Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Essay

Refuge of Peace, Antithesis of Industry There’s something about the way trees form a thick canopy over a quiet forest that whispers of barely contained power. The wilderness seems to hold its breath and hide its secrets amidst the incursions of curious humans. However, the lucky few, such as former president Jimmy Carter, are made privy to the innermost workings of Mother Earth’s mysteries through their time in nature. Ink becomes paint, pages become canvases and Carter becomes an artist in his impassioned foreword to, ‘Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Seasons of Life and Land, A Photographic Journey’. In an effort to convince readers the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry, Carter utilizes powerful imagery
The former president writes of, “windswept coastal plain where polar bears and caribou give birth, to the towering Brooks Range where Dall sheep cling to cliffs and wolves howl in the midnight sun.” Imagination, above all else, is the most effective form of illustration. While a camera can document experiences, the superior images that writing on paper create are akin to magic. These images connect a reader to a place that s/he may have never visited-only read about. Carter has created the painting of a world through imagery based on his own experiences and allowed readers to connect to this world via their own imagination. The world is further built when Carter writes, “In a matter of a few minutes, the sweep of tundra before us became flooded with life, with the sounds of grunting animals and clicking hooves filling the air. The dramatic procession of the Porcupine caribou herd was a once-in-a-lifetime wildlife spectacle.” Once-in-a-lifetime is correct, however through imagery, readers are able to experience this ‘once-in-a-lifetime- experience. While I’m sure Carter would rather use a Vulcan mind meld to share his experiences down to the last detail, sounds and visuals strengthen the former president’s world and make it more