Question: The Control of Nature
Write an essay in response to the following statement. It should be typed and double-spaced and a maximum of four pages. Please edit the essay for grammatical and stylistic errors.
In The Control of Nature, John McPhee carefully documents our attempt to control the lower Mississippi River and the debris sliding out of the San Gabriel Mountains into the Los Angeles basin. McPhee explains how we have done these things, and in some cases why we have done these things, but he rarely comments on if we should have done these things. Your task is to decide that one of these attempts (either LA or Louisiana) makes sense, and we should continue our efforts. Construct an argument in support of your conclusion. Then, argue that the other case (LA if you used Louisiana before, and vice versa) does not make sense and we should cease our efforts. Use as many specific examples from the book as you can to support your arguments.