Reconceptualizing natural capital and sustainable use of natural capital through Aldo Leopold's land ethic

This article reconceptualizes natural capital. It categorizes natural capital into renewable natural capital and structural natural capital, and argues for exclusion of nonrenewable natural capital (such as coal and oil) from consideration as a natural capital. It presents 10 guiding principles for sustainable use of natural capital. Both tasks of reconceptualizing natural capital and identifying guiding principles for sustainable use of natural capital are inspired by Aldo Leopold’s land ethic.

Game Theory, Tourism and Land Ethics

This paper combines game theory with Land Ethics to demonstrate a path forward for sustainable development. Our findings indicate that two likely equilibria can be reached. One equilibrium focuses on high short-term profits, but with ecological damage leading to less cumulative profits. The second equilibrium requires ecological maintenance costs (thus less short-term profits) yet yields greater cumulative profits. The comparison of the two equilibria and using the historical perspective of the Wisconsin Dells demonstrates how communities that embrace a Land Ethic can reach the equilibrium that produces greater long-term benefits.

Symbiotic Bonding between Land and Human Beings in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!

This paper explores the symbiotic bonding between land and human beings in the novel. Writer chooses Carther’sO Pioneers! being ecologically conscious text when it is read against the background of deep Ecology. Writer finds this text that expounds upon the symbiotic bonding between land and human beings to subvert anthropocentric notion and its constraints. Clinging with the ideas why many critics and writers focused this text against the grain of ecocritical perspective, writer here tries to bring the balance in literary components and ethics of the discipline with the perspective of Leopold’s deep ecology and its components. Overall, writer tries to analyse how this text show the eco-consciousness perspectives avoiding the one-dimensional approach that reads culture and nature to revitalize literary study and help address some of the pressing questions concerning our global and local ecology. The characters, setting, and the plot of the novel show the biorhythm with nature. This is argued on basis of various ecocritics; Aldo Leopold’s concept of The Land Ethic, Scott Russell Sanders, John Hannigan, Glotfelty Cheryll, David Pepper and Holmes Rolston III on the interplay between nature and human beings.

A Critique of Aldo Leopold Land Ethic for Environmental Management

There is no question of doubt that Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) is regarded as the most influential figure in the development of an economic environmental ethics. The cornerstone of his environmental ethics is science. In fact, the science of ecology in the real sense of the term was developed during his life time and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was the first person to call for a radical rethink of ethics in the light of science. In his collective essays published posthumously as A Sand Country Almanac (1949), the essay ‘Land Ethic’ included in this book is the systematic presentation of an eco-centric ethics. This work attempt to critique Aldo Leopold Land ethics for environmental management. This work applauds Aldo Leopold ‘land ethic’ because he sees the ecosystem as an organic wholes and its values implicit in concepts such as integrity and stability, health and well-being. However, this work criticized Aldo Leopold ‘Land Ethics’ because his view of organic model of ecological systems is inadequate. This is because of the fact that species within an ecosystem could exist outside the organism. Thus, Aldo Leopold ‘land ethic’ is not holistic enough.

Health justice in the Anthropocene: medical ethics and the Land Ethic

Industrialisation, urbanisation and economic development have produced unprecedented (if unevenly distributed) improvements in human health. They have also produced unprecedented exploitation of Earth’s life support systems, moving the planet into a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene—one defined by human influence on natural systems. The health sector has been complicit in this influence. Bioethics, too, must acknowledge its role—the environmental threats that will shape human health in this century represent a ‘perfect moral storm’ challenging the ethical theories of the last. The US conservationist Aldo Leopold saw this gathering storm more clearly than many, and in his Land Ethic describes the beginnings of a route to safe passage. Its starting point is a reinterpretation of the ethical relationship between humanity and the ‘land community’, the ecosystems we live within and depend upon; moving us from ‘conqueror’ to ‘plain member and citizen’ of that community. The justice of the Land Ethic questions many presuppositions implicit to discussions of the topic in biomedical ethics. By valuing the community in itself—in a way irreducible to the welfare of its members—it steps away from the individualism axiomatic in contemporary bioethics. Viewing ourselves as citizens of the land community also extends the moral horizons of healthcare from a solely human focus. Taking into account the ‘stability’ of the community requires intergenerational justice. The resulting vision of justice in healthcare—one that takes climate and environmental justice seriously—could offer health workers an ethic fit for the future.

Human Embeddedness with Nature: An Ecocritical Reading of Some Mundhums in Limbu Culture

Mundhums as philosophies of life in Limbu culture view human beings and nature, in both terrestrial and celestial sphere as part of large and embedded ecological family sharing common heritage and ancestries. Human-nature relationship described in Imansing Chemjong’s collection of Kirat Mundhum Khahun and Bairagi Kaila’s collections of Mujingna- Kheyangna Mundhum, Lahadangna-Suhampheba Mundhum,Tangsing Takma Mundhum, Namsami-Kesami Mundhum and the references of Pajaiba Mundhum, Luplinama Adannama Mundhum,Thimjik Mundhum show how human beings in the dynamics of affect and affected by, integrate with ecological surroundings. In order to substantiate the major claim that Mundhums, with unique dimensions of indigenous knowledge system of Limbus put nature at center and hence they are ecocentric, I use theoretical insights from Arne Naess’ concept of deep ecology, Aldo Leopold’s assertion of the land ethic backed up by critical readings on ecocritical and Mundhum discourses.