Suicide And Sociology Essay Research Paper Change

Suicide And Sociology Essay, Research Paper

Change this name

4-17-01

Expos 103

Assignment 6

Modern society relies on the advancement of technology in order to function. To increase sales, modern business must improve technology continuously. The power of the mighty dollar compels companies to disregard the welfare of the consumer and of society. Our natural resources are being jeopardized by the demand for a more efficient product. I believe that society is neglecting to account for the downstream effects of their actions. Using the essays Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Ganges Next Life by Alexander Stille and Playing God in the Garden by Michael Pollan, I intend to show that if the rape of Mother Earth continues then the future of the entire planet is in serious jeopardy.

Chris McCandless is a perfect symbol of the problems in society today. He was an adventurous young man who believed that he could do anything he wanted. This attitude is a reflection of the society that he was raised in. Like today, he was raised in a time where could do as they please. Collectively, society has a general attitude of indifference towards the outcome of their actions.

Danger has always held a certain allure. That, in large part, is why so many teenagers drive too fast and drink too much and take too many drugs, why it has always been so easy for nations to recruit young men to go to war. (Krakauer 436)

McCandless demonstrates this when he ventures into the Alaskan wilderness alone to prove that he could conquer nature without any negative outcomes. McCandless went out into the woods with little more than a desire to push his limits. He failed to realize that such dangerous actions would produce negative results, but only after it was too late. McCandless is an accurate portrayal of the typical American, who pushes the advancement of technology on the cutting edge with a disregard for possible downstream effects. Krakauer says that the interpretations of McCandless death were jaded due to rash judgments and false information. He later realizes that his death due to other complex issues. However, his death in itself is not the most important issue. The most important issue is the fact that he still went out into the depths of the unknown, as society continually does with technology, not having a reasonable prediction of the outcome. McCandless indifferent attitude cost him his life, but in the end, it will be the life of the entire world that is at stake.

The problem of downstream effects can be seen throughout other cultures as well; take for example the Indian people of Varanasi. In order to keep pace with modernization and technology they have polluted their sacred Ganges River to toxic levels. Due to rapid development, the people of India have found themselves in a situation where they must fight for survival. Their population is growing too quickly for old technology to support. They have been forced to prioritize technology over nature at a cost of survival. Stille says,

Some five hundred million people-one out of every twelve people in the world- now live in the basin of the Ganges and its tributaries. A hundred and fourteen cities dump their sewage directly into the river. (Stille 568)

The Indian culture is very different from that of Chris McCandless , however they have many disturbing similarities. The Indian people care deeply about their land, yet their need for survival and advancement has caused the Ganges to turn from a vital source of life into a toxic repellant of life. Like McCandless, the people of India did not realize the downstream effects of their actions. Keeping pace with modernization and technological advances has cost them a vital part of their environment. This situation exemplifies how technology can have unseen and adverse outcomes. Society has accomplished many great things, which at the time appeared to be harmless, but in retrospect have put them in a situation where their society is facing eminent disaster.

India, faced with these dilemmas, must now deal with the consequences. In an attempt to clean the river, the government constructed a wastewater treatment plant. They believed that they could destroy the river for the advancement of technology and society, and then use the same technology to clean up the mess that it created. Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not see the problem having such a simple solution. The people of India did not account for the downstream effects that the plant would have and the outcome of putting such a plant in this very unique environment. Mass quantities of sunlight, yearly monsoons, and the overall hot climate of Varanasi coupled with frequent power outages render the plant useless. The complexities of nature does not allow for one simple resolution. Ignorance, the workings of the river and the surrounding environment, has led to the downfall of their society.

After the failure of the treatment plant, they turned to spiritual leader Veer Bhadra Mishra and American scientist William Oswald for assistance. Oswald has worked with Mishra to implement a natural pond system designed to cleanse the Ganges. This is certainly a step in the right direction, however I believe that this too will fail, because no one knows if the pond system will function in this environment.

Oswald had seen many ambitious pond proje