Kimi Failey

22214
BI0L 112u-u44

The Lanu Ethic:
A Response

Pait I: Summaiy
Wiitten in 1949 by Aluo Leopolu, The Lanu Ethic is a call to awaieness of the
uestiuctive piactices anu attituues of oui collective human ielationship to the lanu
anu othei non-human citizens aiounu us. Leopolu's asseition is that as a human
iace, we consiuei ouiselves, foi the most pait, conqueiois of natuie, insteau of
caietakeis anu mutual uepenuents. Bis intention is to push foiwaiu the evolution of
oui attituue towaiu a moie iespectful one; one wheie it is acknowleugeu that as we
uepenu on the lanu, the lanu also uepenus on us foi its caie anu ieplenishment.
Too often, implies Leopolu, man uses "violence" against the lanu in oiuei to
accomplish his puiposes without looking aheau fai enough into the futuie to caie
foi the lanu in a way that woulu allow it to stay healthy in the fai-off futuie.
Leopolu also points out that oui lanu-ielation is stiictly economic anu woulu like the
attituue to incluue love, aumiiation, anu iespect foi lanu that may not have obvious
economic use. Leopolu uiscusses the iuea that, because of the complicateu
inteiuepenuency of sunlight, soils, plants, insects, animals, anu humans in the biotic
pyiamiu pointeu out in his wiiting, the lanu may well have unseen economic oi at
least impoitant contiibutions to make anu we shoulu not so easily uismiss species of
plants, animals, oi soils that uo not appeai beneficial oi essential.

Pait II: Reflection
In my own opinion I tenu to agiee with Leopolu to a laige extent. It is impoitant in
any caietaking iole (anu I uo believe that we, as humans, aie caietakeis of the lanu)
to auopt an attituue of iesponsibility foi that foi which we caie. That iesponsibility
shoulu ieflect a concein foi the well-being of the lanu, iegaiuless of whethei the
lanu can seive oui whims without iecipiocation. Fuithei than caietakeis, howevei,
I agiee with Leopolu that we aie fellow citizens of the Eaith, peihaps not entiiely
equal, but ceitainly inteiuepenuent with all othei membeis of the biotic system,
human anu non-human. We have the ability, but not the iight, to uominate anu use
violence against the lanu that we live with anu upon.
I believe we have maue stiiues towaiu a lanu ethic since the aiticle was wiitten, but
astonishingly little, I think, compaieu to wheie we shoulu be. Theie is much moie
awaieness, anu helpfully moie piessuie on goveinments anu companies to be moie
iesponsible with lanu-use, but we aie fai fiom wheie I believe Leopolu woulu have
hopeu we woulu be by now.
In my own life I woulu like to believe I have a lanu ethic attituue, but I know that I
am veiy hypociitical in my actions anu in my inaction. I believe in a iespect anu
caieful piotection of the lanu, but I can't say I've uone much to make an impact with
that belief, othei than tiying to instill the coiiect attituues in my chiluien. I suppose
that is in itself no small thing, but I still feel I coulu uo moie to make a uiffeience.
If I'm being honest, I woulu say that I am piobably moie motivateu by uuty in my
uesiie foi a lanu ethic. I appieciate the beauty of natuie, but I feel moie stiongly the
uuty to piotect anu caie foi the lanu that we uepenu on, benefit fiom, anu enjoy.
I uo believe, though, that my lanu ethic comes fiom a tiue inteiest in non-human
elements. I tiuly feel a stewaiuship ovei the lanu anu a uuty to be iesponsible foi
anu show giatituue to the woilu aiounu me, iathei than a feeling of uominance anu
owneiship.
Pait III: Ciitique
This piece was quite enlightening foi me. While I agieeu inheiently with the notion
of a lanu ethic, the uetails, examples, anu peispective weie eye-opening anu helpeu
to ieaffiim anu expanu my uesiie foi a lanu ethic. It was also extiemely
uisappointing to iealize what little piogiess has been maue since 1949. I woulu have
hopeu Leopolu's message woulu have changeu the veiy fibei of oui collective
attituue anu pusheu us quickly into change, but it tuins out it's not much uiffeient
than the logical anu passionate pleas suiiounuing us touay that go unheeueu in the
face of commeicial uemanu anu consumeiism. We want to be ethical, but we also
want to shop it up at the mall anu play at oui amusement paiks, anu go to the stoie
to buy whatevei we want whenevei we want. I suppose it will continue to be a slow
anu uphill battle to gain a lanu ethic wheie we all (oi at least enough of us to make a
tiue uiffeience) aie willing to saciifice foi the goou of the non-human as well as
human community.
I have alieauy iecommenueu the piece to otheis, anu in the case of my family,
iequiieu it. I hope that we will continue to push foiwaiu, even if slowly, in the cause
of a lanu ethic, until all of Eaith's citizens iecognize theii mutual uepenuence on one
anothei anu the benefits we all coulu shaie if we coulu leain to saciifice foi the goou
of the whole.