'Island Civilizations: A Vision For Human Occupancy of Earth' Summary

In the paper “Island Civilizations: A Vision For Human Occupancy of Earth”, Roderick Frazier Nash gives his view of the world, how it has changed, and how it may change in the future. He states that the human race is to blame for the destruction of the “wilderness” and how important it is in the fourth millennium. 

To begin, Nash explains the concept of “wilderness” and how it began as a ‘state of mind’ and has later evolved into a way to describe an untouched being or place.  This wilderness was soon destroyed by the growing civilization of the human race.  Without knowledge, the world grew at such a rate, that soon there was nothing left to sustain the human race. Europeans quickly colonized the land, by either killing or domesticating the Native American race and “wild” species that previously inhabited it. Towards the end of the second millennium, popular thinkers began to realize that the world had lost value in the wilderness and that the growing civilization should consider control and primitive characteristics.

Due to these thoughts, theories of preservation and increasing values began to shape cities with conservational thoughts. The “wilderness” became a recreational and scenic outlet for the world through national parks and The Wilderness Act of 1964.  These theories aimed to aid the wilderness and benefit the human race with its many things to offer.  The preservation efforts were centered on the environment, not mankind.

Wildlife experts began to spread these ideas through popular books like ‘A Sand County Almanac’ and ‘Silent Spring’.  These essays changed the way the human race viewed conservation and preservation efforts by providing a more ethical way of thinking.  This way of thought prompted the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act, giving species other than the humans, basic rights.  For a while, this worked until populations grew and the values of preservations lowered. People expanded their living spaces and usage, creating problems in the world that would need to be faced for years to come.

As Nash considers the fourth millennium, he anticipates a world that is unable to sustain and keep life. The human race has been a detriment to the rest of the environment and has overtaken the wilderness. In contrast, he also sees a world that coexists with nature in a peaceful and beneficial way.  Another possible future is where mankind adopts the old ways of hunting and gathering as a way of life.  Lastly, he anticipates a world where civilization and nature mold together into one world. This theory called “Island Civilization” would require human populations to live in smaller spaces, with less energy/waste usage, and the loss of transportation. This idea seems impossible but the human race is the only possibility for the survival of Earth.