with_Nature