Launch- Refuge

In Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place Terry Tempest Williams addresses a number of concerns regarding the environment, how it is treated and the effects this has on both natural environments and human inhabitants of the area. She begins her story talking about the Great Salt Lake and how it's growing and shrinking has greatly affected the land around it, causing flooding and damage to local farming and urban areas. She uses the rising of the lakes water levels to transition to the bird refuge by way of mentioning how high the water would have to rise to flood the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. From there she talked about her love for bird watching that she inherited from her grandmother and her particular love for the burrowing owls. She describes many of these birds and excursions in great detail and how much they meant to her, for both the value of sharing something special with a friend or family member or the important lessons these excursions imprinted on her life. When her friend asks "Do you feel rage?" she didn't have an answer, uncertain what it felt like. Later when she finds out that her favorite burrowing owls nest has been destroyed by a gun club she had no doubt in her mind what rage felt like. Through experiences like this Williams builds a story that shows her transitions through life, the important lessons along the way that led her to be the person she is now, and how she learned to fight for what she cares about.

The piece ends with Williams describing nuclear testing in her area. She had for years a reoccurring dream of seeing a mushroom cloud which her father informed her was real. He reminds her of how they were driving home one day and saw the mushroom cloud in the desert. After that she learned more about the nuclear testing done in the area she lived in. The more she uncovered the more she discovered ties between the bombings and the sudden occurrences of cancer throughout her families history that started only after the nuclear testing was conducted. She describes how people tried to sue the government before for compensation for the the harm they had done and the health issues that arose from living near a nuclear testing sight, but how eventually it was overturned, claiming the government was immune from being sued. Williams later would take part in peaceful demonstrations and resistance, protesting the damage done to the environment and to the people. She comes to the conclusion that even if it means testing or contradicting the rules of her faith or that of the law or our government that she needed to fight for what was right, not just for the environment but for the people, because we live in this world, and if we don't take care of it, we are hurting ourselves as well

Questions:

• Think about how Williams discovered the cause of cancer and other health issues in her environment. Think about your own environment and where you live, and consider what you already know. 
• Is there anything that has been done to your environment that can hurt you or other living things or the ecosystem. 
• Consider what you don't know. How could you go about finding out what harmful substances are in the environment? 
• If the local government refuses to acknowledge there is anything harmful (even if there is) what can you look for that would indicate otherwise? 
• How would you fight back if you discovered something like this? What would you do to help the environment or people?
• What memories do you have of the environment that led you to be the person you are today? What inspired you to care about the environment?
• What do you think about the government justifying nuclear testing by saying it was more important than possible health risks? 
• What is the importance of the Great Salt Lake? How does it relate to the rest of the story? What does it symbolize?