On March 14, I attended a talk led by Dr. Drew Lanham, who is a professor at Clemson University. Lanham studies natural wildlife as well as the integration of race in nature. The name of the discussion was Race, place, and the de-gentrification of Nature Conservation in areas of the south. Dr. Lanham began the discussion by introducing a song: Mercy Mercy Me which was written by Marvin Gaye in 1971. Initially, I had thoughts as to why he presented this song to the audience. I supposed it was a simple tactic in order to gather the audience’s attention, ensuring that they were ready to be engaging. However, I believe that it was a creative way to start off the discussion. The reason the song was presented to the audience was because it held a deeper meaning and had connections to the topic of the talk. The meaning of the song ties to the topic of ecology and its comparison of how the world was in the past and how it has evolved. The song also explains the struggles of the environment: socially, environmentally, and economically. Although the song was written in 1971, the world still displayed signs of change that would have negative impacts on the conservation of nature.

The next thing he mentions is the topic of water, which is a very important aspect considering people and the environment depend on it. He made a statement about how water is everywhere and how it is needed to sustain life. He followed with a question that asked, “what is your water?” The question that Dr. Lanham was asking refers to something that you consider important to sustain your life. When he made this statement, I thought about the different things in my life that I felt are important to my survival, like food and shelter. Dr. Lanham managed to also tie race into the topic of water by stating that despite what the past consisted of we are all connected to water. No matter what race you are, your life depends on water!

He wrapped up the discussion with his personal connections to water. Dr. Lanham discusses a story of his personal experiences, which he wrote in his book, about times when his father would go to their spring well and collect water for them. Unfortunately, his father became ill and past away. Times became rough after the passing of his father, water wise. Dr. Lanham and his mother needed to find a new source to gather water. There was a pipe put into place for them to receive water, however it had a foul taste and wasn’t fresh compared to what his father used to collect for them. This really had a major impact on them because this one aspect that was important to sustain their lives wasn’t pure/fresh. He explained how crucial water is to our lives and how it can impact it as well. At this moment I realized how many individuals, including myself, take water for granted. His talk was very eye-open for me because he mentioned several things that will stick with me about water’s impact on individuals as well as the society.

The article in the news that I found which was on the topic of sustainability is called Famed Walden Pond, which inspired Henry David Thoreau, is being killed by urine. The intended audience for this article is really open to the public to those who watch and or read this news site. Who it may concern is the people who do or plan on visiting Walden Pond in the future. The agenda of this news article is to inform the public of the issues surrounding this natural environment that is affecting not only the beautiful view but also the wildlife in the area, specifically fish. I feel there is no possible bias in this article because these findings are scientific and the are evidence based to be informative. Though there is scientific research to back these findings up I am not completely certain that this is a reliable source. The findings are backed up with research, but this is also a new site that is nothing like a journal article where someone has looked over the work from a scholarly stand point and made sure everything was correct and could be backed up. I like the quote that the article starts off with. The news article states, “If Henry David Thoreau were alive today, he might re-title his most famous work “On Golden Pond.” The issue surrounding the pond is the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from what we know now from scientific research is caused by human waste, specifically urine. “More than half of the summer phosphorus budget of the lake may now be attributable to urine released by swimmers,” the study states. This quote from Dr. Jay Curt Stager best summaries what is happening with the lake. “These findings suggest that, although mitigation efforts have curtailed anthropogenic nutrient inputs to Walden Pond, the lake has not returned to the pre-impact condition described by Henry David Thoreau and may become increasingly vulnerable to further changes in water quality in a warmer and possibly wetter future.” The nitrogen and phosphorus are producing algae by speeding up its growth which in turn creates a mass of algae that covers the pond. This mass of algae causes sunlight to be blocked from reaching into this water. This then effects the fish, killing the off because they do no have sunlight. The scientist recommend that swimmers stay out of the lake. Since people are the main contributors to the issue. They recommended that a swimming facility with a pool be built around the pond location. This will allow people to see the wonderful views of Walden Pond but not harm its natural environment. This pool would serve as a swimming area, so contamination could stop, and restoration of the pond can be brought fourth. In my opinion I agree with this article. In class we have talked about Walden and the nature of the pond. I have even read the book, so I feel like I have somewhat of an understanding of protecting this natural environment.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/famed-walden-pond-which-inspired-henry-david-thoreau-being-killed-n863381

Alexis Waters-Peterson