307
See also: Endangered habitats 236–239 ■ Pesticides 236–239 ■ Depletion of
natural resources 262–265 ■ Ecosystem services 328–329ENVIRONMENTALISM AND CONSERVATION
creatures, leading to the view that
nature was created for humanity’s
use and exploitation.Ethical dilemmas
Environmental ethics questions
the moral imperatives behind
sustainability and stewardship by
asking if the motivations are
grounded in anthropocentrism, or
in the protection of the natural world
because it inherently deserves
protection. These questions have
played out not only in philosophical
arenas, but also in the legal and
political spheres.
In 1969, the Sierra Club, an
environmental lobbying group,
challenged a US Forest Service
permit allowing Walt Disney
Enterprises to survey the Mineral
King Valley in California—Disneywanted to build a ski resort there.
The Valley had no official protected
designation beyond that of a game
refuge, but the Sierra Club argued
that the area should be preserved
in its original state for its own
sake. The suit went to the Supreme
Court, which in 1974 ruled in favor
of the Forest Service and Disney.
By then, however, Disney’s interest
had waned; today the Valley is part
of Sequoia National Park.
The battle between those who
follow anthropocentric ethics and
those who argue for ecocentric
approaches has continued. It often
takes place in political arenas,
particularly with the increased
prominence of globally sensitive
issues such as climate change.
Sustainable development has
generally been an anthropocentric
endeavor, to ensure future
generations have their needs met.
Environmental ethicists tend to
argue that sustainability is only
viable if it preserves the future of all
members of the ecosystem. ■Aldo Leopold
Born in 1887, Aldo Leopold
grew up in Burlington, Iowa.
He received his degree from
the Yale School of Forestry,
after which he took a job with
the US Forest Service. While
there he was instrumental
in the proposal to manage
the Gila National Forest as a
wilderness area, and in 1924
it became the first official
Wilderness Area in the US.
Leopold then moved to
Wisconsin to continue his work
in the Forest Service, and in
1933 became a Professor
of Game Management at the
University of Wisconsin.
Leopold died in 1948 while
helping fight a grass fire.
Most of his many essays
on natural history and
conservation were published
posthumously in collections,
such as A Sand County
Almanac, that greatly
influenced the emerging
environmental movement.The remote, subalpine Mineral
King Valley has survived the threat of
development. It remains an ecosystem
that aims to benefit all—following Aldo
Leopold’s “land ethic” principle.Key works1933 Game Management
1949 A Sand County Almanac
1953 Round River: From the
Journals of Aldo Leopold
1991 The River of the Mother
of God: and Other EssaysUS_306-307_Enviornmental_Ethics.indd 307 12/11/18 6:26 PM