The Trouble with Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature

摘要: This will seem a heretical claim to many environmentalists, since the idea of wilderness has for decades been fundamental tenet-indeed, passion-of environmental movement, especially in United States. For Americans stands as last remaining place where civilization, that all too human disease, not fully infected earth. It is an island polluted sea urban-industrial modernity, one we can turn escape from our own too-muchness. Seen this way, presents itself best antidote selves, refuge must somehow recover if hope save planet. As Henry David Thoreau once famously declared, "In Wildness preservation World."' But it? The more knows its peculiar history, realizes quite what it seems. Far being on earth apart humanity, profoundly creation-indeed, creation very particular cultures at moments history. pristine sanctuary remnant untouched, endangered, but still transcendent nature least little while longer be encountered without contaminating taint civilization. Instead, product and could hardly contaminated by stuff which made. Wilderness hides unnaturalness behind mask beguiling because seems so natural. gaze into mirror holds up us, easily imagine behold Nature when fact see reflection unexamined longings desires. reason, mistake ourselves