“Third, I think we can safely surmise that biophilia,
like the capacity to love, needs the help and active participation of parents,
grandparents, teachers, and other adults.” (Orr 200)
I believe that every child can use a little guidance
in their life, especially when it comes to nature and the idea of biophilia. As
a child, I vividly remember the stories that my parents and grandparents told
me about their childhood and their love for nature. With their guidance, I was
able to develop my own appreciation for the outdoors. My imagination soured as
I spent most of my time learning about our mysterious world. The information
that you learn as a child can remain with you throughout adulthood and that is
what happened to me. I was taught to appreciate God’s creation and still to
this day I thank my parents and grandparents for teaching me that.
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“Biophobia is not OK for the same reason that misanthropy and sociopathy are not OK.” (Orr 191)
I think there is a sizable difference between being
uncomfortable in nature and being psychotic or full of hatred toward humans.
Biophobia is a problem that is considered to be more common in people brought
up in the technological age. It is a phobia that enjoys manmade over naturally
made and sees nature only as resources. Biophobia is not good because it is
killing off what we have left on this earth in which we call nature.
Misanthropy is the hatred of humankind and sociopathy is a person with a
psychopathic background that is often considered a criminal. These two ideas
are unfavorable because they lead to the death or distaste of humans. I think that
biophobia, misanthropy, and sociopathy are all unacceptable, but not for the
same reasons.
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“Moreover, it is possible to adopt the language and
guise of biophilia and do a great deal of harm to the earth, knowingly or
unknowingly.” (Orr 193)
It is hard to understand how a person who embraces biophilia
still harms the earth, especially knowingly. Biophilia is the love of the
living world and the interaction between human and nature. Growing up, my
grandparents embraced the language of biophilia, but sometimes unknowingly
broke that connection. At times, we fall into the trap of inconsistency and
find ourselves in need of a reminder to stay true to our beliefs. As a result,
I see how it is possible that we may unintentionally harm the only bit of nature
that we have left. However, I still find it hard to comprehend how biophilia
activists can consciously damage the one thing they love, the Earth.
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