The Human Dimensions Of Natural Resource Management

We should learn to respect wilderness by how it is. In the article, “The Trouble with Wilderness; or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature” by William Cronon, it says that we should learn to honor and respect the wild. This concept relates with the Yellowstone National Park. It talked about how people had different views and values towards Yellowstone. Cronon mentions that we should think about nature in a sustainable way also. That means to consider it in non-use. So bears should not be fed by humans, especially since they cannot tell the difference between natural and unnatural food sources. Also, fires should not be caused intentionally because human lives and homes are at stake. Causing intentional fires can also significantly change the landscape.

Finally, pollution may be the worst human impact of them all. Litter is a big problem as it affects the parks natural beauty and destroys several habitats, putting the wildlife’s lives at risk. This is managed by park rangers who come and pick up rubbish during opening hours. However, there are only a few bins in the park. This is partially effective but could be

“Many current discussions about sustainability focus on the ways in which human activity...can be maintained in the future without exhausting all of our current resources… there has been a close correlation between the growth of human society and environmental degradation - as communities grow, the environment often declines” (603).

Leopold expresses, “a system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopesided,” (p. 251). The self-interest economists who are only interested in the profit of which they gain from the land cannot spread the importance of the respect for the community. The people who share a knowledge and passion for the environment will educate those who are unaware. As well as being educated on the land, it is essential for humanity to understand that we are not users of what Earth has to offer us, but associates,

Can the most high-tech, compact, thoroughly monitored development still pose an unacceptable risk to the wilderness? In a situation such as this where the natural environment is at a serious risk and the public and decision makers are in a dispute, we must all turn to trained scientists in order to more precisely determine what is at risk and which outcome will serve all parties the best.

This theory is examined by David Cole, author of “Beyond Naturalness: Adapting Wilderness Stewardship to an Era of Rapid Global Change”. Wilderness may be defined as free from human intentions and lack of human effect and described as historical fidelity (Cole, 17). Historical fidelity is the hands-off stewardship used as support ladders to protect wilderness in a state similar to its virgin form. But being natural, untouched, and pure is incompatible with freedom from human desires. In reality, you cannot preserve wilderness without the use of human intervention. Why you may ask? Because it is the values that society has forced upon wilderness that causes its citizens to appreciate the wild when it provides incentives such as the “wilderness experience”. If the wild has nothing to offer, then there will be no reasons to preserve it. As a result, wilderness is a byproduct of social values which allows civilization to appreciate and protect

Throughout today’s society there are several different cultural perspectives which form theoretical and practical understandings of natural environments, creating various human-nature relationship types. In this essay, I will describe and evaluate different ways of knowing nature and the impact of these views on human-nature relationships. From this, I will then explore my own human-nature relationship and reflect on how my personal experiences, beliefs and values has led me to this view, whilst highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each and reflecting upon Martin’s (1996) continuum.

The preservation of wilderness that national parks offer is comforting to us; we know that our true home is out there somewhere remaining pure; therefore we may continue living our daily lives with the comfort.  However, as Cronon points out, our careful sectioning off of designated wilderness areas may lead to more environmental harm than good by possibly allowing a sense of irresponsibility to develop between people and the natural environment.  Cronon explains that if we see the environment as only small sections of our world meant to be visited as if they served the same purpose as museums, then we cut ourselves off from the natural world and no longer feel a true responsibility toward it, or possess a real knowledge of it.  Furthermore, in urban areas, people exist no longer as member of the natural world but as spectator of the nature. We live our daily life admiring the natural world and yet our ability to protect the nature and adopt a smart use of the natural resources becomes more and more weak as the time unfold.  That is by far what Cronon calls the manifestation of our lack of knowledge about nature and how to use it. He tries to emphasis this by saying that “Idealizing a distant wilderness often means not idealizing the environment in which we live […] we need an environmental ethic that will tell us as much about using nature as not using it.”

Nature is a beautiful location where animals and plants live in unison, being untouched by humans. The human population, however has the ability to take and abuse nature.

Leopold discusses conservation as homo sapien involvement to respect, love, and care for the ecosystem. That we need to step back at certain times to appreciate the environment, but also harvest from the landscape and bear fruit. So conservation involves both human and non human involvement. Understanding this concept further we need to understand how we do not care and respect the environment. We need to learn what our communities problem

Val Plumwood in her essay “Paths Beyond Human-Centeredness,” illustrates the impact that humans have on nature and non-animals when it comes to preserving environments. Understanding that nature has it’s living properties that let it thrive among its resources allows for people to grasp the complexities that come about when construction companies destroy the environment in which they work. Plumwood uses the term dualism to refer to the sharp distinction between two classes of individuals. There is the high class, which is considered as the “One.” In contrast, the other side of the division consists of individuals that are classified as lower and are subordinates to the “One” as “Others.” This account on dualism allows the reader to understand how humans can significantly alter the environment because of the way they perceive its resources and inhabitants. Plumwood defines five characteristics that illustrate the oppressive actions that change the connection between human relations and the relationship between humans and nature.

The people nowadays also abuse on what nature can provide to them. People are influenced by the western Culture, Man is more powerful and can have dominion over nature and that nature as they see become merely an instrument to satisfy human needs and wants. This kind of thinking or we can say attitude towards nature is called the “Anthropocentric Attitude”. Man reduce the value of nature as it is and it’s important because nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man and that the value of non-human things in nature is merely instrumental. An opposite thinking would be the Eastern Culture, for they value nature very well and they treat nature being one with them. This thinking or attitude is known as “Ecocentric

This paper uses the terms natural resource(s), resource(s), and reserve(s) in many different contexts. Please use care when interpreting their usage and context.

White’s thesis in The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis states that in order to confront the expanding environmental crises, humans must begin to analyze and alter their treatment and attitudes towards nature. The slow destruction of the environment derives from the Western scientific and technological advancements made since the Medieval time period. “What people do about their ecology depends on what they think about themselves in relation to things around them” (RON p.7). Technology and science alone will not be able to save humans until we adjust the way of thinking and suppress the old ideas of humans power above nature. Instead, we need to learn how to think of ourselves as being

Despite what mankind would like to believe, humans are animals. As multi-celled organisms, we consume other organic matter, change the land for own uses as a beaver would build a dam, and as other mammals, we are all fed breast milk from our mothers when we were young. Yet there is this disconnection and alienation of the human race towards other species. Moreover, through fear of taking action, the convenience provided to us if we simply choose to ignore the environment, and the alienation of other species that are endangered by our actions, the hostile and uncaring attitude of humans towards nature is the core reason for many of the problems in our environment today.