Excerpt
ALDO Leopold is perhaps America's most distinguished conservationist. He is especially renowned for his “land ethic,” which is recognized as the forerunner of all contemporary environmental ethics (1, 3).
Leopold also expressed a definite “land aesthetic.” Although his land aesthetic has not enjoyed as much attention as the land ethic, it could prove to be more inspirational to private landowners.
Leopold's land ethic is yet another set of rules or limitations. It calls for obligation, self-sacrifice, and restraint and thus could be unappealing to farmers and landowners. This is especially true at a time when agriculture is beset by economic hardship and bureaucratic interference.
The land aesthetic, on the other hand, might be more palatable since it emphasizes assets and rewards. Yet it also fosters conservation: “If the private owner,” Leopold wrote, “were ecologically minded, he would be proud to be the custodian of a reasonable proportion of such areas [wetlands, woodlots, native prairies, etc.] which add diversity and beauty to his farm….” (4 …
Footnotes
J. Baird Callicott, a professor of philosophy, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is currently a visiting professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
- Copyright 1983 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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