A Reflection by James Babcock
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I'm starting to get more of an appreciation for many of the old-timers--Aldo Leopold, E.F. Schumacher, Wendell Berry, Herman Daly, Rachel Carson. Looking at where we find ourselves now, they were really quite forward-thinking, and revolutionary, and spot-on with their criticisms of the modern society of the 50's, 60's, and 70's.
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A friend asked me the other day how I got into the environmental issues. Growing up in California and really enjoying the outdoors--being at the ocean and in the mountains--was a start to an appreciation for nature. But I remember reading Carson and being influenced by her. First 1 or 2 books on the Seas, and then Silent Spring came out. She is a great writer and gave powerful descriptions of the forces of Nature, and how our activities were disrupting the elegant interweavings of natural systems. I thought of her today when I saw this quote:
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." Rachel Carson, "Sense of Wonder"
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See related article: The Lost Woods of Rachel Carson
