The industrial revolution and the urbanization of America began separating and alienating people from nature for a plethora of reasons. Industrialization was making people’s life more convenient, they no longer needed to rely so heavily on being self reliant because there was now other people and machines doing their work for them. America had an abundance of wild scenery, but few works of architecture and art (Sear 49). The Europeans sought to change this in their own vision which led to urbanization. Urbanization was the result of desolating the nation’s precious forests to build homes, shops, and other buildings that European society deemed necessary for modern life. While these may seem like good things to further advance society in the
…show more content…
What may be a surprise to some is that he was one of the early leaders of the American wilderness movement. Throughout his life he played many roles: wildlife manager, naturalist, wilderness advocate, poet, scientist, philosopher, and visionary. Yet he is best known as author of, “A Sand County Almanac”. Working over a twelve-year period, Leopold wrote, re-wrote, and re-wrote again, essays that both informed people of how the natural world worked, and inspired people to take action to ensure the future health of the land and water that sustains all life. Beyond his descriptions of the natural world, in this writing Leopold articulated an innovative idea known as the "land ethic," a new way of thinking and acting toward the land. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. Leopold utilizes “A Sand County Almanac” and its call for a Land Ethic to communicate the true connection between people and the natural world, with the hope that the readers will begin to treat the land with the love and respect it deserves. “On land ethic: A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (A Sand Country Almanac). Leopold’s legacy continues to inform and inspire us to see the natural world “as a community to which we
What may be a surprise to some is that he was one of the early leaders of the American wilderness movement. Throughout his life he played many roles: wildlife manager, naturalist, wilderness advocate, poet, scientist, philosopher, and visionary. Yet he is best known as author of, “A Sand County Almanac”. Working over a twelve-year period, Leopold wrote, re-wrote, and re-wrote again, essays that both informed people of how the natural world worked, and inspired people to take action to ensure the future health of the land and water that sustains all life. Beyond his descriptions of the natural world, in this writing Leopold articulated an innovative idea known as the "land ethic," a new way of thinking and acting toward the land. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land. Leopold utilizes “A Sand County Almanac” and its call for a Land Ethic to communicate the true connection between people and the natural world, with the hope that the readers will begin to treat the land with the love and respect it deserves. “On land ethic: A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise” (A Sand Country Almanac). Leopold’s legacy continues to inform and inspire us to see the natural world “as a community to which we