Introduction
Gifford Pinchot was an American conservationist who influenced presidents, and stakeholders in the departments of conservation, to conserve the earth. In one of his inspiring quotes, Pinchot observed that, conservation simply means proper use of earth and resources for sake of humanity. In contrast, Baird Callicott explores environmental ethics with vigor and tenacity, revealing the way industrial civilization brought environmental degradation, making earth unsuitable for humans and other living things (Tucker & Grim, 1994). Through his article titled Nature , Ralph Waldo Emerson asserts that, humans should strive to preserve nature for the many generations to come.
What are the challenges of life on earth for humans?
Gifford Pinchot notes the challenges of life for humans was human themselves as they were unable to control their behaviors of misusing public land. He observed humans were setting themselves for a dull future through overgrazing, and cutting down forests among other ways of destroying the earth (Merchant, 2012). In contrast Callicot asserted that humans are facing numerous challenges, such as the environmental degradation, deforestation, desertification, salinization of arable lands and fresh waters (Tucker & Grim, 1994). Emerson on his part deducts that, humans are facing challenges of life on earth for they lack a proper mechanism of restraining exploitation of natural resources ( Emerson) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Are they optimistic or pessimistic about earth’s future? What evidence can be provided?
Gifford was optimistic of the earth’s future. He observed that, people had began to realize that conservation was a question of right and wrong, as they began to understand differences between health and sickness, well being and misery, prosperity and poverty to thousands of families (Merchant, 2012). Baird Callicot is optimistic about the future of the earth considering that, he is concerned on the extent of damage caused by industrial civilization. According to Callicot, the emergence of industrial civilization brought industrial human culture, which has increased in intensity and force (Tucker & Grim, 1994). According to Emerson, there is hope regarding the earth’s future, as humans have gone back to their senses, and have started to appreciate that man and nature are indissolubly joined.
What role does science play in the decision-making process on land use?
According to Gifford, science was vital in land usage, as it sparked ecological ideas that gave Americans a new approach on the risks of manipulating and transforming nature (Merchant, 2012). On his part, Callicot observed that biological science, and especially the ecology and evolution theory, alongside the theories of special and general relativity and quantum theory have been integrated to establish a new postmodern scientific worldview (Tucker & Grim, 1994). From a scientific approach, Emerson views the use of land as a science through which humans take lessons from space, climate, society and time on a daily basis. The afore-listed educate humans on both understanding and reasoning.
References
Emerson, R. W. "Nature".
Merchant, C. (2012). Radical Ecology: The Search for a Livable World Revolutionary Thought and Radical Movements. 2 nd Ed. New York, NY: Routledge
Tucker, M. E. & Grim, J. (1994). (Ed). Worldviews and Ecology: Religion, Philosophy, and the Environment Ecology and justice. Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books
