Leopold conference
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"Is the Land Ethic Still Relevant?"
The Aldo Leopold
Foundation
P.O.Box 77
Baraboo, WI 53913
608.355.0279
608.356.7309 fax
mail@aldoleopold.org
2007 Marks First Leopold Conference
It could be argued that ethical behavior, particularly regarding the stewardship of natural resources, is severely stressed or nonexistent in today’s world. In 1938, Aldo Leopold said, “We end, I think, at what might be called the standard paradox of the twentieth century: our tools are better than we are, and grow faster than we do. They suffice to crack the atom, to command the tides. But, they do not suffice for the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it.” Clearly, these words ring even more true today some seventy years later, when our country has passed the 300 million mark. So, how do we make progress on this urgent issue, and indeed does Leopold’s land ethic have relevance and application in the 21st Century?
On April 19th, 2007 forward-thinking and experienced conservationists and scientists from around the nation came together for the first Leopold Conference to discuss the relevance of the land ethic in the 21st Century. Over the course of two days, they wrestled with questions such as:
- How do we bring about widespread change in societal attitudes and values that can result in humans living ethically with the land?
- What can we expect environmental organizations and professional societies to do in a practical sense to spread the understanding and application of Leopold’s land ethic, particularly to community-based organizations and to young people?
- Can the land ethic confront directly the challenges posed by human population growth and contribute to a parallel ethic for consumption or inspire efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Final Report and Recommendations from the conferees
Click here to view photos from the conference
Read: "Is the Land Ethic Still Relevant?" by Craig Maier
2007 Conferees:
Richard C. Bartlett, Vice Chairman, Mary Kay, Inc.
Michael P. Dombeck, Professor of Global Environmental Management, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Susan Flader, Professor of History, University of Missouri – Columbia
Susan Kieffer, CAS Professor of Geology, Univeristy of Illinois
Estella Leopold, professor emeritus, Ecology and Palynology, University of Washington
Gene E. Likens, Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods
Thomas E. Lovejoy, President of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics, and the Environment
Jane Lubchenco, Professor of Zoology and Marine Biology, Oregon State University
Walter Reid, Director of the Conservation and Science Program for the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
James Gustave Speth, Dean of Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Claudio Vita-Finzi, Natural History Museum, London