Environmental catastrophes can be avoided as long as human beings limit themselves voluntarily. Whilst we should limit ourselves in order to avoid future environmental catastrophes, unfortunately we cannot gather the requisite discipline for such an accomplishment due to the culture of materialism coupled with capitalism. Tania, a character in the novel, Through the arc of the rain forest, is a perfect example of how capitalism cannot allow us to limit ourselves voluntarily. At this point, it is important to note that the majority of environmental catastrophes occur due to human activities. These activities include clearing forests for human settlements coupled with polluting the air, soil, and water. Therefore, this assertion implies that if human beings limited themselves in the way they relate with the environment, then they can avoid future environmental catastrophes. Regrettably, as aforementioned, while we should limit ourselves, we cannot as analysed in this paper using Tania as the reference point.
Initially, Tania’s husband runs a small business dealing with pigeons. However, Tania takes over and the business booms. “It was Tania Aparecida’s idea, therefore, that great money was to be had in the pigeon business…Tania began to see pigeons as a profitable source of income” (Yamashita 92). Therefore, driven by the capitalistic spirit of accumulating more than one needs for a comfortable life, Tania embarks on an unstoppable journey. She starts the ‘pigeon advertising’ venture and within no time, the company gets global recognition. She even changes the business name to Djapan Enterprises. The business opportunities are irresistible and Tania takes them as they come and she weaves “the Djapan Pigeon Communications network farther and farther over the globe and, as she had always wished and dreamed of, travelled abroad for the company to New York, London, Paris and Las Vegas” (Yamashita 138).
The link between Tania’s driving force and most multinational companies is very strong. Currently, the issue of global warming is a product of pursuing capitalistic desires, and thus companies are releasing tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect, hence global warming. These companies and organizations are driven by the need to have higher profits margins than their previous ventures, and just like Tania, they are crisscrossing the globe to create awareness of their products. The pertinent question remains – at what cost are these multinational organizations reaching the international markets. Unfortunately, the same multinational organizations are very influential within governments, and thus they influence policymaking in a bid to facilitate their insatiable appetite for gaining wealth that they will never use in their lifetime. Operating international business is not evil; however, the environmental costs of such ventures should be assessed in a bid to ensure that future environmental catastrophes are avoided. The carbon credits and cap and trade policies can only work in the short term, because companies with strong capital bases will continue to pollute the environment.
As the novel closes, Batista sees a “small figure emerge on the horizon, the figure of a dark-skinned, saucy woman he knew so well” (Yamashita 211). Similarly, the world is set to cling to the hope of restoring the past and the habitable earth we once knew will only exist in our minds. Therefore, we should limit ourselves, but for now, we cannot until we change our attitude towards the environment and humanity.
Works Cited
Yamashita, Karen. Through the Arc of the Rain Forest, Minneapolis: Coffee House Press, 1990. Print.