March/April 1984 RAIN Page 9 Toxic chemicals that are dumped are dissolved by rains andpercolate into the ground. Plumes are thenformed in ground water that bring these chemicals up in wells that tap the water sources. Septic tanks, sewers, toxic waste dumps, waste pits, and disposal wells all send toxic chemicals into the streams and fresh water welts. From: Well Body, Well Earth living earth, the identity of the earth's health and human health, and actions we can take to improve our personal and our planet's well-being. Samuels and Bennett bring out many perceptive insights in these parts of the book. Some excerpts: The solution [to the problem of creating a healthy world] lies not in denying our power, but, on the contrary, embracing it. Only by embracing it can we hope to learn it fully, and learn to use it to benefit the greatest number of people. It is not, after all, power itself that creates problems; it is the way we have chosen to use that power. Until recently, invention [including thoughts and ideas] has been staked out as a persorial possession, an extension of the ego, which is that aspect ofevery system which strives to maintain its separateness and individual integrity. Although ego is essential, it is also transitory.. . . Higher, more complex structures become possible only if less complex structures are able to relinquish some of their interest in maintaining their separateness. There seems to be a time in the life of every separate entity, from elementary particles to humans, when ego is translated into an interest in oneselfas an integral part of a larger system. Taken as a whole. Well Body, Well Earth makes an excellent current reference and also dishes up plenty of food for thought. Samuels and Bennett, authors of the successful Well Body Book, have once again furthered our understanding of the world around and within us. Prejudice against Nature, by Michael J. Cohen, 1983, 279 pp., inquire for price from: Cobblesmith Box 191, RFD 1 Freeport, ME 04032 I like the title. In our culture, the word prejudice is so value-laden that it can't help but arouse interest. And the accusation fits. In his book, Cohen argues convincingly that our western culture has a long history of prejudice against nature, and he contrasts this with the attitudes of other cultures in the U.S., most notably those of Native Americans. Cohen is the founder and director of the 15-year-old National Audubon Society Expedition Institute. The institute conducts experiential learning courses on environmental education in a unique way: High-school, college, and graduate students spend a year at a time traveling throughout the U.S. in a school bus. They sleep in tents or under the stars during their treks to Amish farms in Pennsylvania, the Okeefenokee Swamp, the Hopi mesas, the Olympic Peninsula, Downeast Maine, and many points between—all in pursuit of knowing and feeling the natural world and humans' relationships with it. Prejudice against Nature is mainly a distillation of Cohen's experiences, thoughts, and feelings from those 15 years with the institute. As a former participant in a similar eye- and mind-opening environmental- education experiment in the Grand Canyon area, I greatly appreciate Cohen's work with the institute. Experiential environmental education is undoubtedly the best way to guard against prejudice against nature; its value is priceless. Cohen's experiences in this regard are fascinating and well worth reading. Be prepared to sift these out, though—the book is about twice as long as it needs to be and is loosely organized (in a few places, I felt that my time could have been better spent backpacking). Distractions such as Cohen's dialogues with Mother Nature detract from the flow and force of the book. These may emphasize the fact that nature is alive, but only in an anthropocentric way. I had an uncomfortable feeling while reading that Cohen was biased against science, technology, and the western way of thinking, that he was "denying our power," when, in fact, these things are also a part of the natural world—they come from human nature. On the plus side, the afterword, "Sharing the Good News," by Jim Swan, is an excellent essay. Also, Cohen's discussion of the world as a tension- release system is clear and thought- provoking. The Expedition Institute is an important model to keep in mind in our search for educational excellence. fresh water table
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