Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in NatureWilliam Cronon A controversial, timely reassessment of the environmentalist agenda by outstanding historians, scientists, and critics. In a lead essay that powerfully states the broad argument of the book, William Cronon writes that the environmentalist goal of wilderness preservation is conceptually and politically wrongheaded. Among the ironies and entanglements resulting from this goal are the sale of nature in our malls through the Nature Company, and the disputes between working people and environmentalists over spotted owls and other objects of species preservation.The problem is that we haven't learned to live responsibly in nature. The environmentalist aim of legislating humans out of the wilderness is no solution. People, Cronon argues, are inextricably tied to nature, whether they live in cities or countryside. Rather than attempt to exclude humans, environmental advocates should help us learn to live in some sustainable relationship with nature. It is our home. |
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American ancient forest campaign Anheuser-Busch animals anthropocentric argue Arsenal become biological California Cambridge century Chicago civilization complex concept construction Cronon cultural deep ecology discourse earth ecologists Ecology ecosystem environment environmental justice environmental problems environmentalists essay ethics example Frederick Law Olmsted frontier garden genetic genome groups habitat human Ibid ideas of nature Indians John labor land landscape live mall means modern moral mountain movement Muir narrative National Park native Native Forest Council natural world Nature Company nature's Niagara nonhuman old-growth forests Olmsted Olmsted's organizations Pacific Northwest plant political population preservation Press protect race racial rain forest reality recovery Reinventing Robert Whittaker scenery scientific Sea World simulation social spotted owl story symbol theme park theory things timber tion toxic transformation trees urban values vegetation wild wilderness wildlife William William Cronon Yanomami York Yosemite Yosemite Valley