Written assessment item number 1: Critical Literature Review.

Written assessment item number 1: Critical Literature Review.

The combined problem of population growth and economic growth forces man to become more conscious of the cause and effect of his actions and their consequences. The following articles are but a few examples of a growing consciousness of man's responsibility not only to himself, but also to his fellow man and the environment/ nature. Man has to remain vigilant about the future by alerting us to repercussions from present actions.

The article, Thinking about Nature 2: The Nature Crisis? , centers around the question of the origin of the term 'environmentalism', going in circles much like the old question of 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' Did sociologists plant the seed for environmentalism research/awareness, or did the environmental crisis spark an awakening of interest in sociologists for environmental research. Is the environmental crisis a natural or social crisis? This polarity of thought or 'passing the buck' (responsibility) is made more confusing and elusive buy listing various thought/interest groups (sociologists, naturalists, environmentalists, constructionists etc.),

Australian Coat of Arms (adopted 1912)

nature journal sycamore tree

nature journal 9-11-07

fragmenting and isolating them from one another. The author has thus succeeded in barely touching the tip of the iceberg of this complex topic. The real issue/problem, however, is one of cooperation, putting aside academic/philosophical /scientific competitiveness, and focusing on the fact that man and nature are not two separate camps, but are interwoven in this tapestry called life.

Tim Low's Feral Future is an appeal to Australian's to wake up, to be aware of the invasion of aliens on our planet; especially of exotic pests in Australia that are threatening the survival of native species and natural habitats, thus destroying what is the uniqueness of Australian flora and fauna. It appeals to Australians to think outside their square (house/backyard), to expand their consciousness from...