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       #Post#: 44--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Reading #2: Cronon and Merchant
   DIR By: Tommy Is The Person Who I Am
       Date: January 8, 2019, 8:54 pm
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       --- Quote from: mayafb link ---
       >
       > [quote author=ccogswell link=topic=3.msg27#msg27
       date=1546997182]
       > A question: If nature was thought to be masculine as opposed
       to feminine (Father Earth?), would this change gender roles in
       relation to the environment? Why/why not?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I always assumed the "mother earth" part because of the
       fertility of the female body (although like sperm....?) To me,
       and maybe just me, there seems to be a greater sense of
       fertility in shaping and creating and carrying life in the form
       of pregnancy.
       [/quote]
       I agree that it seems that most cultures have a concept of
       "Mother Earth" because of Earth's fertility. I looked into any
       cases of "Father Earths," and it appears that ancient Egypt had
       a male Earth god, Geb. I couldn't say how this changed gender
       roles in relation to the environment in Egypt, if at all, but it
       would be interesting to look into.
       #Post#: 45--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Reading #2: Cronon and Merchant
   DIR By: JTodd
       Date: January 8, 2019, 10:28 pm
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       [move]What is goodie[/move]
       I would like to focus on the first text because I did not enjoy
       the second text.
       I found Cronon's views on the tension between environmentalist
       and environmental historian fascinating. I found some parallels
       and supplements between Cronon's and Worster's texts. Both
       scholars focused for a time on the role of environmental
       history/environmental historians. It would seem both authors
       agree that environmental history emerged from a movement
       beginning in the early 70s. Both authors also capitalized on the
       perception
       Cronon lingered on the tension between environmentalist and
       environmental historian in the introduction to "Using
       Environmental History." I feel this was a good choice on the
       author's part. I hadn't yet stopped to think about how there
       might be conflict and disagreement between environmentalists and
       environmental historians. I recognized this conflict must exist,
       as it does in so many scholarly groups, however, Cronon's
       description helped me better understand the nature of the
       conflict. Environmental historians are in the business of
       bringing nature into human history, while environmentalists
       argue for the utopic balance between humans and the natural
       environment. I found Cronon's rebuke of that utopia as a
       feasible possibility sound as he explored it in the section
       titled, "Neither nature nor culture is static."
       I think Cronon's concept of, "Neither nature nor culture is
       static" is related to Worster's concept that humans are very
       much affected by and at the mercy of nature. These ideas bring
       forth a kind of push-and-pull or give-and-take, if you will,
       between humans and our environment. Each side pushes and puls
       against the other. Each side gives and takes from the other.
       Even if the balance is skewed.
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