Introduction
The fact that human activity and industrial development negatively affect the environment is not debated because the sad reality shows that oceans, soil, and air are polluted, and many species are endangered. Unfortunately, our consumerist culture has always believed that everything produced in nature belonged to us as long as we paid money to purchase the land. For example, “The Gift of Strawberries” in Robin Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass presents her childhood memories and understanding of the gift economy between people and the earth. The author claims that human beings’ impatience and greed cause environmental destruction.
Human Activity and Environment
This story is about gifts that people receive in the form of fruit, vegetables, and berries; however, these presents from nature are taken for granted and misused. Kimmerer states that “gifts from the earth or from each other establish a particular relationship, an obligation of sorts to give, to receive, and to reciprocate” (25). However, as the author herself admits, people are often greedy and restless. It may result in overusing land to obtain a more significant amount of product and earn more money. Furthermore, it causes people not to wait for fruit or berries to be ripe, which is unhealthy for people and damaging for plants since it halts the normal cycle in their development. The author argues that everything in the environment belongs to itself, not people; thus, humans do not have the moral right to abuse and destroy natural gifts.
Conclusion
In summary, the dangers of humans’ activity to the environment cannot be overstated because people have become accustomed to considering natural gifts as their property. Kimmerer’s story about the strawberries is, in a sense, a wake-up call for humanity that everything we receive from the earth should be valued, appreciated, and shared. Overall, the main dangers to the environment that the author recognizes in this story are people’s greed and impatience.
Work Cited
Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.