TheMercenaryCoExistence:HumanorNot

MarisaCalistro
BIO1120F16

Humankindiswellknownfortakingmanythingsforgrantedoutoftheirown
ideaofselfrighteousness.Wethinkthatwedeservethethingsthatenterour
environmentandwetakeandtakeandtake.Whenthereisnoneleft,thenwhatdowe
do?Wemoveontothenextclosestsourcethatwecancontinuallytakefrom.Aldo
Leopolddiscussesthoroughlyaboutdifferenttypesofethics,butnonestandofthemost
importanceasthelandethic.Muirspreservationethic,createdbyJohnMuir,firmly
believedthatthelandwastobepreservedwithoutmanmeanderingthroughthe
environment.ThisiswhereourNationalParkscamefrom,andintheseparksarewhere
peoplearemorethanwelcometocomeandvisit,butcannotresidewithinthoseparks
permanentlytocultivatetheland.Muirsawmansfeetasdangerous,asittrampledand
destroyedthelanditwalkeduponbecauseoftheheavydesireforresources.Ontheother
sideofthecoin,therewasGiffordPinchotsideaofconservationethicwherehestated
manwastobelongwithintheirenvironmentaslongasmankindandnaturecouldcoexist
equallyhappy.Pinchotsethicreliedonpeoplehavingadeepunderstandingon
conservationbycaringforthelandproperly.Leopoldsethichoweverstatesthathumans
andnatureneedtoliveasacommunity,alltogetherasoneandnotasindividuals.This
largecommunityistoincludemankind,animals,plants,soil,water;thelandand
everythingthatresidesuponit.Leopoldsmostnotedpointsofhisethicisthat
individualsinthecommunityhelpeveryoneinthecommunitytoexpandandthattheland
isnottobeseenasaeconomicproblem.However,itbecomeslargelycomplexthatthe
landisbothenvironmentalandeconomic,andtheycouldnotbeseparatedsoeasily.
Wecanbeethicalonlyinrelationtosomethingwecansee,feel,andunderstand,love,

orotherwisehavefaithin.(AldoLeopold,TheLandPyramid,pg.214)Inthisquote
saidbyLeopold,itisunderstoodbyhimthatonlythosewhocanhaveadeepconnection
andpassiontopreserveandconservethelandwilldotheirpartinthecommunitysowe
allcancoexisthappily.Unfortunately,therehasbeennochangeinhowmankindtreats
theland.Therehavebeenmorepreservation/conservationgroupscreatedtoprotectand
helprejuvenatethelandnow,butunderthethumbofthegovernment,thereisonlyso
muchtheycando.ThisiswhyLeopoldsethicstandsabovetherestinlogic,butittakes
atremendousamountofpassionineverypersontocoexistwiththecommunal
environmentweshare.
Natureisbeautifulandamazinginthewayitsurvivesineverydifferentlandand
climates.Ilovenature,andalthoughIamnotthemostoutgoingpersontogooutand
joinaconservationgroup,Idomybesttorespectthelandanditsboundaries.Myown
philosophyonconservationisthatyoucanusewhatyouneedfromtheland,butreturn
thesameamount,ormore,backtotheenvironment;youtakeatree,youplantaseed.I
haveanespeciallydeepconnectiontowardsanimalsandlovehowbeautifultheyarein
howtheylook,howtheyadapt,andhowtheysurvive.Iwilladmit,whenapopulation
growsoutofcontrol,thereshouldbesomethingdonetoconstrainincreasingnumbersfor
aperiodoftime.Huntingisdonethisway,anexamplebeingpopulationsofdeer
growingtoincreasinglylargesizesthatspecialpermitstohuntdoescanbeissuedat
times.Therearenopermitsonhuntingpeopleofcourse,butthereareprotectedlandsto
keepmankindspopulationoutofcertainareastoconserveotherbioticbeings,such
placesbeingYellowstoneNationalParkorYosemiteNationalPark.

WhenyouareonNationalParkslands,youaretofollowguidelinesandrulesto
respecteveryoneinthecommunity.Yet,thisshouldbeapracticethathumansshould
followwithoutneedingaparkrangerbarkinguptheirearaboutbeingrespectful.To
practicethis,youneedtofollowthisfamousphrasethatImsureyouveheardofmore
thanonce:Treatothersasyouwantedtobetreated.Thatsrespect,andthatishowyou
shouldbeliketowardsothersinthecommunity,basedonthelandethic.Theroleof
peopleisnottoconquernature,buttobewellnaturedcitizens.Ifyoushootoff
fireworksduringthesummerindrygrasslandorforestsforkicksandgiggles,despite
obviouswarningsandpunishments,wouldyouwanttobetreatedthatway?Thatwould
belikeapersonshootingoffafirearminabusypublicsetting.Youneverknowwhoyou
aregoingtoleavewithoutahome,harm,orevenkillwhenyoudothingsoutof
disrespectandselfindulgent.Sadly,theseeventsdooccurinoftenenougharoundthe
worldandtheaftermathisdevastatingtonotonlytheenvironment,butthepeopleas
well.
Respectingpeopleinyourcommunityshouldbeagiven.However,ourland
relationisstilldifficulttoexplainasthelandisstillseenveryeconomictoday.Thereare
muchmoreconservationgroupsthatareouttheretohelpprotecttheland,butasIhave
statedbefore,theyareunderthecontrolofthegovernment.Economicsarealsounder
thecontrolofthegovernment,alongwithmankindexpandingandpushingitalong.As
therearemoreandmorepeopleeverydayintheworld,itpushesupandneedformore
resources.Today,economyisatahighdemandformanyresourcesfromthe
environment,anexamplebeingtheneedformorewaterinthedrierstatesintheU.S.

StatessuchasCaliforniaandNevadawereatadesperateneedforwaternotonlyfor
humanuse,butalsoforusingoncropsthatweredyingoutinrecentheatwavesoverthe
summerseason.Itisaprivilegetousemorewatersourcesfromaquifers,butitshould
notbeexpectedfromtheenvironmenttoobligateitsresource.Bydoingthis,wedryout
thelandevenmoreaswedemandmorewaterfordrinking,showering,cleaning,
swimming,andwateringcrops.
Livingasacommunity,weshouldgainasenseofwhateverythingneeds;not
want.Italsomeansweshouldsensewhatnonhumanthingsneedandnotwant.Inour
community,itmeansthatweneedtounderstandwhatwecandotohelpimprovethe
livingcircumstancesofsomeoneelseinourcommunity.Athingisrightwhenittends
topreservetheintegrity,stability,andbeautyofthebioticcommunity.Itiswrongwhen
ittendsotherwise.(AldoLeopold,TheOutlook,pg.224)Thisisonlypartiallytrue,as
thereareimplicationsthatIcansee.Therehastobeamomentwhenyouhavetodo
whatisrightforyou,andnotnecessarilythecommunity.Youmaycallitegotistical,but
thebioticcommunitywouldnotsecondthinkofdoingthesame.Imaginedifyoucan
intoanewcommunity,seekinganewhomeforshelter.However,whenyougetthere,
youcanonlybetoldthattherearenomorehomesinthisareaforyoubecauseweare
protectingthenaturalbeautyofthetreearoundus.Isitrightforthelandethic
communitytoleavesomeonelikeyouwhoasintegrity,stability,andbeautyinthis
communityaswell?Therehastobeabalanceinordertocoexist,andaslongasyou
givebackfromwhereandwhatyouused,thereisnowrong.

Itismuchmoremotivatingtolookuponthebeautyofthings,nomatterwhat
shapeorsize,nomatteraliveornot.Myaestheticsstandabovemyethicsmoreoften
thannot,anditsnotnecessarilythebest.Leavingoutmyduty(ethics)cancreate
disorderinmylifestyleasIloseoutondailymattersthatIneedtoattendto,suchaswork
andschool.IvaluemyaestheticsbecauseIwhenIlookuponsomeoneorsomething,my
mindwanderingintoimaginationandcreativity.Ifindpleasureintheaestheticsaround
meinmylife,reducingmystressandincreasingmycompassionformanythings.Inmy
landethic,itemanatesfromwithinmysoul.Iholdthisideaofacommunityclose,non
humanorhuman.Myselfinterestfindsenjoymentfrominteractingwithinmy
communityfrommyfriendsandfamilytotheforestsandanimalsthatsurroundme.
AldoLeopoldsLandEthicwasrivetingandopenedmyeyestowardshowI
trulyfeelaboutthiscommunityaroundme.Ihadneverheardofthisethic,butlearned
thisishowIwanthumanandnonhumanthingstointeractwitheachother.Thereshould
beapassiontowardsnature,alove,arespect,anadmirationtonaturelikeLeopoldsaid.
However,Idodisagreewithhisholdingtheintegrityofthebioticcommunityhigherthan
allindividuals.Theredoeshavetobesomedegreeofteamworkwithinacommunity,but
therearetimeswhereyouneedtoputyourselfabovethecommunityforsurvival.To
survivehowever,wemustcoexistasacommunityandrespectandloveeachotherlike
familytoovercomethehardshipsoflife.

ResourcesCited:
1. TheLandEthic,AldoLeopold,ASandCountyAlmanac,Published1949
2. TheLandEthic,TheAldoLeopoldFoundation,TheLeopoldLegacy,accessed
onAugust232016,http://www.aldoleopold.org/AldoLeopold/landethic.shtml
3. WordingMatters:Conservationvs.Preservation,AmyFreitag,SouthernFried
Science,publishedNovember272011,accessedonAugust232016,
http://www.southernfriedscience.com/wordingmattersconservationvs
preservation/