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In this Our Changing Climate environmental video essay, I take a look at the concept of cultural landscapes. I specifically look at how the integration of natural landscapes and human landscapes can create a deep tradition of reverence for the local environment. Cultural landscapes might just offer viable alternatives to industrial agricultural and cultural systems that often overlook the health of the land.
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Transcript Provided by YouTube:
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[Music]
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the ortho vodka national park in Hungary
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and the batad rice terraces in the
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Philippines both these places represent
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a confluence between humans and their
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environment both are considered cultural
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landscapes and both might just offer
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solutions to some of our environmental
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problems areas like these embrace a
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diversity of interactions between
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humankind and nature in a way that
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reflects specific techniques of
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sustainable land use that consider the
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limits of the natural environment
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they are established in so understanding
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the concept of a cultural landscape is
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important to understanding how to exist
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ethically in a rapidly changing
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environment today we are going to look
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at what forms cultural landscapes take
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and why they are a crucial step towards
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navigating a relationship with our
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surroundings whether urban or rural a
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cultural landscape can take many shapes
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including religious or spiritual
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relationships with the land like the key
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mountains in Japan which are integral in
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local Shinto and Buddhist traditions
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however I’m going to focus on cultural
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landscapes that are designed and created
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intentionally by humans as a means of
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subsistence generally this means
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agricultural land use systems that over
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time have led to rich cultural
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traditions which build community
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reverence for the land and environment
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in a way this directly addresses how we
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might be able to build communities that
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counter the push for industrialized land
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use while still maintaining a strong
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output of food and raw materials that
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don’t degrade the environment around
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with this mission the rice terraces of
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Japan’s watching the city on the Noto
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Peninsula known as shiroyan a San Maya
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have exemplified the definition of a
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cultural landscape in its blend of
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culturally and sustainably sound
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practices over 1,000 rice paddies dot
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the Japanese coastline representing an
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agricultural tradition that has pervaded
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the noto peninsula for over 1300 years
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this tradition of farming rice field
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still exists today albeit at a lower
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output dude
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the aging of the local population and a
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lack of replacements these terraced rice
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paddies produce not only essential
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Japanese commodities in the form of rice
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but also foster a form of biodiversity
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in the environment by providing habitat
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for local fauna the rice paddies of
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share yone consist of a series of
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constructed levees and concrete walls
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built to contain the water along the
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foothills of coast
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these practices coincide with the
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traditional agricultural procedures that
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exist as sort of a physical history for
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the Noto Peninsula much in opposition to
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modern industrial agriculture this local
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agriculture requires a deep connection
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to the land and a historical
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understanding of how local traditions
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dealt with subsisting on their immediate
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environments in an investigation into
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the agricultural system of the Noto
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Peninsula the Food and Agriculture
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Organization of the United Nations
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claims the peninsula is a microcosm of
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traditional rural Japan where
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agricultural systems are integrally
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linked to mountains and forests
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activities upstream and coastal marine
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activities downstream holistic
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approaches to integrated human
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activities like fishing farming and
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forestry have traditionally been
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practiced and continued to coexist there
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therefore by interpreting resource
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production on the Noto Peninsula as more
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than just an agricultural process but
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having cultural and environmental ties
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as well we can focus on how humans
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interact with the land on all levels to
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create a cultural landscape this
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archetype for land use is essential for
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understanding not only how Japan can
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successfully coexist with its rich
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environment but also how other countries
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can look towards their own local
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cultures to understand the landscape in
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a new way learning from cultural
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landscapes then is a necessary
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complement to increased urbanization
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because it offers a way to build more
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ethical relationships between built
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environments and natural ones
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by recognizing cultural landscapes we
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take a set towards not just preserving
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spaces but actively seeking to
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acknowledge the significant
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of a strong relationship between culture
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and environment in doing so we can
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reengage environmentalism on a different
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level one that treats nature as an
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integral part of the everyday human
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experience the urban or world ultimately
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the idea of a cultural landscape allows
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people to use traditional knowledge to
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escape the destructive paradigm of
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reckless land use in this way it
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disrupts the belief that only new
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technology can save us there are already
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a number of sustainable agricultural
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practices being used by people all
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around the world so it is imperative
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that we listen and learn from those who
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have maintained strong agricultural
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traditions over centuries of responsible
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land stewardship thanks so much for
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watching this video took over 25 hours
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to make so if you’re feeling generous
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today
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feel free to support this channel on
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patreon by pledging $1 for every video I
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upload otherwise I will see you next
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time
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[Music]
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This post was previously published on YouTube.