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Ethics Awareness and the Human Obligation to Biotic Preservation

Jameson Kirkland
Kristen Taylor
Biology 1120-Su14
20 June 2014












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The Land Ethic by Aldo Leopold was an interesting and engaging piece about the
complex web that connects all of not just the physical world but the spiritual realm of life
on earth as well as explores what role human beings play in this web. It isnt purely spir-
itual or scientific, it is a combination of both. We are physical and spiritual beings and
our relation to our environment and therefore the earth is no different. He also explains
why progressive thinking is one of the strongest tools we have to counteract an unbal-
anced and unsustainable world and what it means to be land ethical. I liked the idea of
ethics being a mode of guidance, that it is evolutionary and is part of an infinite process.
The needs of the world are always changing and being molded and we have to not only
keep up with the change but look ahead to predict what will be needed next to preserve
what we can of this planet. There is a balance, we must use the resources we have on
this earth without guilt but also be mindful of how we can be as kind to the land and effi-
cient with the use of our resources as possible. For example, Aldo Leopold explains
Land ethic cant control alteration, management, and use of resources but confirms
their right to continue their existence in a natural state. This is an example of a sustain-
able use of resources. There was also a portion discussing the importance of education.
Government required conservation is not a substitute for land ethics in everyday people.
Government can do large scale laws and organizations but that only covers a very spe-
cific amount of work that is needed. Independent education is important because that
means that every single person is aware of their involvement in the direction this plan-
ets future. People cant just be responsible for what is of use to them because that
leaves a huge portion of life unaccounted for and therefore unprotected. He mentions a
Land Pyramid which is a biotic mechanism and balance of nature that encompasses
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everything for life to remain fruitful. In order for the cycle of life to continue as unaltered
as possible, everything in the biotic community must be maintained even if it has no
monetary value to a human being. The worlds needs and its Land Pyramid is a seem-
ingly overwhelming, chaotic, ever expanding and unpredictable web and legitimately
makes human beings feel How could we possibly be able to fulfill its every complex
need? But there is also somehow a cosmic beautiful balance and harmony we are a
part of and with the right perspective we have a wonderful opportunity to learn, expand,
and grow with this beautiful planet we occupy.

My personal conservation philosophy mirrors Aldo Leopolds on many levels. I think
something that is different today is the level of corporate power is that is responsible for
environmental damage and as average people we face an unnamed intangible giant
that is purely designed for consumption and profit at any cost. However, I tend to be
more philosophical than technical in my thought processes. I think the hardest thing for
human beings especially in this day and age is to be aware and perceptive and to not
only take responsibility but also take pride in our connection to everything in biotic life
physically and spiritually. Human beings have an interchangeable dependency to the
planet and the planet has that same dependency on human beings. Our relationship
with the planet is like a marriage, it takes love, respect, honesty, physical affection for a
marriage to last and be fruitful. I think I came to this conclusion because I have a special
connection to the spiritual realm and I feel it is right in my heart.

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Historically human beings have considered themselves to be conquerers mostly be-
cause they werent educated enough to see the big picture. But there are ways to
change our actions from being in the mentality of a conquerer, but to a citizen. An ex-
ample of this would be to assess the needs of the planet and respectfully mold our rate
of consumption around those needs. We can create conservatories, preservation organ-
izations, use sustainable products that arent harmful to the environment, recycle and
use recycled products to promote production of recycled products and send the mes-
sage to corporations that green energy and living is the new money maker.

I think today our land relation is different than it was when The Land Ethic was written.
I believe on some level we are raising awareness on conservation is rising at a scale
that has never been done before history largely because of the amount of technology,
science, and research that has given human beings much more insight into the im-
portance of a healthy and sustainable land relation. However there is still a large
amount of ignorance and overall disregard for the needs of our planet on a large scale. I
think corporate entities like oil companies, plastic manufacturers, and chemical compa-
nies are one of the biggest threats to conservation. Overall our land relation has
changed I think from what Aldo Leopold described.

I think when Aldo Leopold describes land ethics is extending a communities sensibili-
ties to all members of the community human and non human alike he is referring to a
innate awareness all life has about the need for balance. In our community we are be-
coming aware that the soil, the air, the flowers are also apart of our community. This
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applies to my life in a variety of ways but one that comes to mind is that I am mindful of
my carbon footprint. In fact it drives me crazy how much trash Im forced to accumulate
everyday. I try to keep the garbage as minimal as possible. As my mother always says,
If you are a polite guest in someones home, you better leave the room somehow better
than you found it. That mentality applies to my daily life in the small choices I make
each day.

When Aldo Leopold says, A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stabil-
ity, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise. I dont be-
lieve this suggests that the needs of the biotic community are more important than the
individuals. I think there is a balance, nothing has more or less intrinsic value than the
other and their needs are not more or less valid. I think he just meant to elaborate on
the concept of conservation in his own words.

When I think about conservation and what motivates me I think it is a balance of both
the beauty of life, and the duty to preserve it. That beauty is what creates a feeling of
value, and the value is what makes it beautiful. Sometimes its just mere duty I suppose.
I find snakes to be horrifying and disgusting they have no aesthetic value to me whatso-
ever but there is an ethical oblation to them even if I dont want to admit it. But humor
aside, I believe there I think a healthy way of looking at it is that there is a interdepend-
ent balance of what I personally value in nature.

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I believe my personal Land Ethic is a balance of both. I cant deny that I dont live and
make choices based off of self interest. In the modern world and specifically in more de-
veloped countries id doubt anyone would say they dont have some from of self inter-
est. However, I think I am also actively aware and educating myself to make the most
selfless decisions I can. It is important to have a steady flow of give and take. That is a
cycle of life.

Overall I did enjoy reading this document once I began to understand its intention. It af-
firmed and strengthened my preexisting Land Ethic and added some extensions to it
as well. I also learned some new things and it gave me a fresh set of ideas to mold into
my own. I particularly liked the more philosophical side to this document. You can sense
Aldo Leopolds sincere attitude towards the planet and he sounds like a very wise and
educated man. I really enjoyed the way he worded his ideas. It can often be really diffi-
cult for someone to take ideas that are conceptual and put them into tangible words. He
painted a very clear picture and was eloquent while doing so. I like that he also used
history as examples. For example, when he was talking about the importance of educa-
tion and used the story about the farmers and government as an example. That the
farmers didnt have the education to create a sustainable way of harvest resources even
if from what they could foresee it would work just fine. I suddenly had a clear visual of
the idea he was trying to convey. I think anyone could read this and it is a great starting
point to helping an individual see the bigger picture and initiate the process of educa-
tion. The only thing personally I found that I disliked is that it could have been a bit more
to the point. My attention drifted a few times when it felt the use of complicated vocabu-
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lary was more important than making a clear statement. It could have been a bit more
direct, but I also realize I wouldnt have thought as much about it if it didnt require some
extra effort on my end to understand. Overall I felt the passion in Aldo Leopolds words
and it was a rewarding, thought provoking, and surprisingly personal piece of work that
took on a difficult subject and made it real and meaningful.