W2: The BODY as environment

I was particularly interested in Alaimo’s text, Bodily Natures, for this weeks discussion. In this chapter she critiques many philosophies, epistimoligies, and social sciences for failing to provide transcendence from culture/society, to nature/environment. The failure to recognize the body as a component of our environment, and even an environment on its own, leads to environmental degradation, inconsistencies in theory, and public health issues in vulnerable demographics. I chose to focus entirely on this article for this week, for I believe it ties in well with my posting from week one. That post discussed the necessity of all groups involved in environmental issues (the 4th pillar in CEJ), for the inclusion of them reflects their necessity in global economics, as a component of biodiversity, and as the initially apparent (but most definitely not only) victim of any EJ issue.

The body, particularly the human body, is as of now the ‘crown jewel’ of evolution, advancement, and power. Since the dispersal of modern Homo sapiens 200,000 years ago, we have developed our culture rapidly, which according to dualism, lies opposite on the spectrum from nature. As man culturally devolved away from adhering to forces of nature, the body then left its place within nature. The body transcended above natural order, particularly as humans learned to control rivers (dams), and fight death and god itself by modernizing medicine. This flight away from the tethers of natural forces allowed men to perceive an ascension above nature, and to forget its niche in the complex web of life. To forget the body’s place in nature, therefore allows the body to be mistreated and furthers the acceptance of environmental decay. An unhealthy external environment leads to an unhealthy internal environment. Environmental degradation is a public health issue.