“An ethic may be regarded as a mode of guidance for meeting ecological situations so new or intricate, or involving such deferred reactions, that the path of social expediency is not discernible to the average individual.” (Leopold, 2011 pg. 59) Individuals have become interdependent parts of ethic communities, acting on their instincts and co-operating with each other. Land ethics have begun to change the role of man from conquering land to becoming an ordinary member of a community. Ordinary members of a community don’t rely on their general knowledge about the land anymore; reliance on science has become the prime mechanism.
Conservation is the first step in land ethics, although it is taking an extremely long time to catch on. Like I have said countless times in this class, education is the first step to begin successful conservation projects. Conservation projects will not change overnight; internal changes within people will start those changes. If economic values start to increase then the main weakness of the conversation system will become strength.
The pyramid example put into perspective the food chain and how each organism relies on other organisms for life, starting with the bottom layer as soil and the top layer as larger carnivores. Every species relies on the bottom layer of the pyramid with an upward flow of energy in this complex structure. In the beginning of time this pyramid was a simple chain, but now with evolution of new species this simple chain has become extremely complex.
Land ethic is not only an intellectual process but also an emotional process. Conservation is a pivotal aspect of our Earth and with such a low degree of education, the positive outcomes of it is very slim. Attitudes need to change to start saving our planet.
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