In our two final readings Michael Pollan suggests seeing the natural world as a garden and Gary
Snyder discusses it in terms of the  "commons." Throughout the course, writers have seen or suggested seeing the natural world as everything from a playpen to a cathedral, a  wasteland to a treasury of aesthetic and economic resources, a friend, an enemy, a partner, an adversary,
and the list could go on and on.

Go back over the course material and decide which visions of the natural world you find personally
most compelling and/or environmentally most progressive. Then write an essay in which you either:

       a) Explain the superiority of one of these visions and defend it against possible objections;

       OR

       b) Show the strong and weak points of two or three of these visions and attempt to come up with a
synthesis;

       OR

       c) Come up with a vision of your own and expound it with reference to several of the course
readings.

Make as much use of the course materials as you can, referencing them by page number. You may also
refer to any of the webboards. If you quote other students or use their ideas, be sure to give them
credit. Try to avoid simply re-stating what you have already written. Take this assignment as a chance
to really review the course and think about what you have read and learned.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON FAIRNESS:  Since the culture and method of this class are collaborative,
you should feel free to discuss your ideas with others.  Writing the paper is, of course, your individual
responsibility.  Please be sure to cite all your sources, primary and secondary.   You may cite assigned
texts by author and page.  Give full bibliographical information for other texts.
PLEASE WRITE AND SIGN THE HONOR PLEDGE:  "NO AID/NO VIOLATION"