Web Paper or Special Event

Environment change is the definitely the hotspot of the world today. In recent years, major countries hold a lot of conferences discussing the environment and climate issues. More and more people are paying attention to environmental issues. Elizabeth Kolbert, Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway show their concerns about climate changes and the environment problems human are facing in their books “The Sixth Extinction” and “The Collapse of Western Civilization”. Although Kolbert, Oreskes, and Conway are trying to convey the same idea that human does harm to the climate and environment, they use totally different methods to show their perspectives. The difference lead to a question that which writing is more effective in persuading readers.

In light of the Paris and Beirut bombings and the every rising feeling of insurmountable death and global terror, it feels like most people are searching for some solution. Some hope. Some escape. Much of the global terror and war of today are tied to religious disputes, which can cause confusion given that many of the main religions and spiritual practices around the world appear to preach justice and kindness, not death and destruction. Mark LeVine’s November 2015 article “Go ahead, blame Islam” for Aljazeera offers instead the idea that religion IS at the heart of the violence- this terrorism isn’t contradictory to scriptural code but a clear stem from it.

            Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting the National September 11^th Memorial. The museum opened in late 2011, and is built on the World Trade Center site, the former location of the Twin Towers, which were destroyed during the September 11^th attacks. The museum architects strove to preserve what was remaining of the wreckage after 9/11, and many of the original architectural structure of the building, such as the survivor staircase, are still remaining. Central to the museum was an enormous exhibition art piece shaped like a cube, with another inner cube. When entering, visitors can see, projected on the vast walls, the faces of the almost 3,000 who died.

While reading Personal Politics by Sara Evans, I was immediately struck by the liberal use of the term “women”. Throughout the book, although intersections of gender and class and race are acknowledged at time, Evans speaks of “women” as if there is a shared experience of women in the U.S. My understanding of modern mainstream feminism is that it’s very exclusionary and focused mostly on upper/middle class white women and does not often consider the needs of a majority of women in the U.S. I believe that the specificity of the women’s liberation movement of the late 20th century directly informs mainstream feminism in the United States today.

From “Mammy” to “Mama”:

Black Female Service Before, During and After the Civil Rights Movement 

Mr. Jones,

Recently, I read your article, "Greening the Ghetto." I'd like to thank you for bringing together the notions of environmentalism and poverty. From personal experience, I know that being poor is a hard life to have in the first place, but that environmental crises are only going to exacerbate the problem for the great number of impoverished people in the world. I liked what you had to say about using the environmental movement to add jobs, and to direct those employment prospects where they're needed most. 

Alison

ESem Paper #9 (3rd draft)
November 15, 2015

“Exotic” and “Native”

My first draft started with several questions on Momoko and her “exotic” identity. I wondered what is the real meaning of  “exotic” and how does people use it to define others. With the more exploration and deeper analyses of Momoko and Yumi, I was convinced that people should not be defined as exotic or native by its origin, instead, they should be defiance by the connection to a place. 

The Sixth Extinction and The Collapse of Western Civilization both have ominous sounding names – and true to expectations, they both foretell a somewhat dark future. They both delve into historical fact, base the majority of their claims on current events and research, and study the impact of humans in the environment. However, one of them is true. The other one isn’t.