Free «Reflection Essay: "A Conservationist’s Manifesto"» Essay

Have people ever questions themselves how to care about the surrounding world in a proper way? It is the issue that raises concerns of many scholars and researchers. In his book titled A Conservationist’s Manifesto, Scott Russell Sanders examines this problem. The author argues that people should change the national culture of consumption into a culture of conservation. He proposes Americans to become conservers who care about the beauty of nature. It means that citizens of the United States, as well as people from around the globe, should become responsible individuals who seriously reconsider their values and habits of consumption. The writer also determines the practical, ethical, and ecological aspects of conservation ethic. The analysis of Sanders’ book is significant as reading all chapters helps the audience to make connections between it and their personal experiences. It also assists in the evaluation of how the process of reading such books affects human values, beliefs, and views of the world. An analysis of the study shows that A Conservationist’s Manifesto may challenge individuals to explore further the idea and values concerning the problem of preserving nature, as well as living in a way that would be beneficial for the future generation.

A Conservationist Manifesto describes a path to follow towards a spiritually rich and materially simple way of life. One should agree with the fact that modern tradesmen, politicians, and media representatives define people as consumers. It means that the purpose of their lives is to destroy the nature instead of saving and preserving it. Despite the fact that consumerism is beneficial for trading, it may ruin the economics, social communities, and human souls. I agree with this statement as in everyday life I am a witness of how the whole American community and I destroy the world. Human attitudes and the way of life have led to substantial global climate alternations, the extinction of species, the destruction of forests, the apparent shortages of drinking water, as well as the spread of communicable diseases.

Sanders’ book makes the readers question their values. It makes them think about the ways of how to adopt a substantially more durable lifestyle than previously. Sander provides the audience with the insights into what models to follow to create a culture of conservation and what necessary alternations should be made in conduct and values. Almost every aspect of his book can be related to personal experiences. The first part titled “Caring for Earth” is especially meaningful in regards to this issue. In this chapter, the author states that the United States consumes approximately 25% of non-renewable resources per year while having only 5% of the global population. Over two-thirds of energy use goes for transportation that is responsible for the largest part of greenhouse emission (Sanders 16). Scott Sanders compares the current global warming problem with the Bible narration about Noah and his ark, in which God destroys humankind for its attitudes towards corruption (11). It is how the writer describes the present situation.

Personally, I agree with the author’s claims. Hence, it is a well-known fact that America is the third largest producer of oil in the world. However, more than 65% of all oil has been burned. It is also true that the United States consumes 25% of the global oil. If the population of China annually consumed oil at the same level per capita as Americans did, there would be none available for anyone else. The same situation concerns nuclear energy that poses similar problems. Similarly to the Bible story, people should view the corruption of exploiting natural resources, especially the loss of land. It means that people should act like Noah, who respected and conserved the nature. Sanders’ objective is to alter the mentality of the American population. Despite the fact that there are people who have skeptical attitudes towards the environmental disasters, there are also those who care about the world. As I am sensitive to the environmental causes, the book reaffirms my beliefs and provides an insight into how to change my lifestyle into the one that would be beneficial to the humankind. It is understandable that husbands cannot grow own vegetables with their wives or make own clothes because of the lack of resources. It is also impossible to cancel advertising because it is everywhere. However, people can try to produce and consume a high percentage of the wind and solar power, use bicycles, and save open spaces. By implementing some of these solutions, one can try and make the planet a better place and conserve it for further generations.

The second part of the book poses another aspect to consider. Sanders underlines the significance of the spirituality and dynamics of appreciating the place where people live. The author calls for a renewed devotion to local places. As an example, Sanders illustrates the vitality of his hometown Bloomington. The writer asks people to preserve their native cities (Sanders 92). Some American towns have been turned from communities into jumbles without specific pattern and purpose. A Conservationist Manifesto describes an experience of Gertrude Stein to portray this issue (Sanders 93). After living several years in Europe, the woman returned to the United States and visited her native place, Oakland. The problem was that she could not find any evidence of her childhood home as everything had been substantially changed since that time. Sanders mentions this event to emphasize the significance of launching experiments in a simple way. It means that by living in such a way, people would have the opportunity to promote ecological health by decreasing those demands that individuals make on the planet.