When people think of nature, they are usually thinking of the wonder, beauty, magnificence, goodness of it all. What about the downside? Do people ever stop and think about the other facets of nature? The truth is, they usually don't. Nobody thinks about the so-called "otherness of nature". They don't think about hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and other such problems that we face. It is too frightening, unpleasant and, in many ways, too difficult to comprehend. Also, it is clearly not something anyone would consciously choose to ponder, because, in most instances, it is not something anyone can control.
             This so-called "otherness of nature" deals with the darker side of nature. This aspect of nature, for some, "causes distress, confusion, and even revulsion", (as stated in Chapter 1 of Being in the World: An Environmental Reader for Writers by Scott H. Slovic and Terell F. Dixon). It deals with many aspects of nature that we all choose to think never occurs or happens to other people. Some examples of these include hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, tsunamis, and floods; which all tear up families, and homes, and sometimes even a whole town. We all know that all of these things occur, but we choose to ignore them until it happens to us.
             Animals killing and eating other animals to survive are also aspects of nature that we know of, but it seems normal to us. It is a part of the food chain that we could not live without. If it was gone, then the food chain would be completely destroyed.
             Who among us doesn't cringe at the thought of hurricanes, such as Floyd and Dennis? They have eyes as much as 100 miles wide and gale force winds as much as 150 miles per hour, and they barrel up the eastern seaboard causing major property damage, uncontrollable flooding, power outages, and devastating death tolls. Who among us doesn't c...