Mini Essay

Name

Professor Lisa Muñoz

English 205

2/18/15

The Land Ethic in Today’s Society

Prompt: To what extent is it possible for our culture to establish the kind of land ethic that Leopold describes?

Aldo Leopold talks about a Land ethic that protects animals and the environment, which includes soils, waters, and plants. The practice of this land ethic means that humans must give up their title of “conqueror” of the land community and instead become plain members and citizens of it (Leopold 750). This is not an easy task since human beings like to be in control and have power over things. People have the tendency to be selfish by acting upon their own interests, regardless of whom and what gets hurt. As a result, the desire for power, money, and status has led pollution, wastage, loss of species, and the inhumane treatment of animals. All this immense amount of damage cannot be completely reversed, but we can create a society that is motivated and educated to care for the land we live in. It will be challenging, but our culture can work towards permanently establishing and practicing the land ethic.

Foremost, people need to be sincerely motivated to improve the health of the environment. This means that people should not be driven by profit. Currently we have a system of conservation, however that system is “based solely on economic self-interest…it tends to ignore, and thus eventually to eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value” (Leopold 756). We need a conservation system that truly acts as its name says. However in order to preserve and protect the land efficiently, people must feel morally responsible. According to Leopold, “no important change in ethics was ever accomplished without an internal change in our intellectual emphasis, loyalties, affections, and convictions” (Leopold 753). In order to do what we are told needs to be done, we must believe it must be done. No amount of laws, restrictions, and penalties are going to make us feel responsible for the health of our environment and the wellbeing of animals. However, when we feel morally obligated to care for our land, we will stop littering for good and we will happily volunteer in ecological projects.

Additionally, in order to develop an ecological conscience we must actually experience the beauty of the land. We are distracted by “innumerable physical gadgets” such as television, the internet, and our cell phones (Leopold 762). In fact Leopold notes that land is something man has “outgrown” (762). It is hard for man to care for the land, if he doesn’t admire and respect the essence of it. Society should put as much effort to promote more naturalistic activities as they do with entertainment and the use of electronic devices. One other way in which our culture can develop an ecological conscience is by understanding ecology. As indicated by Leopold “an understanding of ecology does not necessarily originate in courses bearing ecological labels; it is quite as likely to be labeled geography, botany, agronomy, history, and economics” (Leopold 763). Since an early age we can learn to appreciate the complexity of our land as well as what it takes to take care of it in multiple subjects. Furthermore, we can learn to love our planet by doing hand on projects that are not paid or graded.

To a certain extent we can begin to establish the kind of land ethic that Leopold describes. This however will not be easy, since we first have to change ourselves and the life styles we have. Basically, the land ethic requires people to act for love, respect, and admiration for land.

Works Cited

Leopold, Aldo. "The Land Ethic." A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers. Ed. Lee A. Jacobus. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. 750-63. Print.