Anthropocentrism, an unsustainable distraction

As you have all probably noticed, the majority of issues discussed in Silent Spring so far are still currently unresolved. Shamefully, our society continues to spend more time looking in the mirror, enamored with the human identity, rather than looking past our own existence towards the natural world, which we have overwhelmingly taken for granted. Despite Silent Spring nearing its 50th anniversary, the majority of our status quo seems more interested in 'reading' about celebrities, fashion, arts, etc. than enriching any appreciation of the interconnected web of life. I found the image that Rachel Carson provides for the natural landscape as an "open book in which we can read why the land is what it is, and why we should preserve its integrity, " as the perfect example of our societies illiteracy (Carson 64). As a result of our self-serving strides of conveniences in the production of food, we have been separated from the ground that provides our subsistence, leaving the treatment of our natural landscape to the "free" market that has little to no concerns outside of profitability. I don't feel as though we are completely doomed, as Carson notes 800 concerned citizens calling within an hour of the Detroit spraying noted in "Needless Havoc," but the use of the media to unjustly assuage the anxiety only shows the disconnect we have with the issue in its entirety. It is quite jarring how transparent some of these issues are once we lay down entertainment and personal pleasure for the sake of survival, which is readily at stake.