Music as Environmental Communication

D. J. Rosenthal's article called "Hoods and the Woods: Rap Music in the Environmental Literature" discusses how many rap artists narrate different regions and urban spaces in their music. Studying rap can reveal, "...the genres ability to narrate a 'metaphorical geography of Afro-American expression'. Thus, rap, ecologically informed and informative, constitutes an urban environmental discourse that both analyzes and comments on the built environment" (p. 662). Rappers often use rhythm and rhyme to tell long, abstract stories through memorable phrases and beats in order to get their message across to their audience.

The article brings in Lawrence Buell and his checklist of 4 characteristics that are used to tell how environmental a piece of work is. This includes the following:

1. Nonhuman environment is present and suggests human history exists because of it
2. Human interest is not only the legitimate interest
3. Human accountability is present
4. The environment is a process, not a constant or given

Although not all rap songs can satisfy the entire checklist, some still manage to do so. The song I would like to look at and relate to this checklist is Death in the Wilderness by J. J. Cale.

Death in the wilderness
It's a hopeless case I guess
Who's looking out for the wilder side
It will soon all be gone
You can tell it won't be long
We'll find the wilderness has died

We'll be the lonely one

Concrete plastic human throng
Tellin' one another have you heard the news
We'll mow it down, we'll rape the ground
'Til there's nothing left to abuse

The rabbit, he'll be gone
The bird will sing no song
The wolf, the bear, the lion too
The insect far and near, creatures like the deer
We'll put in cages at the zoo

Death in the wilderness
It's a hopeless case I guess
Who's looking out for the wilder side
It will soon all be gone
You can tell it won't be long
We'll find the wilderness has died

The stream will all dry out
The fish gone no doubt
We'll have no animals to fear
The tree will be no more
We'll use it to build the store
Mountain scene will disappear

These changes takin' place
Will affect the human race
We'll all know it when it's gone
God save this planet now
We've got to help somehow
We've left it happen way too long

Death in the wilderness
It's a hopeless case I guess
Who's looking out for the wilder side
It will soon all be gone
You can tell it won't be long
We'll find the wilderness has died
We'll find the wilderness has died

Read more: J. J. Cale - Death In The Wilderness Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

I think that this song represents at least two out of the four characteristics on Lawrence Buell's checklist. Human accountability is shown when the singer talks about how the trees will disappear because we'll use it to build a store. It also uses powerful words such as "rape" to explain how badly we abuse the environment. The second characteristic shown through these lyrics is the environment as a process, not a constant or a given. This is shown as the lyrics repeatedly mention that "We'll find the wilderness has died". By this the singer means that the environment will only be around for awhile until it can no longer exist because of human abuse.

The other two characteristics are not shown because the lyrics still suggest that human interest is the only reason why we should care about the environment. This is shown through the line that says "These changes takin' place will affect the human race, we'll all know it when it's gone". It also does not mention anywhere that human history exists because of the nonhuman environment.

The article is showcasing the idea that your talent can be used to educate the public about issues. Music is a significant form of art that is used to evoke emotions in its audience. This is shown when we watch videos about environmental issues online or in media. The images don't evoke as much emotion as the music does. We as audience members are more moved by the beat of music as they go along with the lyrics. Similarly, some musicians use their music video to portray the idea of their song. In this case, the music adds to the visual appeal of the song message. For example, when something sad happens and the music becomes soft. This evokes a feeling of sadness among the audience as they identify with the music and ultimately with the song itself because of its musical cues.

Art as Environmental Communication

In Jennifer Peeples article, Toxic Sublime: Imaging Contaminated Landscapes she introduces the concept of toxic sublime in order to analyze the visual representations of environmental contamination. She defines the term, "...toxic sublime as the tensions that arise from recognizing the toxicity of a place, objective or situation, while simultaneously appreciating its mystery, magnificence and ability to inspire awe" (Peeples, J., (2011), p. 376).

Edmund Burke argues that, while beauty is found in small objects, things that are smooth, delicate, elegant, graceful and clean, fair, and mild in color, the sublime portrays vastness, privation, difficulty, infinity, magnitude and magnificence. Furthermore, a German philosopher named Immanuel Kant concluded that beauty and the sublime functioned differently. Beauty portrays the feeling that the mind was restful and contemplative while the sublime creates the idea that the mind was moved.

This picture is perfect depiction of both beauty and sublime as it portrays the two sides of nature next to each order in order to explain the difference. The article mentions how, "Constructions of the sublime in nature, descriptions and images of majestic cliffs, soaring mountains, fearsome ocean storms and precipitous drops recreated an understanding of the human-nature relationship from one of fear and conquest to spiritual and political significance (DeLuca & Demo, 2000; Oravec, 1981)" (Peeples, J., (2011), p. 381). Therefore, anything that evoked terror was a source of sublime and beauty generated "the passion of love".

I found Vicky Goldberg and Robert Bruce Silberman description of three different compositional structures used by American photographers to capture transformed landscapes interesting. These three include photographic plea, environmental nightmare and the third composition, contrasts the plea and nightmare in the same picture. The article goes on to mention the noteworthy artists working in this genre. These include David Hanson, David Maisel, Chris Jordan, Alan Berger, Peter Goin, Emmet Gowin and Edward Burtnsky.

The first one is photographic plea. This includes images of the beautiful nature in its original condition and unspoiled. This image of Russia`s Lake Baikal is a perfect example. This is one of the world`s greatest lakes because it has 20% of the planet`s surface fresh water. However, as Russia`s tourism industry continues to grow and expand, this lake is in danger of growing human activity.

The second compositional structure is called environmental nightmare. This includes displays of apocalyptic visions of what is to going to happen to the environment as growth and exploitation continue to expand unchecked. This includes sprawl, pollution, waste and destruction. Therefore, this image created by a Digital Artist named Jonas Deros is a perfect example of a city like Toronto will look like after human activity has run its course and left nothing behind. As you can see there is no nature to be found in this image. There seems to be pollution and waste everywhere. The itself seems to be gone through major destruction.

This third is a contrast between the actions and effects of human activity and original purity of nature shown in one photograph. Therefore, this is a perfect example because it shows the natural environment with no human activity in sight. The environmental in this picture seems to have its original purity. However, human impact is growing and spreading underwater as the dolphin swims with a plastic bag stuck on its wing. Therefore, this image depicts the idea that human activity is inescapable and eventually will reach all parts of the earth and ultimately create an environmental nightmare. 

How are stories of nature as tourism and environment told?

Milsteam's article Somethin' tells me it's all happening in the zoo: Discourse, power and conversationism discusses how zoo discourses materially and symbolically construct nature and animals. He uses the examination of discourses which often reveal multiple ideologies in tension - as dominant ideologies asset and reproduce themselves and alternative ideologies resist and challenge dominant ways of thinking and doing. The three dialectic's used are mastery-harmony, othering-connection and exploitation-idealism.




The first dialectic is mastery-harmony which looks at the tension between mastery over nature to societal progress and harmony with nature married to the belief that industrial progress threatens to disrupt such harmony. To challenge mastery, one should keep the cultural tension between mastery and harmony in mind. An example of this is a circus where the ringmaster expresses control over nature but at the same time, harmony was shown when they communicate about taking care of the animals.



The article discusses how much institutional discourse, plus science and globalization, differentiates humans as standard dominant groups from other animals, nature, and at times other humans - others framed by subordinated others. Othering serves to justify exploitative views and practices but also to divorce humans from the knowledge that they are, in fact, animals and part of nature themselves. Connection resists dualistic perceptions that frame nature as a subordinated other to humanity and instead seek to recognize reciprocity with nature. An example of this is an aquarium. Connection occurs when we go into their environments. Othering occurs when we give these animals from the other side of the glass. They keep them in the glass to differentiate them from humans.
This shows how we think animals are not humans and therefore, should not be treated as such.



The last dialectic is exploitation and idealism. Exploitation serves to reify nature as something that exists to be appropriated and commodified for ever-increasing accumulations and profits. Idealism circulates the desire to preserve and respect nature, as well as to reverse destructive human impact on nature. An example of this is the African Lion Safari. Exploitation is generated when we go into their environments and create a commodified environment where we watch and observe them. Idealism is shown when we we visit these safari's and showcase the idea of viewing animals in their natural environmental. This in turn reflects how we reflect nature.