Extraction Ecology: Environment and People in the Anthropocene

Abstract

The uncontrollable pursuit of growth and benefits has dominated our society. In developed part of the planet people live in energy phase of modernity but it is marked by instability of social situations and culture forms. It is often closely related to issues such as climate change, the disappearance of agro-biodiversity, or the loss of animal biodiversity. The extreme climate flux that human beings face today can be linked to the human continuous need for energy. The constant appetite to consume more and more energy has resulted in environmental degradation, like collapsed impoundment dams, floods, dead zones in forests. It has not only affected the environment but also people. It has given rise to unemployment, crippling poverty, and diseases such as black lung disease. This paper operates at the intersection of ecocriticism and extractive fiction studies to study the impact of mining by examining The Upheaval by Pundalik Naik. By applying the theory of ecocriticism, this paper will study and highlight how these places are rich in resources but are places of environmental degradation, public health issues, poverty and social conflict.