Moncrief

After thoroughly reading the three articles, I can reckon that these three authors accomplished their goal of looking for the central causes for human relationship with the environment. However, I agree to a large extent with most of Moncrief’s arguments in “The Cultural Basis of Our Environmental Crisis.” For instance, he starts by attributing the environmental crisis to urbanization as he illustrates how it has become difficult to find potable water in the United States as streams and brooks are now depleted with only a few of them, those that have safe drinking water, remaining in the mountain reaches. He further argues that during the past, people used to satisfy their lives by taking leisurely strolls in quiet and peaceful streets and

However, he gives an alternative hypothesis and explanation on the basis of cultural variables. I agree with his argument that cultural variables is more credible as an enlightenment of environmental crisis. Moncrief (1970) that “No culture has had the ability to completely do away the selfish tendencies of human beings”. Using capitalism, Moncrief (1970) posits that historically, the rich have been exploiting the poor with a main goal of maximizing their wealth. This argument can be related to the current relationship between human beings and the environment as human beings still possess egocentric tendencies of desiring to maximize their wealth. Therefore, they over exploit the environment without considering the future generations or the effects that this overexploitation may bring about. The desire for human beings to improve their position and to better their lives surpass their rational thinking of conserving the environment which is certainly scarce in supply. I find it more appropriate to attribute environmental crisis to democracy, urbanization, advancing technology as well as aggressive