CPLT Module 2: Land Ethic

Jan 30th, 2019

Discussion:

● Define what you consider to be your community. Is the environment (land,

animals, plants) included in your concept of community? Has this week's module
informed your ideas on community at all? How or why not?
● Do you agree that “there is as yet no ethic dealing with man's relation to land and
to the animals and plants which grow upon it. Land, like Odysseus' slave-girls, is
still property. The land relation is still strictly economic, entailing privileges but no
obligations.” Why or why not? Do you think we need an ethic that deals with our
relation to land, animals, and plants? Why or why not? Whose job is it to
develop this ethic? Should the government? Society as a whole? Certain
sectors? Should schools and universities? Individuals?

(In your answers, incorporate references to the videos as well as a quote from the text. I
expect that discussing these questions through the lens of the videos (rather than
prioritizing it all through the text) will make the topic seem more alive. a quote from the
text! I did find a few quotes when I read through that I liked, but the videos resonated
better with me. References to the videos as well as at least one small quote from
Leopold's text will be the "quotes used" element of the rubric for this week.

1. I consider my friends at school to be my community. Going off of the definition of

community from the lecture, we all have common interests and live together within a
larger society, which would be the student body as a whole. These are the people I
spend the majority of my time with and enjoy their company the most. Before I watched
any of the videos or read the text I would not have considered the environment to be a
part of my community. Now, after getting more knowledgeable about conservationists I
would say that the environment is a part of my community as well, and I think everyone
should include it as a part of theirs. Imagine life without land, plants or animals. It is a big
part of our daily lives that we don’t ever think about that much because it’s just always
there. When I read “do we not already sing our love for and obligation to the land of the
free and the home of the brave? Yes, but just what and whom do we love? Certainly not
the soil, which we are sending helter-skelter downriver….” from Leopold’s ​The Land
Ethic​, it really hit me how much I take the environment for granted and don’t recognize it
as I use and see it on a daily basis. As we grow up our interests start to change and so
do our communities. In the video documentary of Leopold one quote by him stood out to
me, “I am glad I never had to be young without wild country to be young in.” Thinking
back on my childhood, a big part of it was playing outside with my friends and family.
Without the natural wilderness and untouched land, my childhood definitely would not
have been the same.
2. I agree with Leopold to an extent when he says, ​“there is as yet no ethic dealing with
man's relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it. Land,
like Odysseus' slave-girls, is still property. The land relation is still strictly
economic, entailing privileges but no obligations.” Conservationism and land
preservation has not had a great impact over the recent years. The average
person doesn’t recognize land for its full potential, and just uses it as a space to
build upon without considering the negative effects it will have on the
environment and society. Humans treat it as something that is theirs and take it
for granted. They also treat wild animals and plants the same. Hunting has
turned into a sport and something people do for fun. We treat our pets as we
would other people as a part of our community, but wild animals are not viewed
the same because they provide for us as a source of food. Although I do agree
with Leopold on this, I do not agree that there is no ethic dealing with it. There
are plenty of movements and Non profit companies that take it upon themselves
to get this message across to the average person, and are making efforts to
change how we view and treat the environment. I think that it is good that we
have these companies and people because without them, people wouldn’t know
the harmful effects of their actions towards the environment. I don’t believe that it
is any one person or sectors job to develop or enforce this ethic, but that
everyone should have basic knowledge and understanding of it. I think it is
beneficial however to have more important and impactful people help share this
message to help get it across to as many people as possible.

Blog post:

● Describe your land ethic. How do you see your relationship with land, as land is
defined by Leopold? Does it emanate primarily from self-interest, or from a true
interest in non-human elements? Provide specific examples.
● Where do you think this relationship came from? Reflect on your childhood,
family, culture. Do your views differ when you think about land that is part of your
community vs. land use outside of your community?
● Consider the case study above.
○ Should a university encourage students like David to be more
environmentally conscious of their water consumption when students do
not pay for utilities directly?
○ How can students hold each other accountable for being responsible
about their individual water and energy consumption?
 ○ What incentives could there be for students to care about how much water
and energy they use other than the fact that it can cost more money?

I would not say that I have great land ethic, and I realized that after reading about
Leopold’s theories. I don’t really take the land or environmental factors into
account when making my daily decisions. As Leopold described, he believes that
people view land as property that belongs to them as opposed to something that
provides for us and we should take care of. Unfortunately, I believe that I am one
of those people that Leopold described. This primarily emanates from
self-interest. I could drive to class to help cut down gas usage, but it is easier for
me to drive. I could separate my recycling from my garbage, but it’s an
inconvenience for me. I think this relationship with land came from my family. My
parents never really cared much about stuff like recycling and saving water or
gas, so I never grew up worrying about it or the effects that any of it would have
on the environment, and now since I’ve been in the same routine for so long,
these habits are hard to break. I definitely think that my views change when I
think about land as a part of my community vs outside of my community. Before
this module I wouldn’t have considered land to be a part of my community,
therefore I never really paid much attention to it or how I was damaging it. Now I
know that it is a big part of my community and am more aware of how harmful my
habits and actions are.
Regarding the case study, I do think that universities should encourage students
like David to be more environmentally conscious of their water consumption.
Personally I am also guilty of the same thing as David. When living in a dorm I
never took into account the environmental factors of taking a long shower, I
wasn’t paying for it so why should I worry about it? Now, living off campus, I am
more conscious about taking longer showers because I have to pay for my
utilities. Students can hold each other accountable for being responsible about
their individual water and energy consumption. When I leave my apartment I
always check every room to make sure all the lights and appliances are turned
off. Having roommates makes it easier to hold each other accountable. If you
realize your roommate is taking a long time in the shower you could let them be
aware of it, or even set a time limit for each other. Not only does it cost less to
limit the amount of water and energy you use, but it also benefits the community
and environment you live in.