We just got done watching the movie The Plague Dogs in class. This movie was pretty depressing and definitely not a kids movie. The movie is designed to make us feel foe the dogs. They make an effort to appeal to our emotions. They present a strong emotional case against animal cruelty. I don't think the way they treated Ralph is justified. There are other ways to test this same thing. Putting a dog in a tank of water and letting him drown then rescueing him is not the best way to do this. The lab that Ralph and Snitter came from was working with the Bubonic Plague. This is the reason why everyone was trying to catch them. Through out the whole movie, everytime Todd the fox, Ralph and Snitter come across water, Ralph would freeze up. He would try to find a way across the water without touching it. Those experiments hurt him in more than one way. Besides the fact that they were drowning him, he also has a huge fear of water now. In the end though, Ralph overcame this fear in order to get away from the people. Him and Snitter swam to the island. It was really foggy and they couldn't really see the island. They both wanted to give up and stop swimming but they encouraged each other to keep going. It never shows whether or not they made it to the island. I would like to think that they did though.
We discussed the book in class a little as well. In the book there is a lot more narrative about the three animals. You spend a lot more time with Todd the fox. In both the movie and the book, Snitter's master gets hits by a car. Snitter is under the assumption that his master died. At the end of the book Snitter finds out that his master is not dead. His master saves him and Ralph and there is a happy ending to this book. The ending of the movie is not so clear though.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Blog 9
Flannel ecology
We need to get out there and get dirty. Roll up your sleeve and get at it. Ecological literacy says that, "we do not know what we are doing." Flannel ecologists have a certain attitude towards othe ecological philosophies. They feel we are missing the point if we try to find a right and see the merits of each approach. Flannel ecology is for everyone. It brings the best from both points of view. An exclusively objectivefied approach of subjectivity leads to narcissiam meaning you can't see anything beyond yourself. Exclusive approach of objectives approach leads to thinking of it as an abstract approach - new technology to fix the problem.
Flannel ecology is interesting. I like the idea that they want be to get out there in nature and do something. People will start to better understand nature and all that it has to offer.
We need to get out there and get dirty. Roll up your sleeve and get at it. Ecological literacy says that, "we do not know what we are doing." Flannel ecologists have a certain attitude towards othe ecological philosophies. They feel we are missing the point if we try to find a right and see the merits of each approach. Flannel ecology is for everyone. It brings the best from both points of view. An exclusively objectivefied approach of subjectivity leads to narcissiam meaning you can't see anything beyond yourself. Exclusive approach of objectives approach leads to thinking of it as an abstract approach - new technology to fix the problem.
Flannel ecology is interesting. I like the idea that they want be to get out there in nature and do something. People will start to better understand nature and all that it has to offer.
Blog 8
Karen Warren sums up ecofeminism in 8 basic theses and they are familiar from deep ecology. According to those, ecofeminism 1. is fundamentally anti- naturalistic 2. is contextualistic 3. is pluralistic 4. is developmental 5. is partisan 6. is inclusive 7. stresses the values of caring 8. rejects abstract individualism. In sum ecofeminism calls attention to the connection between oppression of women and nature. Idenification of oppression of women with that of nature/animals. It is a form of deep ecology.
James Lovelock speaks about the GAIA Hypothesis. Earth is a self-regulating superorganism. GAIA is adjusting itself. Helping Earth prepare for a new dominal species, not humans. Earth's biosphere compared to the "dead stable" atmospheres of Venus and Mars - Earth displays a tendency toward instability, but at the same time appears to adjust. Earth appears to have "designed" life to "consume" carbon dioxide and manufacture oxygen. GAIA is concerned with its own well being and life just like any other living thing. Earth is getting rid of us as a dominate species much like we get rid of a virus with a fever.
I find these both to be interesting, especially the GAIA hypothesis. The Earth is trying to get rid of humans because we cause a lot of harm to the Earth.
James Lovelock speaks about the GAIA Hypothesis. Earth is a self-regulating superorganism. GAIA is adjusting itself. Helping Earth prepare for a new dominal species, not humans. Earth's biosphere compared to the "dead stable" atmospheres of Venus and Mars - Earth displays a tendency toward instability, but at the same time appears to adjust. Earth appears to have "designed" life to "consume" carbon dioxide and manufacture oxygen. GAIA is concerned with its own well being and life just like any other living thing. Earth is getting rid of us as a dominate species much like we get rid of a virus with a fever.
I find these both to be interesting, especially the GAIA hypothesis. The Earth is trying to get rid of humans because we cause a lot of harm to the Earth.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Kestrel's Eye
The Kestrel’s Eye is an art film that had a goal to shoot the movie from the point of view of the kestrels. It has no voice overs so it isn't like a documentary; it is just the normal sounds with nothing added. They filmed all the aerial shots using a hang glider to try to capture a view from above, like the birds see it. The film maker tries to create continuity. The ground keeper's cell phone went off and when it did it too sounded like a bird call. The sound of the car alarm sounds like the bird chirping. The sound of the mice the birds catch sounds like the birds. In the movie there is little to no contact between the humans and the birds.
The humans don't seem to notice the birds at all. While the wedding was going on the bird excreted its waste and the people didn't notice at all. The grounds keeper seems so involved in keeping the grounds looking perfect and when the bird regurgitated the remains, no one noticed. The birds also had a mouse that they were eating and they dropped it and still no one noticed. When the birds call each other it is very loud and the humans still don't acknowledge the birds. The humans are too involved with what is going on around them to notice nature and its beauty. Humans think of their selves as separate from nature and animals.
The birds on the other hand seem to notice the humans, especially the young birds. The young birds are very alert and aware of their surrounds; I guess because they are new to the world and don't know anything about it. The mother bird is very protective of her young though. She stands in the opening to the nest and watches for invaders and threats. She is very aware of everything so that her young aren't threatened. The young birds spend so much time together which is interesting. The mother leaves the young in the nest, to bond while she goes to get food. When the mother comes back to the nest the little birds get very excited and chirp loudly, welcoming her home. They stay in the nest for a long time, never leaving. When they actually do leave, they stick together and watch out for each other. They could learn this from their mother. The babies venture out of the nest at the same time. The young seem very interested in the humans below them. Every sound the humans make they turn to look at them. When the marching band goes by they all started to dance. They bobbed their heads up and down. I also found the way they hunted interesting. They hover over looking for food and when they see the prey move they swoop down and catch it. (I guess that might be why the blog is named the hovering kestrel.)
The entire film shows the relationship between humans and animals, or lack thereof. The birds are interested and affected by what the humans are doing but the humans on the other hand, don’t notice the birds at all. It just goes to show that most humans act without nature in mind. They don’t care how their actions are going to affect nature. They think that nature is always going to be there and that the resources will never diminish. They have the cowboy ethics view. They don’t care about waste. The birds don’t think the same way though. The birds are very aware of the humans and react to the noises the humans make. The film does a good job of really making this obvious. People need to think about their actions more and notice all the beautiful things nature has to offer. Like Aldo Leopold said, “Think like a mountain.”
The humans don't seem to notice the birds at all. While the wedding was going on the bird excreted its waste and the people didn't notice at all. The grounds keeper seems so involved in keeping the grounds looking perfect and when the bird regurgitated the remains, no one noticed. The birds also had a mouse that they were eating and they dropped it and still no one noticed. When the birds call each other it is very loud and the humans still don't acknowledge the birds. The humans are too involved with what is going on around them to notice nature and its beauty. Humans think of their selves as separate from nature and animals.
The birds on the other hand seem to notice the humans, especially the young birds. The young birds are very alert and aware of their surrounds; I guess because they are new to the world and don't know anything about it. The mother bird is very protective of her young though. She stands in the opening to the nest and watches for invaders and threats. She is very aware of everything so that her young aren't threatened. The young birds spend so much time together which is interesting. The mother leaves the young in the nest, to bond while she goes to get food. When the mother comes back to the nest the little birds get very excited and chirp loudly, welcoming her home. They stay in the nest for a long time, never leaving. When they actually do leave, they stick together and watch out for each other. They could learn this from their mother. The babies venture out of the nest at the same time. The young seem very interested in the humans below them. Every sound the humans make they turn to look at them. When the marching band goes by they all started to dance. They bobbed their heads up and down. I also found the way they hunted interesting. They hover over looking for food and when they see the prey move they swoop down and catch it. (I guess that might be why the blog is named the hovering kestrel.)
The entire film shows the relationship between humans and animals, or lack thereof. The birds are interested and affected by what the humans are doing but the humans on the other hand, don’t notice the birds at all. It just goes to show that most humans act without nature in mind. They don’t care how their actions are going to affect nature. They think that nature is always going to be there and that the resources will never diminish. They have the cowboy ethics view. They don’t care about waste. The birds don’t think the same way though. The birds are very aware of the humans and react to the noises the humans make. The film does a good job of really making this obvious. People need to think about their actions more and notice all the beautiful things nature has to offer. Like Aldo Leopold said, “Think like a mountain.”
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)