Writer Roderick Nash argues that wilderness is the antithesis to the human paradise in satisfying our interests (Nash, xii). Henry David Thoreau advocates that “in wilderness is the preservation of the world” (Cronon, 471). Environmental activist Gary Snyder believes wilderness to be “a person with a clear heart and open mind can experience the wilderness anywhere on earth. It’s a quality of one’s own consciousness” (Cronon, 495). Author Bill McKibben believes there is no wilderness and “we must accept the fact that no area on earth remains pristine or fully free of human influence” (Waller, 545). Finally, environmentalist Aldo Leopold describes wilderness as a way when “We all strive for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and dullness”
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If wilderness were defined as an idea or political entity as did the previous definitions from the environmentalists, then it would give the feeling that the definition would be too subjective and leave a lot of room for debate in questioned wilderness areas. In addition, the definition from an idea or political perspective would have a vague interpretation especially when it came down to applying to a world problem that wilderness conservationists would need to explain to politicians regarding an area of land. By defining it from a physical standpoint, it is sure to be more objective and able to clearly determine in certain instances. Throughout the essay, this definition of wilderness will be utilized to provide specific places that resemble it and explain why that is and its significance for today. In addition, these arguments will lead to exploring one way the established definition of wilderness can give a possible solution to one crucial problem that wilderness conservationists are struggling with: the difficulties in determining whether land should be utilized economic profit or environmental
If wilderness were defined as an idea or political entity as did the previous definitions from the environmentalists, then it would give the feeling that the definition would be too subjective and leave a lot of room for debate in questioned wilderness areas. In addition, the definition from an idea or political perspective would have a vague interpretation especially when it came down to applying to a world problem that wilderness conservationists would need to explain to politicians regarding an area of land. By defining it from a physical standpoint, it is sure to be more objective and able to clearly determine in certain instances. Throughout the essay, this definition of wilderness will be utilized to provide specific places that resemble it and explain why that is and its significance for today. In addition, these arguments will lead to exploring one way the established definition of wilderness can give a possible solution to one crucial problem that wilderness conservationists are struggling with: the difficulties in determining whether land should be utilized economic profit or environmental