“‘Earth’ is the word we use when it is there in place, growing the food we eat, giving us a place to stand and build on. The ‘Dust’ is what we say when it is loose and blowing in the wind. Nature encompasses both the good and the bad from our perspective, and from that of all living things (Worster, pg. 1). 12-13).” The Dust Bowl, one of the biggest ecological disasters in America, is commonly thought to have been caused by high winds, drought, and bad farming practices, but according to Worster, the Dust Bowl was a consequence of capitalistic and expansionary thinking and the culture it produced. The book Dust Bowl: The Southern Plains in the 1930s, by Donald Worster, provides an in-depth, yet understandable, view of the origins, actions, and effects of the Dust Bowl. And, as it is very valuable as a secondary source, Worster provides an important look at the economic and ecological disaster known as the Dust Bowl, …show more content…
It should free individuals (and corporations as collective individuals) from the encumbrances of their aggressive use of nature, teach young people the proper behavior, and protect the successful from losing what they have gained. Worster, pg. 78, pg. 6)”

By explaining capitalism, Worster gives his audience context for his argument, making it clear to understand. The belief that man must use all resources to his advantage is a common theme shown throughout the book. The link between capitalism and expansionism is so strong in the United States, during this period and earlier, and these concepts fed into each other. The nation would expand with the hopes of acquiring more resources to feed the economy, and the hunger of capitalism would drive the nation to explore and conquer more land. This never-ending cycle is the root problem of the Dust Bowl, and the cause of the urgency to incorrectly “fix” the land, so profits can be made as soon as possible. “All of the attitudes identified were those found at the heart of the expansionary,