Limitless By Wendell Barry Analysis
Hi Everyone!
The need to consume has become a habit that is endless the desire to own superficial materials to demonstrate social economic status by what car, the brand of clothing a person is wearing and the size of a house has become the reality to display our wealth and power. This is a taught behaviour by our social environment that we have to consume has to lead us to think of water, food and other luxuries are in abundance and unlimited, but the problem is more is never enough.
Wendell Barry states "we have founded our present society upon delusional assumptions of limitlessness" is true, for example in the exploitation of the environment by deforestation, mining, fossil fuels that pollute the air, soil and water "leads to limitless
violence, waste, war, and destruction" (Barry, 80). To advance as a country and individuals, there needs to be a discussion about the predicament of progress v apocalypse. As Lester R. Brown has explained, "global demands on natural systems exceed their sustainable yield capacity by nearly 30 percent" demonstrates that our global consumption is outpacing the viable returning point of the sustainable-yield threshold.
I feel there should be a realistic view and discussion when it comes to the sustainability of resources in the context of progress v apocalypse. They are two opposing views the wait it out method where technology will fix the problem and the death of all civilization no matter what we do to fix the problem. Neither, are not solutions it is necessary that we look beyond this narrative, we can make changes to our habits and be more environmentally consciousness which can have a large impact. This isn't the movies 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow that is Hollywood trying to sell tickets, instead the most likely outcome of an apocalypse will be famine and the war for resources.
There is no redo once the environment is destroyed by the human impact it is a rational choice to lessen consumption and take step toward renewable energy more seriously.
The need to consume has become a habit that is endless the desire to own superficial materials to demonstrate social economic status by what car, the brand of clothing a person is wearing and the size of a house has become the reality to display our wealth and power. This is a taught behaviour by our social environment that we have to consume has to lead us to think of water, food and other luxuries are in abundance and unlimited, but the problem is more is never enough.
Wendell Barry states "we have founded our present society upon delusional assumptions of limitlessness" is true, for example in the exploitation of the environment by deforestation, mining, fossil fuels that pollute the air, soil and water "leads to limitless
violence, waste, war, and destruction" (Barry, 80). To advance as a country and individuals, there needs to be a discussion about the predicament of progress v apocalypse. As Lester R. Brown has explained, "global demands on natural systems exceed their sustainable yield capacity by nearly 30 percent" demonstrates that our global consumption is outpacing the viable returning point of the sustainable-yield threshold.
I feel there should be a realistic view and discussion when it comes to the sustainability of resources in the context of progress v apocalypse. They are two opposing views the wait it out method where technology will fix the problem and the death of all civilization no matter what we do to fix the problem. Neither, are not solutions it is necessary that we look beyond this narrative, we can make changes to our habits and be more environmentally consciousness which can have a large impact. This isn't the movies 2012 or The Day After Tomorrow that is Hollywood trying to sell tickets, instead the most likely outcome of an apocalypse will be famine and the war for resources.
There is no redo once the environment is destroyed by the human impact it is a rational choice to lessen consumption and take step toward renewable energy more seriously.