Launch Post: The Land is Not Our Own

It has been a trend since the dawn of mankind to take what we want from the land, and not give much back. While this was true when man first existed, it was not as prevalent as it is today. We are harnessing so much from the world, at greater rates than ever before because we have never had such the opportunity to take at the rate that we are, and now that we do -- we are.

Kingsnorth says: "To us, the wild places around us (if there are any left) are 'resources' to be utilized. We argue constantly about how best to use them - should we log this forest or turn it into a national park? - but only the bravest or most foolish would suggest that this might not be our decision to make" I agree with all of these points. Hardly do we ever see governments, companies, or even individuals talk about anything other than human involvement and what to take or not take. Even as writers, we use the environment around us as settings and pieces, and rarely just write about the environment. Even Thoreau wrote about how nature effect him -- not just the pure simplicities of nature.

So what do we do? There are some who are actively fighting and speaking out against issues such as global warming, but the apprehension that faces them all has to do with money: How will costs be affected? So how do we change the stigma that the environment isn't just a resource, and that maybe we aren't what should be making decisions about what happens to nature?