Research Paper on "Landscapes Are Libraries Whose Information Is Ignored"

Research Paper 6 pages (1653 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Landscapes are libraries whose information is ignored by most academics

(Showers)

Soil conservation is currently an essential concept in the field of environmentalism and it is important for the masses to gain a more complex understanding concerning the role they can play in preserving soil. While many tend to believe that environmentalism is a relatively new matter, the reality is that it has been a major concept for the last two centuries as individuals became acquainted with the destruction that their actions could cause. "By 1930 it had become clear to all except the ecologically blind that southwestern Wisconsin's topsoil was slipping seaward" (Leopold 7). The government and environmental institutions intervened and provided farmers with the chance to comprehend that they could make a difference and that it was up to them to adopt a series of strategies in order to assist the soil in experiencing rapid recovery.

In order to make it possible for soil conservation to be accepted as an important environmental tool, the government and environmentalists need to cooperate in devising educational institutes that focus primarily on environmental strategies. "Education is critical for promoting sustainable development and improving the capacity of people to address environment and development issues" (Huckle & Sterling 2). By teaching lessons concerning why it would be important for soil preservation to occur, such institutions are more likely to protect the natural world. Furthermore, while individuals in areas like Wisconsin have a tendency to believe that they are familiarized with strategies to preserve soil, the reality is that constant climate changes means that they need to be constantly prepared to take on new attitudes in order to experience best results.

The main purpose of this essay is to convince governments, educational institutes, and environmentalists to cooperate with the purpose of creating a system that provides the masses with resources they need in order to have a better understanding of soil conservation methods. In addition to this the proposal is meant to provide communities aware regarding how many of their activities cause soil erosion. Even in cases when individuals put across environmental attitudes in general, the fact that they fail to understand the importance of soil conservation means that they indirectly damage the environment. This is why it is important for people to be familiarized with the issue, as this is more likely to increase the chances of them being able to intervene when they are presented with the opportunity to do so.

This proposal is meant to provide guidelines for environmental institutions to be able to develop a stronger connection with farmers and with the general public. By employing such strategies, these communities are more likely to work together in preserving the environment and soil in particular. By convincing these institutions that it is in humanity's best interest for the masses to have a better understanding of the concept of soil preservation, one virtually enables them to get actively involved in the matter.

Individuals need to be well-acquainted with soil erosion and with damaged soil in general. By knowing how to react in such situations, they are more probable to conserve soil and to prevent it from experiencing irreparable damage. By designing educational institutes meant to deal directly with environmentalism and by introducing environmentalism in the curricula of conventional schools governments are likely to make it easier for people to understand the important role they can play in saving the environment.

Attitudes that people need to take in order to conserve soil

In order to understand the importance of soil conservation, individuals first need to be provided with a set of basic ideas enabling them to see the matter from a different perspective.

Most people live in houses built on soil

Water flows through soil and in order for it to be potable the soil needs to be conserved

Soil is responsible for providing plants with important resources they need in order to go and to absorb carbon dioxide

Many clothes are made with plants that grow in soil

Cover crops are a traditional method used to conserve crops, as employing it reflects on a soil's increased fertility, quality, and for a more favorable environment for wildlife in the area. Cover crops practically assist an ecosystem in experiencing rapid recovery and provide resources for soil, vegetation and wildlife. "Management techniques to improve crop growth, such as using viable and vigorous seed, ideal seed placement, adequate fertilization, and narrow row spacing will provide earlier, better soil cover" (Paehlke).

Governments have to acknowledge that many individuals have a basic understanding of environmentalism and some even know information about soil conservation. However, the fact that these individuals do not have a complex understanding of the matter makes it difficult for them to put it into practice. People often refrain from taking on environmental attitudes because they consider economic factors and the fact that they are unable to manage such projects. Political and cultural ideas are likely to play an important role at this stage, as some might feel constrained by the environments that they were raised in or that they live in. Indifference and apathy are also likely to represent important factors determining people's interest in getting involved in environmental activities.

Environmentalism is a very complex matter and it is difficult for someone to define it by relating to strict terms. People across the world employ different kinds of knowledge under diverse political ideologies in their attempt to define sustainability. Being able to conserve soil does not only have to involve spending resources with the purpose of protecting nature as a whole. Individuals can also profit from the enterprise as long as they acknowledge their connection to the natural world. "While most of us are taught to believe in an external nature separate from society there is today little if any nature which is untouched or unaltered by people" (Huckle & Sterling 3). This means that people have power over the natural world and that it is up to them to assist the environmentalist movement experience progress. The masses need to understand that they are closely connected to the natural world and that their actions are likely to reflect either positively or negatively on their well-being, depending on their behavior toward the environment.

Good management is extremely significant when considering soil conservation. "Choosing one technique over another, along with economic factors and personal preference, will determine the effectiveness of a conservation plan" (Paehlke). The authorities thus need to focus on providing individuals with information concerning how they can choose the proper strategies to protect ecosystems while also experiencing progress. Land management practices are largely believed to be more effective in cases where individuals are provided with education making it possible for them to understand what is good and what is not for their lands. While higher education is actually closely related to a lower soil nutrient exhaustion, individuals are also likely to benefit greatly as a consequence of their involvement in the enterprise as a result of investing less work, taking into account that crop production is less strenuous in cases where individuals (Nkonya x).

Farmers in Wisonsin have been acquainted with conditions concerning soil erosion ever since the early 1930s. However, they did not act in accordance with the government's legislations in the first years consequent to making an agreement with the authorities. This made it possible for the government to understand that farmers needed to be put in charge of this environmental movement and that this would be more likely to reflect positively on the community. "Accordingly the Wisconsin Legislature in 1937 passed the Soil Conservation District Law. This said to farmers, in effect: we, the Public, will furnish you free technical service and loan you specialized machinery, if you will write your own rules for land-use. Each county may write its own… READ MORE

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