What will
our daughter
be able
to plant
in this
paradise of
fugitive dust?
So asked poet Craig Santos Perez in his 2016 work “understory.” The poem meditates on the afterglow of the Anthropocene, wondering how human interference in the natural world will affect generations to home.
Perez’s concern is poignant but not novel. Indeed, his is a worry burrowed deeply in contemporary politics and sparked by increasing evidence of man-made climate change. His fears are shared across the globe, a defining anxiety that, on April 22, 1970, it led to the first observation of Earth Day.
But more than just an observed holiday, Earth Day was a political statement. Its observance showcased the value of regulatory environmental protections and their ability to turn the increasingly frightening tides of global climate change. For a time, it worked. The holiday soon led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and undoubtably increased the public’s awareness of environmentalism and sustainability.
Over half a century out from that inaugural Earth Day, we are still trying and failing to address the question of our ever-warming climate. Circumstances seem dire. The EPA’s power has been limited. Few protections have found long-term impact. The ramifications of mankind’s impact on the planet we call home seem to increase by the day.
Even still, there remain stoic voices crying out in support of environmentalism, seeking to mend our impact. So, in recognition of Earth Day 2024, we’ve selected five titles speaking to different aspects of this problem and from different angles. Each reminds us of the sacrosanctity of our natural environment, offering a unique perspective on our impact and, with it, our responsibilities.
The Importance of Earth Day in Four Titles
Silent Spring
Rachel Carson
Carson’s 1962 exposé revealed the devastating damage the chemical pesticide industry—particularly the use of DDT—had wrought on the natural environment. But translating binders full of comprehensive, deeply scientific research into the general vernacular was no mean feat. Carson, a fervent environmentalist inspired by her tenure in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made it happen.
As Carson explained, pest-eradication programs initiated in the post-war years had already begun to adversely impact the environment. In under two decades, these chemicals—often comprising large amounts of arsenic—had contaminated soil, water, and air alike. If the industry were to continue as it did, the effects would be even more disastrous. Her central argument was simple: Our eagerness to control our natural world will lead to its destruction.
Often recognized as one of the earliest modern environmentalists, Carson was a seminal voice in the movement. While her work was certainly controversial, her allegiance to data and empirical evidence meant it was equally incontrovertible. Inspired by her findings and fearful of their consequences, the newly formed EPA made controlling chemical pesticides a priority. Eventually, it led to 1972 regulations that banned the use of DDT.
Over time, Carson’s work proved impactful, revealing the extent of the ecological threat of chemical pesticides and helping scale back its damaging potential. As such, Silent Spring operates as a model for the impact of well-researched ecological literature. Even sixty years later, it is a prime example of the potential for literature to spark impact and beckon change. Indeed, the work had an effect that subsequent authors writing on the subject have long sought to replicate.
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
The titular braids of sweetgrass indicate the overarching metaphor woven throughout Kimmerer’s discussion of ecology, indigenous practices, and the contemporary climate crisis. Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, writes in a style uniquely informed by her formal knowledge of the natural world and her experiences of it through traditional cultural practices; it is this duality that so consumes Braiding Sweetgrass.
Storytelling is an essential lens to communicate shared values and describe the world, Kimmerer explains. As such, she allows her didactic discussion of humanity’s relationship with the natural environment to find its roots in Indigenous mythology and folklore. Her reliance on the stories that shaped her transforms her work into an artifact at once deeply scientifically informed and intensely emotional.
It is Kimmerer’s view that reversing humanity’s impact on the natural world is attainable. However, it can only be done by merging perspectives and erasing barriers between types of knowledge. In short, by marrying Indigenous knowledge with Western science to create a comprehensive solution that combines the best of each perspective.
Ultimately, the solution to global climate change is not science nor innovation. It is a changing of perspectives, an altering of ideas. If, as Kimmerer posits, we can spark a shift in the public’s view of the Earth—one rooted in gratitude and respect rather than ignorance and apathy—reversing our impact and forestalling further damage is possible. Our love for the natural world, appearing in the Indigenous practices Kimmerer describes and in the interactions between individuals and their environment across the globe, is an essential aspect of human life. If that sentiment can extend into policy and practice, perhaps the damaging effects of climate change can be prevented. If not…Kimmerer’s sentiment is as bleak as Carson’s.
The Sixth Extinction
Elizabeth Kolbert
As ominous as its title suggests, Kolbert’s 2014 work discusses what is cautiously termed “the sixth extinction,” an environmental event triggered by humans’ interference with the natural world. In much the same way that extinctions have affected the planet in the past, Kolbert argues, mankind’s devastating impact on the environment has set in motion a chain of events that, without course correction, will result in another mass extinction.
From frogs to rhinoceros, Kolbert evaluates species on the precipice of extinction, as well as those that have already slipped quietly into extinction. Presenting contemporary data in conversation with historical evidence, she argues that the current rate of biodiversity loss is well in excess of previous eras. It is a fact that she is quick to attribute to humanity’s actions, from contributing to rapidly rising CO2 levels to engaging in rampant deforestation.
Alarming to say the least, Kolbert’s account of our impact is startling. While one cannot be entirely unaware of the ramifications of the anthropogenic impact, her words render it in stark terms. The Sixth Extinction describes the loss of entire ecosystems and subsections of the animal kingdom. Indeed, it is a bleak lesson in the interconnected nature of the earth and its inhabitants and revealing the terrifying domino effect that has already been set in motion.
Previous titles have tempered the terrifying facts of contemporary life with moments of beauty and relief. Kolbert pulls no such punches, revealing the depth of our impact in all of its horrific totality. Hers is a wake-up call, reminding readers that the fundamental nature of the modern world hinges on the destruction of the natural one. It is bleaker than bleak, and yet it is a critical treatise on our environmental impact today.
The Overstory
Richard Powers
For this final title, let’s turn away from nonfiction and reverse course. Where Kolbert’s catastrophism is bleak and enlightening, Powers’s fictional success stories are hopeful and invigorating. Developing across the span of nine unique, nature-loving lives and their arboreal experiences, he discusses how humans are tied to trees—how their imagery consumes us, how their presence maintains us, and how our survival depends on theirs. Steeped in environmental activism, The Overstory is a treatise on tree-hugging, marrying character-driven vignettes with tales of the trees that influence them.
From a series of chestnut trees whose influence spans three generations of Norwegian immigrants living on a family farm to a mulberry tree and the tragic, intertwined fate of the man who planted it, Powers moves through the stories of several lives as they map out across their natural landscape. Moving from forests to prison cells and from farm country to city streets, the novel reveals the omnipresence of the natural world in the human psyche, regardless of its accessibility.
Though primarily fictional, The Overstory certainly touches on previously discussed themes. Each character’s deep connection to the trees in their lives and, in some cases, their fervent activism to protect them, reveals the novel’s environmental core. Where Kolbert is explicit, Powers is subtle. He reminds readers that environmentalism is not just essential but accessible. As such, we should embed it into our daily lives. With awareness of and appreciation for the natural world around us—and not just trees—he argues, we gain a clearer grasp of life in all its magnificent, mundane, and underappreciated forms.
Earth Day: A Daily Practice
Earth Day is a reminder that environmentalism is a daily practice, one steeped in respect and appreciation. As Kimmerer notes, we are intimately connected to our planet, woven to its surface by more than just happenstance. More than just inhabitants or stewards, we are a part of the natural world, innately tied to it for better or worse.
And, as we look ahead, seeing both the dire warnings of Kolbert and the tentative hope of Powers, the choice—whether that tie is for better or worse—seems to be in our hands. However small, you have the possibility and, like Carson, the obligation to make an impact. Sure, the road ahead is long, and the outcome is unclear, but a brighter future and healthier climate starts with you.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
– Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”
Looking for more reading recommendations? Check out last week’s post, Arab American Heritage Month: 5 Authors To Read This April, for a handful of titles to close out the month with, or dive last month’s recommendations in honor of Women’s History Month.