A Sand Country Almanac

Summary of Selection 4

Aldo Leopold first began to "think like a mountain" when he shot a wolf and watched it die. He began to understand the balance between wolf, deer, mountainside vegetation, and everything else in nature- a very holistic view. He realized that when all the wolves are gone the deer overgraze everything and ravage the mountain. This can also be applied to ranchers/farmers who allow their cows etc. to overgraze. We are all (animals, people, nature) striving for safety, prosperity, comfort, long life, and "dullness." But too much safety may lead to danger in the long run...

Our ethical criteria should be extended to the wilderness, including soils, waters, plants, and animals. As slaves were once considered only the property of humans, to be used or disposed of at will, the wilderness is now in a similar position. We need to correct this and give it ethical standing too. The Land Ethic is an extension of ethics to the land. It is an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity. When there is a community mindset, our instincts lead us to competition, but our ethics prompt co-operation. Our community "boundry" needs to be enlarged to include the land!

Some obstaces to change are that our educational/economic system does not promote conciousness/connectedness to the land, we have no ecological training, and that our environmental issues are constantly being reduced to economics. Economics should not determine what all land is used for. What should determine it is our priorities, values, forethought, skills and time. The evolution of the land ethic is an intellectual and emotional process that must develop in our community. And like murder, abuse, theft, (etc.), poor treatment of the environment will recieve social disapproval, and good treatment social approval!

Aldo Leopold's classic Land Ethic quote:
"A thing is right when it tends to promote the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise." (pg.12)