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Claudia Gutierrez

Keleher

Biology 1120

3/16/17

Land Ethic Paper

Aldo Leopolds essay The Land Ethic is a big awakening to humans responsibility to

nature and the world. The essay encourages us to strengthen our relationship with nature, and

give it the respect it deserves.

Leopolds definition of Land Ethic is treating every organism in the community with

respect, so we can all have a mutual benefit. One point that Leopold made about humans not

treating nature with respect was in his section Substitutes for a Land Ethic. This section talks

about how we as humans only want to save organisms or plants if they have a benefit towards us.

Leopold uses the example of song birds who were going extinct, but once Ornithologists

informed us that bugs would infest us if that happened, we did every possible thing to save them.

This showed how we only care about natures value if it has a benefit to us.

Another point Leopold made in his essay was in the section The Ethical Sequence

where he talks about our ethics evolving. Our ethics were once more humane where we saw

more value in sticks and stones, whereas now we see more value in billboards and boats. We

used to think more of what is morally right for nature, as opposed to now. For example if we cut

a flower we used to feel guilty for doing so, whereas now we cut them down for our amusement

for holidays such as Valentines Day.

Leopold also made an intriguing point in the section Ecological Conscience speaking

about how the simple solution to improve our relationship with nature is educating everyone, but
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that is not necessarily a good solution. The problem with educating people about why land ethic

is important, is that they will be taught in a way that will benefit their own interest. For example

a scientist can make a species strive and educate his workers on the importance of this species, so

they can mass produce it and make for instance, the worlds best cheese.

Conservation Philosophy to me is characterized as the importance, and respect of every

single living organism whether it be plants or animals. I believe that all organism play a huge

role in this world, even if it is not beneficial to humans. I came to hold these beliefs when my

mother taught me it was not okay to pick flowers just because I liked them. She told me that they

have a value to bees and other organism that rely on them, as well as the land. It was not fair for

me to pick them for my amusement. My Conservation Philosophy has two criteria: Treat

everyone how you would like to be treated, and all beings and things have a purpose and value.

The ethic of coexisting with all organisms with respect and respect for the community,

can be practiced in many ways. One way that this ethic could be practiced is changing to solar

energy, conserving water, recycling. Another thing that can be done is educating people on the

conservation of nature, not because it benefits us as humans, but it benefits everything in this

planet.

I would say that our land-relation is still purely economic. I believe that we only try and

save organisms or communities if they have economic value to us. For example, a Save The

Bees foundation has been started by Cheerios that educates people how our lives would be

impacted without bees. Without bees, Cheerios would be discontinued and they would not be

able to profit any more money. If bees did not have an impact on their company, it would have

never been started.

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Extending a communities sensibilities can be practiced by planting more trees after we

cut them down for wood or paper. If we plant a tree for every tree we cut, we are extending to the

communities sensibilities. We can try doing this with many other things such as flowers,

cleaning water, and more.

In my opinion, Leopold wanted the integrity of the biotic community to not supersede the

concerns for its individual members, and vice versa. The implications of this concept can be for

example to not cut down any trees until they are mature, and then plant a new one. Needing to

give every living organism and community the same amount of respect is essential when dealing

with concerns for individual members.

Beauty and ethics are both important to me, but ethics are more important. I see beautiful

rivers and national parks that have amazing flowers, but then I think about how bears or wolves

were relocated from this location to benefit me. I also think about the effects we had on the land

for relocating organisms or chopping plants down, because every single thing had a purpose

there. I feel I have a duty to protect mother nature because of all it does for me and our planet.

In all honesty, my Land Ethic emanates primarily from self-interest as well as true

interest for non-human elements. I have self-interest when I think about bees dying and all the

fruit and other produce that will be affected. However, I also think of all the innocent bees that

do so much for nature that make me want to be environmentally conscious because of them.

My critique of the Land Ethic by Leopold is that it was a very useful exercise. I feel

that I am more environmentally responsible for what is going on in this planet. It made me feel

guilty after reading it, but the guilt was good to encourage change. I believe that reading this did

change my opinion on the way we conserve nature. I did not think about how we only conserve

things that have benefit to us until I read Leopolds essay. I would recommend this essay to
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anyone who does not have respect for nature, as well as everyone in general because it was a big

wake up call to me. What I liked best about this essay is that Leopold used very good examples

to prove his point and convince the reader. Leopold gave a good example about how when a

species of birds was going extinct, we did not care until we were convinced that if we did not

save them, we would be eaten alive by bugs. This made me realize that we focus on our

benefits before anything else. One thing that I did not like about Leopolds essay was how much

guilt he portrayed on the reader. Leopold did not focus on the progress we are all making, sure

we have a long way to go, but we have come a long way since his lifetime.