Concept of Conservation Change Over the Years

Annjulie Vai

 Question: Concept of Conservation Change

This is a broad question. I will relate this to Hawaii and America and what I have learned in college and my life. It depends on who you are talking about, where they are from and what time period in history to define this question of “how has the concept of conservation changed over the years?”

In the beginning most all native and indigenous cultures have practiced some form of relationship and harmony with nature and earth; thus being consciously aware of the environment and the importance for healthy survival of both man and nature.  With Hawaiians it is evident throughout the Kumulipo: A Creation Chant that everything in the Universe is connected and shares an interdependent relationship in some level or another. The Hawaiian people were true stewards of the land and lived life in a cyclical harmonious relationship with nature, air, water, earth and environment. They always practiced strict conservation when harvesting and growing food, collecting material for shelter and in their daily practices. Their entire life was dominated by reverence and respect to mother earth. Kama’aina literally means child born to the land or native born on the land; and maka’ainana(a class that cared for the land) means eyes that watch over the land; and ‘ai means to eat, found in the word “’aina” (land). You can see the interconnectedness and consciousness in every aspect of the culture and language.

In America the idea of conservation and environmentalism was scarcely even mentioned before 1962 when Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring: Sound of the Alarm. There were a select few that were aware of the issues relating to finite natural resources, scarcity, over population, food sources, and even pollution. One is John Muir, an American naturalist, conservationist, explorer, and founder of the Sierra Club who was from the era of the conservation movement (1890-1920). Muir was in favor of protection to our countries natural resources from human consumption. He spent a lot of time hiking and wandering nature, in turn his experiences led him to a life dedicated to preserving nature. He had the same view as the Hawaiian and Native American Indians.

 Nature existed foremost for its creator and that humankind must not value itself above the rest of creation. The basis of his respect for nature was his recognition that all creatures, including humans, were part of a single, interdependent community. This interconnectedness of nature prompted him to remark, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” Although Muir thought that all things had an inherent right to exist, he also believed in the preservation of natural beauty for the benefit of future human generations, making him a champion of the establishment of national parks and of saving the vanishing wilderness.

Once a friend of Muir was Gifford Pinchot, his view was that the sole purpose of natural resources was to serve the needs of humans but that they also had an obligation to conserve those resources for future generations. He believed in maximizing production of those resources for human interests without regard to the huge ecological consequences of that productive effort. This view led to debate with that of John Muir and would give way to the two basic philosophies or competing worldviews of environmentalism. Aldo Leopold who graduated from Yale School of Forestry in 1909 also was a leader in the environmental movement of twentieth century. He wrote “Quit thinking about decent land-use as solely an economic problem. Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” This land ethic is the view that “there is inherent worth in the integrity of natural ecosystems apart from any value they may possess for humans.” This concept and view was the ideal harmonious relationship between humans, land and environment that Leopold help propel into modern environmental thought beginning primarily with Rachel Carson and the Silent Spring revolution of thinking.

The founding philosophers of environmental thought had a wide range of opinions and views concerning the problems and solutions to the world’s environmental issues. Thus environmental scholars have come up with two prevailing views on environmental philosophy. One view is ecocentrism and the other is anthropocentrism. Ecocentrism focuses on the ecological, Earth-centered worldview. This view is shaped mainly by Thoreau, Muir, and Leopold. This view maintains that the world was in a natural state of balance like Pono until humans intruded. This view also holds that the world will ultimately end in destruction due to how we live and impact the environment. The Kumulipo also states this view that all was good in the time of Po; and then man came and so did most of the big problems in nature and environment. However the Hawaiians still believed in the utmost care of the land and nature. “He ali’i ka ‘aina, he kauwa ke kanaka” translated, land is chief, people are its humble servants. The Hawaiians understood this invaluable interdependent relationship with environment completely.  Ecocentrism preaches reverence and care for the Earth and the humility of humanity in the face of natural laws. George Helm knew and practiced ecocentrism and awakened the Hawaiian consciousness of this revolution here in Hawaii with Kaho’olawe. (I will talk about George Helm in the second question.)

The opposing philosophy to ecocentrism, Anthropocentrism says that all human actions are by definition anthropocentric (human centered). This view admires humanity, development, cities, progress, technology, and the development of political and economic systems. The environment is regarded as a benefit and here for humans’ needs and consumption without morality or reverence for nature and environment; just like Ronald Reagan when he took down the solar panels in the White House in 1979 and changed and destroyed the newly formed energy policy from the Carter administration, thus setting back the environmental movement 30 years and doing most likely immeasurable damage that we have yet to face in the future.

These two philosophies are the foundation of how most Americans view the environment and issues related to conservation of today. You have the huge awakening and awareness towards the environment in the mid 20^th century by the “free, loving, hippy and or college drop-out generation of the 60’s and also the opposing view from the industry, government and large corporations that were more concerned with progress and  economic gain than health of the Earth. Before this time no one really questioned the government and the linear economic system that was implemented to stimulate the U.S. economy after the war in the early 50’s. This system is still in play and how the government makes profit according to Annie Leonard “The Story of Stuff”.  According to the video Earth Days many people and even corporations and industry are slowly implementing more earth friendly practices; but really most scientists will agree that changes and policy need to step up and become more energy efficient, aware and conscious of environment and conservation because global climate change is of huge concern to the future of this planet and all of humanity. There is not much time. Time is running out! The scientific community agrees that the populations of the world need to live a more simple life, practice sustainability and like Stuart Udall said “get our sustenance from the earth”. We need to live more like the Native Hawaiians and Indigenous peoples of the world that malama the aina and have a reciprocal relationship that benefits both entities. According to David Gulko, marine/coral biologist his synopsis clearly relates the importance and awareness that we are all connected; He said “you can’t replace a thousand year old reef in less than a thousand years” and also that we need to understand the relationship with what are known as “key stone” species. These species are critical in understanding the “big picture” and how interconnected everything and we all are. He related them to a computer and said that” you cannot just take out a piece of the computer and expect it to run or function properly with a missing component” we are interdependent on each other.

After the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” came out, this would become the most pivotal time in recent history post Silent Spring, to the masses of American people on the state of our environment in relationship to our planet. Now people are aware of the effects of our country being addicted to oil and the serious problems there of as stated by George W. Bush. Now we have scholars, scientists, schools, nations, and people from all over the globe addressing these issues and problems relating to environment and conservation of the environment for the future and health or should I say survival of humanity.

The concluding message is that we are running out of time, we must act quickly, we must change our lifestyle, and we must educate ourselves and others to the problems. We must face the reality of what our actions in the past have created for the future; we must listen to Native Intelligence above all because they live in harmony with Earth not in conflict or degradation. We are facing a terrible future for all species and humanity if we do not act now….start a revolution like George Helm and Rachel Carson….we must our survival depends on it.

Works Cited

American Experience: Earth Days. Dir. Robert Stone. Perf. Denis Hayes, Rachel Carson, Stuart Udall, Paul Uhrlich & (more). PBS dvd release date April 20, 2010.

An Inconvenient Truth: the planetary emergency of global warming and what we can do about it. Al Gore. Prod. Melcher Media. Publisher Emmaus, Pa. : Rodale Press, c2006.

Beckwith, Martha. The Kumulipo: A Hawaiian Creation Chant. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1972,[c1951] Print.

Kaleikoa Ka’eo. “Hawaiian Conciencism 290v” University of Hawaii Maui College. Wailuku, Maui. Fall semester class 2010. 23 Aug. – 16 Dec. 2010 Lectures.

Kaleikoa Ka’eo. “Hawaiian Literature in Translation 290v” University of Hawaii Maui College. Wailuku, Maui. Fall semester class 2009. 24 Aug. – 16 Dec. 2009 Lectures.

Annie Leonard: The Story About Stuff.  Lecture in Sociology class spring 2010. (you-tube).

Oasis of the Pacific: Time is running out. Dir. Adam Bromley. Publisher: Maui, Hawaii: zeroimpact productions, c2005. DVD.

De Steiguer, J.E. The Origins of Modern Environmental Thought. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, c2006. Print.