Derek Terrell: topic Of Choice: Nature Illiterate

Gary Snyder mentions that people from all over the world from the 16th century will become nature illiterate as time goes on. This question was introduced to us earlier in the year but I had never taken the time to really think about it. But I think When Snyder states that by the 16th century people from all over the world will be nature-illiterate, he means that people will continue to destroy nature and not even be aware of it. He further explains this theory by stating how much of the original vegetation on the land will be destroyed by agriculture and grazing. As a result all the land that was rich in nutrients will be gone and there will be nothing left but desert and mountain soil for animals and plants. This will lead to more competition between plants and animals to survive, decreasing both organisms’ species. This devastating outcome will have come to be because there will be much more emphasis on business management and expansion, instead of the importance of proper land usage. Only people who grew up closer to wilderness will value it and try to introduce its positive affects to those who had become nature illiterate. If no this group of individuals who are aware of the importance of less land destruction isn't substantially larger the those who aren't, then the conditions of the Earth will continue to worsen.