Dear Forest-listers, Brooks' response to the current thread prompted me to recall an experience relating to the issue. I attended two talks last week that addressed this issue of artificial vs natural. The first was given by George Weyerhaeuser Jr, CEO of Weyerhaeuser Canada, one of the largest forest companies in Canada. The following night I listened to Matthew Fox, former Dominican monk, and the foremost exponent of Creation Spirituality, a global ecumenical movement that challenges the status quo in theology and secular issues. Although they probably approached the question from very different philosophical stances, both speakers made the same point, humankind is a part of nature, not a separate thing external to the creation in which we live. Maintaining the dualism in the natural vs artificial concept has negative effects in many ways. First, by distinguishing our selves as separate from nature, it is easy to abdicate responsibility for what we do, and its effect on other parts of nature. This has certainly been the tradition of European culture in Americas. A second fallacy that arises from this dualistic outlook is the idea that if we just leave it alone nature will look after itself. The fallacy is that, being an intrinsic part of nature, we can never separate ourselves from nature, and we always have an impact. Just by being, we are taking part in ecosystem processes, from local to global scales. It is my contention that, by acknowledging our real relations with other parts of the creation, we will have to acknowledge our responsibility to manage ourselves appropriately. If we do not "do our best with what we have where we are", we are managing by default, and the default might not have pleasant results. Thank you to all those contributing to this thread. It is good for all of us who practise, teach and do research in forestry to step outside our usual sphere of work, and examine the larger context of what we do, both personally and in community. I have benefited from all of the different perspectives being expressed here. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this message are solely my own, and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of my employer. At 12:08 1/4/98 -0500, Brooks McCandlish wrote: >OK, I will rise to David South's bait... I never did much like the terms >"artificial" vs "natural" regeneration. > >I believe that the excessive emphasis on a distinction between "natural" >vs "artificial" is at the root of our problems of forging a sustainable >society. This emphasis can lead to either an unthinking preservationist >philosophy, or to an equally unthinking faith that technology can solve >in a timely fashion any problem that we create. > >I plant a field with seedlings, weed, thin and protect it till it grows >into a forest of valuable timbe, providing a host of environmental benefits >along the way--did I create that forest? Perhaps it wouldn't have existed >without my actions, but I can't really take much credit for the result. > >I plant a seed, my wife bears a child, -- did we create a person? Is the >child artificial? > >For better or worse, there is no forest on earth which has not been >impacted "artificially" by the influence of human activity. There is also >no forest, planted or otherwise, which can truly be said to be "made" by >humans. > >"Natural" and "artificial" are on a continuum. All forestry is >"artificial"; all involves natural resources, adapted and modified to a >greater or lesser extent by man for his purposes. We can be distructive >through ignorance or carelessness, maliciously or with the best intentions. >However we are a product of nature, and, by living, we necessarily impact >the world we depend on for life. To quote "Mac" McConnell, former >professor of forestry, you do the best you can, with what you have, where >you are. > > >***************************** > Brooks McCandlish > New England Forestry Consultants, Inc. > Bradford, New Hampshire, 03221 > USA > (603) 938-5354 > brooks@conknet.com >***************************** > <--------------------------------------------------------------------> James D. Stewart Ph.D. Research Officer in Ecophysiology and Silviculture Forest Resources Business Unit phone: (403) 632-8309 Alberta Research Council fax: (403) 632-8379 P.O. Bag 4000 email: stewart@aec.arc.ab.ca Vegreville, AB, T9C 1T4,CANADA http://www.arc.ab.ca/ <-------------------------------------------------------------------->
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