Nathan Hensley reminded us that literature serves a larger purpose than entertainment. It is a revolutionary tool. Publications have the power to expose and propel a movement into action and empower the public to take action against the status quo. Hensley reminded us of the deeper meanings behind seemingly shallow literature. He brought up the messages that are interwoven Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. These ideas of two contradictory universes that are unable to coexist relates to the idea of a point of no return in climate change – where the damage we cause to the Earth becomes irreversible. In particular, Hensley talks about how Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland communicate the notion of never returning to the way things were and mentions a quote from Donna Harraway – “What comes after will not be like what came before.” Dr. Hensley provided statistics about how we would lose 52% of the world’s species and how hundreds of millions of people would die due to a 2 degree Celsius increase in the global temperature. This really resonated with me, it drilled in the idea of a new geologic era called the Anthropocene. An era marked by the destruction of nature causing mass extinction, or as Hensley put it an “environmental Holocaust.
The key point to Dr. Hensley’s presentation was about the power of literature, a point that was disputed among some students. I recall a student questioned how we turn statistics and words to action and change. In my opinion, change does not come without hard facts to back up a cause. These books are the foundation for the modern day environmental movement, this data is what will help the cause move forward. For example, in 1962 Rachel Carson published her groundbreaking book Silent Spring about the dangers of synthetic pesticides, especially DDT. Her book rocked the boat and was very influential in the environmental movement at the time. The book caused Congress to enforce laws and acts that set up regulations for insecticides and pesticides. Silent Spring is a prime example of how literature turns into action and eventually progress.
It is books like these which will propel us into an era of change. As Dr. Hensley said, literature is an influential tool that is effective in communicating data, expanding empathy to nonhuman organisms, and fostering speculation about other possible fates. From small book clubs that talk once a week, to large movements started by a persuasive text, literature creates a collective. This is why literature is so powerful, and this is why it has been used time and time again as a call to action. In my opinion, I don’t think that spreading awareness is the biggest issue surrounding climate change at this moment, I think that finding innovative solutions that replace the harmful operations we practice today with cleaner alternatives. Finding technology that doesn’t set us back, but moves forward without the burden of pollution.