| Description |
The Anthropocene is the current geological epoch marked by human dominance. Among other changes, human-caused climate change has increased natural disasters, altering the conditions of life for communities around the world. Our best response to these catastrophes is to become more resilient. Case studies on the countries of Nepal and Puerto Rico, and the town of Greensburg, Kansas, exemplify how community level reaction to natural disasters is what defines the resilience. City planning research shows that we have the ability to change the structure of our cities in a way that encourages stronger community in addition to sustainability. But how these changes are introduced and carried out affects people's lives. This point is especially important, considering that on a smaller scale constant stimulation has wrought disaster on the individual. Thus, enhancing resiliency means that we must use bottom up problem solving and start on the level of the individual with Attention Restoration Theory to restore our connection with the earth and reinvigorate our brains. If we look at all this through the lens of Aldo Leopold's "The Land Ethic," we recognize that we are a part of the biotic community, and that if we work in harmony with the rest of that community we are much more likely to achieve our goals. |
