A Human For Nature Essay example -- Essays Papers

A Human For Nature When looking at the issue of humans and nature throughout history, one significant figure stands out in my mind: Theodore Roosevelt. Without him, the most beautiful and serene places in North America may have been destroyed or fallen to the hands of developers. Development and conservation of land have been issues that we have faced since Europeans first landed in America. Today, environmental issues are a concern that any contending political candidate must address. In focusing on Theodore Roosevelt, we will find a basis for preservation in America. We will also explore some of the preservation actions that take place in our world today. The original forests in the United States covered an extremely large amount of land. It is estimated that forests took up roughly 1 billion acres of land, including Alaska5. The first to manipulate the land were the Native Americans who used tools and fire to convert the land to their needs. Areas were cleared for villages and growing crops while acres were also burned to make travel easier and improve hunting conditions. As Europeans arrived on the continent, the lands changed even more dramatically. The Colonists saw the forest as both a never ending resource, and an obstacle for using the land for farming purposes. Still, lumber quickly became one of America’s first exports along with fur which also depended heavily on the forest. As time passed, the population of America grew very rapidly. With a growing population more and more forests were converted for agricultural purposes. By the 1840’s "Manifest Destiny" had become popular, and the government thought transfer of public lands to private ownership as the best way to utilize the continents many resources. Around t... ...f thinking as he stated, "The lands that I have worked to set aside are not for my purpose, I did it for my children." Bibliography 1 Collins, Michael L. That damned cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and the American West. New York: P. Lang, 1989. 2 Eaton, Pamela. "Setting Aside Pieces of the Wild." Denver Post, 21 February 1999, sec.C, p. 1-4. Database on-line. Available from Lexis-Nexis. 3 Kriz, Margaret. "Much Less Awful." The National Journal, 16 January 1999, sec. Environment, p. 96. Database on-line. Available from Lexis-Nexis. 4 Lorant, Stefan. The Life & Times of Theodore Roosevelt. 1st edition. New York: Double Day, 1959. 5 Locke, Timm. The state of the forest: an historical perspective. Information Access Company, 1997. Thompson Corporation Company. Database on-line. Available from Lexis- Nexis Academic Universe.