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Chapter six and seven of Communicating Nature discuss exposure to advertising, particularly focusing on environmental advertising and use of animals. The main focus is around how nature is used as a backdrop for material things that we “should” buy. I think that this is generally true of advertisements; playing at human’s vulnerability to need nature to get them to purchase material objects. I do think that much of my purchases are based on this idea. I “need” a tent to go camping, a sleeping bad that keeps me cozy warm, and a mattress pad. I do think that these things enhance the comfort of nature, but why do I need that seventy-two dollar filter water-bottle when most places I hike have waterfalls, a built in purification system that is free? Why do I need a special pair of hiking boots when a solid pair of tennis shoes that I use for other things are sufficient? Why do I need that special waterproof carrying case for my phone, shouldn’t it be off and put away?

The chapter about the use of animals is in advertising also holds pretty true in my perspective. Smokey the bear was an actual bear cub that was rescued from a forest fire, decades later he is still one of the most recognized “fictional” characters; pants and hat included. Yet, preventing forest fires is one of the US Forest Services biggest mistakes, along with eradicating wolves. Millions of dollars later and wolf reintroduction still heavily argued, mostly because livestock owners have the right to protect their animals. A big part of me agrees with them, I do think they have the right to protect livestock on private property, pre-eradication they could. Other people’s concerns are socially construed that wolves are going to eat their children from garden bassinettes.