PRM 380 - Blog #5: A Land Ethic

I support these more colorful displays of "loyalty to Mother Earth", as long as there is no harm done to property or people; the example of somebody living in a tree to rescue (or delay) it from being cut down is a very sound and peaceful example of this because the only law being broken, generally, is trespassing. Earth First's monkey wrenching seems pretty harmless, but apparently the group has turned more violent in recent years.

Many of these environmental demonstration groups are seen in a very negative light, mainly due to the fact that their cause is usually picked up in the media when it causes great damage and destruction. A group of note is the Earth Liberation Front (or ELF), who are seem as domestic terrorists in the eyes of the federal government. They torch heavy machinery, SUVs, and luxury homes; anything that will cause determent to the environment in their eyes. The picture at the top is from 2008 when ELF torched an entire subdivision of "green built" homes, and left the message, "Built Green? Nope black! McMansions in RCDs r not green. ELF."

Although it is not as peaceful of a demonstration as Aldo Leopold might approve of, group like Earth First and ELF are standing up for a land ethic: they believe that nature, our natural resources, and the environment are members of the community just like any human being. I can't pinpoint a specific cause that I would stand up for to an extreme level, but I would risk arrest to stand up for something I believe in; I certainly don't want to get label a terrorist for it, though.

PRM 380 - Blog #4: Conservation & Preservation

Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area - Franklin County, WA

First off, let's review the principles of conservation and preservation:

Conservation

* Began as a reaction to the Big Raid

* Goal: protect and develop natural resources for the greater good, and greatest number of people, for the longest time

* Fundamental belief in rationality and science; lead to the US Forest Service

Preservation

* Rooted in transcendentalism & romanticism

* Goal: protect and preserve natural resources in an unaltered state

* Ultimate philosophy behind the National Parks and Wildfire Refuges

There is an issue that is taking place in Washington regarding water usage that features the conflicting interests of conversationists and preservationists. North of the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area in eastern Washington, a livestock company has proposed to move in. It has been well documented that the company (upstream from the wilderness area) and companies like it, have been responsible for polluting the water supply, and consuming too much precious water (eastern Washington is much drier than the west side). The Cascade chapter of the Sierra Club has joined the lawsuit to protect the river and drinking water from Easterday Ranches Inc., which will pump more than one million gallons of water per day from the Columbia Plateau, home of Juniper Dunes.

This is a very good example for the differing thought processes regarding conservationists and preservationists. The Sierra Club, founded by preservationist John Muir, is entering the fight to keep the wilderness area in a pristine condition. The attorney general of Washington cleared the way for livestock producers to use unlimited amount of groundwater with no permit required. The Sierra Club will strive to get the rancher to relocate their planned facility, achieving preservation, but the result of a subsequent lawsuit will probably be more conservation-based. I believe that an agreement of the lawsuit will result in a permit for groundwater use, conserving water for use in the wilderness area.

For more information on this issue, visit http://cascade.sierraclub.org/node/2214.

PRM 380 - Blog #3: John Muir

While searching for quotes from John Muir, I stumbled upon this great one, which really spoke to me because of my major and my weekend:

Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.

• Letter to his wife "Louie" (Louisa Wanda Strentzel), (July 1888); Life and Letters of John Muir (1924)

This quote demonstrates Muir's attitude toward nature because it ties the solitude of nature with Muir's idea that nature should be untouched and completely preserved. This quote is tied to transcendentalism because Muir believes (through this quote) that going into nature without any belongings or company will produce an exceptional experience with the wilderness. Also, as it relates to the differences between Muir and Pinchot in the conservation/preservation battle, Muir further emphasizes that you can enjoy nature without a great deal of "extras". I mentioned that this is related to my major (tourism) because most people that choose to participate in nature-based or 'ecotourism' usually need to be outfitted with equipment and travel with companions, which is not in line with Muir's quote above.

I just returned to the Valley after a weekend camping retreat with my fraternity in Northern Arizona near Woods Canyon Lake. I am generally a light packer, and only brought a backpack and a pillow; some brought large suitcases, plenty of technological 'necessities', and interesting wilderness gadgets. Although the true purpose of the retreat was to bond with each other, I took advantage of such a great opportunity to get out into the wilderness (by the way, it was outstandingly cold). Although I was not alone, and was not completely without baggage, I feel that I was able to have a better connection with the wilderness because of my minimalism. Last night, one of our guys went out, away from the campsite with nothing to "commune with nature" (as he put it), and I feel that this was inline with Muir's game plan for getting "into the heart of the wilderness".