Robert Bogle #3 Gary Snyder and Stickin it to the Land

Gary Snyder- POTW
“Thoreau set out to”make the soil say beans” while living by his pond. To cause land to be productive according to our own notion is evil…For all land however wasted and exploited, if left to nature, will arrive at a point of balance between biological productivity and stability.”(97)
It is sometimes difficult to try and imagine a world that is left to nature. Mankind seeks to control and exploit nature to offer a sense of stability and purpose. We as humans will almost always seek out situations that provide safety and stability. If it means that we have to hurt nature to do so, well that’s okay. We don’t have the ability to be considerate of nature, while in pursuit of our selfish goals because it would impede the our ability to reach it. We have transformed a great deal of the earth to ensure that our live would be easy, no matter the cost to nature. It is hard to understand our own greed for stability and ease of life, unless we look at ourselves from an outsider’s perspective.