United as one the Environment and I

“ All ethics so far evolved rest upon a single premise: that the individual is a member of a community of interdependent parts. His instincts prompt him to compete for his place in that community, but his ethics prompt him also to co-operate. The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, water, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.” ( Leopold 907)

How to deal with the environment and the impact it has on individuals have been much debated on over the last century. Morally and ethically humans knew it was wrong to harm another species, yet for as long as we have ruled as the powerhouse of the kingdom, many species such as animals, planets, and even the environment have been in the impending downfall of our actions.

As Aldo Leopold states in his excerpt “The Land Ethic” humans should be more resourceful and thoughtful when making decisions that have a direct impact on the environment. He clarifies the role in which individuals should play and the relationship we should have with the environment. We need to co-exist and co-operate as Leopold states with our surroundings and the environment for a healthy and peaceful resolution to occur. We need to start seeing the land and our environment with the same compassion we have for our communities.

Over the century I can say that sadly this has not happened and I agree that we need to treat others including the land and environment with the same respect we would like to be treated ourselves. Our tiny action can cause catastrophic outcomes, and keeping that in the back of our mind can lead to the prevention of these events. What many don't consider is our world will not stay beautiful and pristine forever if actions like deforestation and mass extinction of species continue. The level of seriousness for this problem has become an understatement, it is no longer about informing and hoping people follow, it is about promoting effective actions to start now.

I find that the environment in danger to be a new concept, we are used to hearing animals or plants in danger. In reality, the environment is in danger, and it is our thoughtless and naive actions that lead to the endangerment of the environment. We have inadvertently turned a blind eye to a climactic situation such as the extinction of animals/plants and climate change, hoping that these problems will fix itself. It’s time for a wake-up call, we need to actively be trying to form better habits when it comes to our environment and treat it with better care because if we don't clean the mess we made who will.