Ethics within Nature
It can be debated that the very being of our ethics are developed around what we experience through nature. Nature is evident within our lives and is involved in our daily activity in some way or another. To further evaluate the role that nature has on our lives, consider the extensive interpretation work conducted by the author Richard Louv. Louv believes in connecting to the nature around us and every small detail it has to offer us, we in return are saving it at the same time. A quote from Louv (2019) regarding the importance of nature that has resonated with me within this chapter is this;Â
âWill help everyone break away from their fixed gaze at the screens that dominate our lives and remember instead that we are animals in a world of animals.âÂ
I believe this quote stuck with me as the dominance of online forums takes over most of our lives. Although this new era of technology careers and schooling is not exactly the ideal situation, it has provided me with the opportunity to become the best nature interpreter I can be. When the pandemic became relevant, I moved back to my hometown in Northern Ontario. Growing up, I used to hate living so far away from any big cities and could not wait to get away from all the rural communities. My beliefs, perspective, and responsibilities towards the environment have been forever altered as I now am back in the North and would not want to be anywhere else. I have included a list of realizations I have now regarding nature;Â
It is our duty as the next up and coming generation to highlight the importance of nature and environmental conservation as it becomes the predominant threat to society.
There is life outside the cities and this is even more relevant now that remote work is an option.
We should be interpreting nature everyday as it is all around us and is constantly changing, just like we should be doing.Â
We all have responsibilities regarding nature. It is our personal duty to identify what they are and ensure we are actively participating in them.
These are just a few, but everyone has different emotions and perspectives regarding nature and our role in it. Personally, I try hard to be active in respecting nature and educating those around me in doing the same. I believe that nature and the environment should be respected the same way some groups view religion or spiritual beliefs.Â
To expand on that idea, I believe that environmental education should be taught within the Canadian school system from the first day. Our young people need to be aware of the deterioration of the environment so they can become an active part of prevention rather than affecting it more without knowing.Â
So how do you feel? Do you think teaching young people about their responsibilities as nature interpreters from a young age will inspire a generation of nature conservationists?Â
Louv, R. (2008). Last child in the woods: Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder. Algonquin books.
Krebs, A. (1999). Ethics of nature: a map (Vol. 22). Walter de Gruyter.
Hi Brayden,
I loved reading your post this week. I also believe that our ethics are highly influenced by our connection with nature. I think of it simply as, would you hurt a child? Then why would you ever hurt an animal? Nature is alive and is constructed of organisms. We are part of nature too!
I have always lived in Toronto, and quite frankly, love the busy aspect of it. Although I do not necessarily see beauty in all of the concrete buildings, I feel that when I get to experience nature, I truly appreciate it. I have the best of both worlds, I am less than a 15 minute subway ride to downtown, but my backyard backs onto a ravine that is filled with wildlife. At night, we see foxes, racoons, skunks and coyotes and if you go for walks, you may come across a deer!
The quote you include from Louve, 2019 is a powerful one. In the last couple of decades, humanity has seen a massive generational shift with young people glued to computer and phone screens. It is not entirely our fault either, as the things that were once purely in person like work and school now mostly take place online. It has caused massive changes in our lives, and many of us wouldnât know because we grew up with this. There was once a time where on a Friday evening, work was left at work, and your boss would not forward new tasks to your email over the weekend. Now we are in work mode all of the time, and it is hard to find time to get outside and enjoy nature. The only way for change is to advocate for change and truly understand the importance of nature.
Your list of realizations are incredibly thoughtful. With everything we know from the health effects of strenuous online work, it is our duty to highlight the importance of nature and the environment to society. You bring up a good point, that with remote work, there is life outside of the city. This can give more workers the opportunity to live in more rural areas while completing online work every day. Your other two realizations about interpreting nature as it is constantly changing, and our responsibilities regarding nature are also important points. Especially with climate change, we need to recognize the impacts of our actions and how nature is responding.
I agree that environmental education should be taught to a greater degree in primary schools. My elementary school did a decent job of this, especially around recycling. We knew from a young age the importance of reusing and recycling, conserving water and reducing emissions. I donât know if other schools did this, but we wrote well-researched letters to the federal government regarding an environmental issue of our choice and providing ideas of how to combat the issue. Regardless of whether or not it reached the office of the Prime Minister, this activity gives young students the confidence that their actions matter, and that their voice can make a difference.
I think if I were exposed to more conservationists and scientists, my passions would have developed early. I did not know of many individuals in science, but began developing the interests in later elementary/ early high school years. As technology takes us away from nature, it has the power to bring us closer to it. It is our job as future interpreters to utilize technology to the advantage of educating people on the importance of taking care of the environment, and getting outside to enjoy it.
Great work this semester Brayden!





















