Ecology in Context

Gregg Whitlock

English 359

Wendy Thompson

Due Date: April 1, 2005

Ecology in Context

Vast arrays of environmental problems are now affecting the world. With the enclosure of more green spaces, global warming, and the extinction of animals, mankind seems intent on destroying any hope of leaving the world intact for future generations. If the world has any hope of survival we need desperately to begin to think more about ecology in order to make changes and save the world from certain destruction. Our usual understanding of the word ecology is that it advocates for the preservation of nature, but it actually comes from the Greek word "oikos" meaning house. Therefore, in thinking about ecology in terms of our house of nature, it is essential that we are careful to manage our house and its contents properly.

With irrevocable damage being done to the environment every day, humanity as a whole needs to take notice of the amount of destruction we are doing to the environment. Oscar Wilde once wrote:

Today more than ever the artist and a love of the beautiful are needed to temper and counteract the sordid materialism of the age . . . When science has undertaken to declaim against the soul and spiritual nature of man, and when commerce is ruining beautiful rivers and magnificent woodlands and the glorious skies in its greed for gain, the artist comes forward as a priest and prophet of nature to protest (8).

It is important for writers to address the dismal state of ecology. The newspaper article by Stuart Hunter entitled "Bear-protection program expanding south," calls for more attention to ecology, as incidents in which human contact with the bear population are on the rise. This essay will look at the significance of the article by Stuart Hunter with the short stories "Swimming at Night" by Mark Hume and "The Clayoquot Papers" by Maurice Gibbons in an ecological context. Moreover, it will look at the issues each author raises and how persuasive they are in terms of stressing the importance of ecology in our modern world.

The article by Stuart Hunter was in The Province newspaper on March 23, 2005. It outlines plans by Whistler to protect one hundred and twenty bears, and suggests that the idea is catching on throughout Vancouver's North Shore. The plan involves setting up conservation officers to be responsible for areas with high bear conflicts. Hunter writes: "Water, Land and Air Protection Minister Bill Barisoff said Victoria is deploying a new conservation officer to work in Whistler's bear aversion program to protect them and their human pals" (A13). As more and more land developments begin to encroach on land that was previously bear habitat, there will be an increase conflicts with bears. With the Olympics scheduled for 2010 Whistler is going to be a big area for development. In a statement by Barisoff, Hunter writes: "The province is committed to reducing the number of conflicts we see with bears and humans and this new conservation officer will allow us to take extra measures to deal with the problem in an effective and humane manner" (A13). The article illustrates an ecological solution to dealing with the bear problem and is effective in reporting the steps taken by the province of B.C. to minimize the friction between land development and the natural world.

The article suggests a few ways that are used by the conservation officer to prevent bears from becoming troublesome to humans. Hunter lists the duties as being: "assessing and responding to bear-human conflicts and reducing the potential for conflict by using non-lethal techniques such as human dominance and aversive conditioning" (A13). The responsibilities of the officer seem to take a humane and ecological approach to dealing with enclosure. Hunter also writes: "Barisoff also announced a $60, 000 grant for a three-year black bear research and monitoring program in Whistler, where three problem bears were destroyed in 2004. One problem bear was destroyed in Whistler in 2003" (A13). The threat to bear habitat and the bear population as a whole rests in the ability for humans to deal humanely with the potential for conflict as we move further and further into the natural world with land development.

Overall, Hunter's article compared with the other stories is the least persuasive in that it does what most newspaper articles do, in that it avoids speaking for the silent constituent: the bears. It also creates a forum for politicians to put a positive spin on the destruction of bear habitat. Hunter writes:

Mayor Hugh O'Reilly welcomed the move. "having our own bear response officer to work with local government the community and local business to minimize problems with bears is great for Whistler," he said "The bear-aversion program will help us to learn more about utilizing non-lethal management techniques, which I know the people of Whistler support" (A13).

While the sentiment of looking out for bear welfare is fine, the article would have been stronger if it looked at overdevelopment which is prevalent in the Whistler area. Instead the article falls short in drawing attention to the real issue, which is that humans are encroaching on bear habitat. This is evident in the fact that bear incidents are on the rise.

The article closes by suggesting that more conservation officers are being considered and implemented throughout B.C. North and West Vancouver have announced similar programs, and Squamish is having their bear hazard assessed. As the number of Grizzly and Black Bear incidents is on the rise throughout B.C., it will become increasingly important for humans to play an active role in seeking positive solutions to solve the problem. Hunter writes: "In 2003, there were 867 black bears and 27 grizzlies destroyed in B.C. compared to 620 black bears and 42 grizzlies in 2002." The quantitive numbers of bears that have been destroyed was a detail that lets the reader see that the problem with bears is on the rise. Killing bears is a negative solution which will push them into extinction.

The overall issues raised in this article by Stuart Hunter are ecology and enclosure. The article is effective in its delivery of the factual information about the provinces plans to deal with bear-human conflict. While it fails to draw conclusions or persuade the reader as to the cause of these bear conflicts, it is left to the reader to assume that human encroachment into bear habitat is essentially what causes these conflicts. In an introduction to his book "The Message of Ecology," Charles