3 Found Ojects

It took me a long time to select my “found objects.”  There are so many possibilities that represent a different aspect of the environment for me.  Our conception of the environment is saturated by our cultural values.  The way we understand the environment determines the way we behave towards the environment.  The found objects I selected demonstrate various perspectives of the statement above. In this inquiry, I want to demonstrate ways we devise an image or interpretation about the environment.  This interpretation of the environment is consistently invented for our advantage.  Benefitting ourselves from environmental exploitation further shapes our beliefs and value system concerning the “environment.”  The items I selected are the following:  Vaporized gasoline; a piece of sea glass and a mirror.

Vapor or Gas? 

My husband came home one evening and told me that he read a few articles and watched a few informative videos which suggested that cars can run on gas vapor.  Naturally, I was amazed by the potential of this invention, but I waited for him to list off the technical issues or exorbitant costs involved.  This is not the case.  In fact, there is a rich history behind vaporizing gasoline.

Vaporized gasoline is an invention that has been devised many times.  Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, many engineers and entrepreneurs developed various fuel saving technologies that utilized vaporized gasoline.  In different states at different times, inventors discovered and developed devices or systems that increased automobiles’ fuel efficiency dramatically.  Some specialists argue that gasoline has been vaporized as early as the 1920’s.  There have been several creators that designed systems they presented to automobile companies and attempts to paten the process of vaporizing gasoline.  Both the American and German militaries used vaporized gasoline to power their tanks.  Yet, the technology is not publically utilized and many misconceptions surround the technology.  Vaporizing gasoline offers many hopeful opportunities for the environment and public health.  Use of vaporized gasoline over gasoline improves the longevity of the engine dramatically.  Secondly, emissions from vaporized gasoline are not comparable to emissions from gasoline.  There are very minimal emissions from vaporized gasoline, which could dramatically change our air quality.  There has been a public outcry for more efficient and clean automobiles and so far all vehicles can use vapor.  Strangely, the public has been sold hybrid cars instead of vaporized gasoline.  Different vapor systems like the Tri-Fuel System or the Acetylene powered car or Flex Car have been developed.  Most hybrid cars offer between 30 to 60 miles per gallon while vaporized gasoline offers 100 plus miles per gallon.  This emission saving technology isn’t used.  Why the hell not? 

Laura Nader explained her experiences working with various scientists about energy issues.  Nadar argues that we have so much waste in our society that we could easily reduce without much change to our lifestyles.  I think vaporized gasoline is an example that falls within Nadar’s purview.  We limit what we think is possible based upon our value systems.  We live in a world, in an era where the environment is considered something to be consumed and profited.  I think many times we complicate solutions as Nadar describes.  We strive for consistent economic growth and vaporized gasoline wrecks the oil and natural gas industry.  There are arguments that vapor gasoline technology has been discouraged by our government.  But, we have seen economic growth chosen over environmental conservation time and time again.  Our choices are important and perhaps political authorities are making too many choices for all of us.  Nadar argues for straightforward solutions.  We need to inform policy makers that our values have changed and we value using available and efficient technologies like vapor gasoline.

Treasure or Trash?

The second found object that reminds me of a particular perspective of nature is a piece of sea glass.  Sea glass is sort of a trash to treasure item.  My husband and I collected sea glass from beaches throughout Puerto Rico.  I discovered that I liked making sea glass jewelry.  Each time I hold or wear sea glass it reminds me of responsibility… grave responsibility mixed with a desire to do my best not to participate in our trash culture.  As I mentioned previously, in this inquiry I want to demonstrate that we interpret or create an image of the environment that benefits us or provides us an advantage of some kind.  This way of thinking shapes our behavior, which further contributes to our value systems.  Human kind benefits from a disposable society.  We prefer to care less about what we throw away and more about what we buy.  We have busy lives that are filled with chores to improve our standard of living and our throwaway lifestyle provides needed convenience.  Convenience is helpful, but our trash culture is plaguing our oceans.  Sea glass represents so many different commodities and industries throughout our history.  When glass is tumbled throughout the ocean for a substantial amount of time (like years) it becomes very smooth and the colors become softer and cloudier looking.  Sea glass makes for a beautiful charm, but in many ways it represents our failure.  Humans’ trash tumbles through the ocean, in a way symbolizing how human systems have permeated natural systems.  Nature is no longer unadulterated.  Cronon explains that we often have false hope that we can evade our responsibility.  He argues that humans tend to believe their slates can be cleaned, persuading us to believe our illusions.  We assume that our oceans are vast, sacred and untouched spaces isolated from our polluted urban areas.  In reality, our oceans are trashed with sea glass and a million other products.  A piece of sea glass represents Cronon’s discussion in The Trouble with Wilderness.  We see sea glass on the beach and are thrilled to find a piece of ‘natural’ jewelry.  We are rationalizing our behavior and perpetuating the myth of “the wilderness.”  We understand sea glass as a treasure hunt on the beach because it allows us to make peace with our global trash dumps.

Emotions or Value Systems?

Many of our readings have discussed our emotional reactions to climate change and generalized environmental degradation.  Scholars like Piper and Norgaard argue that our feelings of despair often keep us from choosing action or considering change.  Articles like The Anthropocene explain the devastating and pervasive ways that human systems have fundamentally changed our natural systems.  So, the final found object I selected is a mirror.  Many of our readings have encouraged us to face our emotional response to climate change.  A mirror can symbolize embracing reality, or a true reflection.  In regards to this inquiry, I want this object to represent our willingness to observe our participation in climate change.  A mirror shows our true reflection, but we can distort the physical features of the mirror to produce a different reflection.  We can increase the size or shape of the mirror to produce a distorted reflection.  In the same way, we transform our values to insulate ourselves from our true reflection.  Cronon explains that how we understand ‘wilderness’ depends upon our cultural desires and expectations.  In turn, fulfilling these desires promotes the development of our value system.  Brugger explains in “Climates of Anxiety,” that our values are fluid and manipulated by our environment.  Brugger found that the rate of exposure to retreating glaciers influences one’s level of concern.  Living within proximity to the retreating glaciers heightened participants’ emotional response.  Glacier retreat stressed residents’ water supply, which conflicts with participants’ expectations.  Seeing the glaciers retreat mimics the symbolism of the mirror.  Witnessing the glaciers retreat is like looking in the mirror; we see the truth and it is emotionally shocking.  Our emotional reactions can change our value systems.  Unfortunately these symbolic mirrors aren’t always available in our backyard and we have to rethink our value system for ourselves.  A mirror represents a perspective that matters the most: how we as humans value our environment.  Nothing has changed the environment more fundamentally than humans’ value systems.  The way we value the environment dictates how we treat our environment.