A-Summary-on-Ships-in-the-Dessert

ASummaryonShipsintheDessert22100536陈依婷In“ShipsintheDessert”,theauthorAlGoreshowstheroutineofhisexplorationontheseriousglobalenvironmentcrisis,hisgradualconclusionsoftheenvironmentaldestructionandthefinalsolutions.Atfirst,AlGoregivesaaccountofhistravelingthroughthedesert,theAntarcticPoleandtheArcticPole.Hecheckedthescientificresearchdataandsomeotherphenomenontheretofindoutthecausesoftheenvironmentalchanges.Therefore,manyexamplesoftheenvironmentaldestructionsappearinthisessay,suchastheriversdryingup,theburningoftherainforest,thedisappearanceofanimalspecies,themoreandmoreshimmeringnoctilucentcloudandmethaneetc.Astheauthorsaysinessay“Orhaveoureyesadjustedsocompletelytothebrightlightsofcivilizationthatwecan’tseethesecloudsforwhattheyare-----aphysicalmanifestationoftheviolentcollisionbetweenhumancivilizationandtheearth?”Herehefirstcomestotherelationshipbetweenthehumancivilizationandtheearth,layingafoundationforthefollowingconclusions.Tofurtheranalyzetheproblemhejustfound,AlGorecitesasystemfromthemilitary,whichismadeofthreecategories-----local,regionalandstrategic.Theauthorclassifiedtheenvironmentalthreatsintothosethreecategories.Forexample,hethinkthatwaterpollution,airpollutionandillegalwastedumpingareessentiallylocalinnature;acidrain,thecontaminationofundergroundaquifersandlargeoilspillsarefundamentallyregional.Atthesametime,hepointedouttwothreatswhichcanbecalledthefundamentallystrategic.Oneischlorine.Anotherisglobalwarming.Throughtheanalysis,theauthorputouthisviewthattheentirerelationshipbetweenhumankindandtheearthhasbeentransformedandweneedtothinkstrategicallyaboutournewrelationshiptotheenvironment.Healsoshowstheconclusionherethathumancivilizationisnowthedominantcauseofchangeintheglobalenvironment.Thentheauthorputsforwardthatdramaticchangesin20thcenturyintwokeyfactors-----humanpopulationexplosionandtheaccelerationofthescientificandtechnologicalrevolution,whichutterlybringusachallenge,torecognizethatthestartlingimagesofenvironmentaldestructionnowarebroaderinscopeandmoreseriousthananywehaveeverfaced.Thechallengecoverstwoaspects,whichsimplymeanthatourharmtotheearthcanleadtoglobalandpermanenteffectsandunderstandournewroleasaco-architectofnaturebyseeingourselvesaspartofacomplexsystemaccordingtothebasicrules.Atlast,AlGoreshowstheexamplesaboutthenuclearweaponsandourreliancetothetechnology.Bywhathesays“Itiscomplicatedbytechnology,true;butitarisesoutoftherelationshipbetweenthesuperpowersandisbasedonanobsoleteunderstandingofwhatwarisallabout.”,andthesolutiontoitis“innewunderstandingsandinamutualtransformationoftherelationshipitself”,theauthorturnsthetopicbacktotheenvironmentandemphasizesthatthekeywesolvetheenvironmentalthreatistoreinventandfinallyhealtherelationshipbetweencivilizationandtheearth.Ifwewanttoaccomplishthetask,weneedtoundertakeacarefulreassessmentofallthefactorsthatledtotherelativelyrecentdramaticchangeintherelationship.Butthepremiseistothinkabouttherelationshipitselfinnewways,evenitsometimesinexorablyinvolvedwithsomenewtechnologies.