America's Land Ethic

Until I read Schneider's interview with George Davis, I hadn't thought much about how the American land ethic compared to others around the world. It was pretty disheartening to find that, in Davis' experience, America is unique for its primarily economic view of nature. He says "I think everywhere I've gone, with the possible exception of the area we're working in China, the people have a much more sincere and deep respect for the land and water resources than we have here in the Adirondacks and elsewhere in country" (Schneider 314). I was even more interested to learn about Davis' thoughts for why this is. I found myself agreeing most with his point about the abundance of the land. As a culture, we don't feel tied to the land we settle on because we can so easily relocate. The United States is a vast country and, from a geologic standpoint, we've barely begun to tap its natural resources. For many, it is hard to feel tied to the land when there is so much if it, so readily available. This respect for the land is something Davis thinks will develop as our culture does, but I shudder to think of the extent to which we will have to destroy the land until we begin to appreciate it.