Post 3

So I had a friend of mine ask me something today that caused me to think hard about my personal beliefs and reasons for the career path that I have chosen.  After a lengthy discussion/debate/argument about Second Amendment rights, he asked me “Are you opposed to social Darwinism?”  The response to the question only took me a moment, but my reasoning took me to the base of the motivations I have for working in the Forest Service and for MobilizeGreen.

Social Darwinism is a term that has recently become a common ideology being discussed in the political realm.  Essentially, it can be described as a belief that people have different strengths at varying levels that will eventually cause a person to allocate to different social and economic levels according to their inherent value or ability to gather resources.  The resources usually are wealth, education, profitable relationships etc.  Social Darwinism roots from the scientific concept postulated by Charles Darwin that said that in nature, organisms will pass on hereditary information according to their fitness level, or more simply, ability to survive.  I know some biologists would not agree completely with my definition, but that is enough of a description to understand my point. 

So, getting back to the original question that set this in motion: my answer was no.  I do not agree with social Darwinism.  I think that it permeates our society and is the foundation logic for some, if not most, people in the world.  But, I think it is morally wrong. 

Let me explain.  I am becoming more amiable with my supervisor, Joe, which has led to some discussions of how he has risen and achieved the position that he is in.  He is one of the most persistent and almost aggressively friendly people I have met.  This personality type is perfect for the work that he does because much of his time and energy is spent trying to acquire funding or manpower to fuel projects for the Tahoe National Forest.  Specifically, he works to maintain, restore, and develop trails for hikers and backpackers in the National Forest.  Any person who works in the Forest Service will tell you, and it was abundantly clear to me on my first day, that money is always the hindering factor in project development.  Taxpayer money does not fund all of the work done by the Forest Service.  Much of the funding in our department for trail projects comes from grants applied for by my supervisor or other people in the same department.  In order to get projects done Joe must play the bulldog salesman: always on the lookout for a way to convince people to work with him.

Joe told me that the reason he isn’t in sales, or some other line of work where he knows that he could make a lot of money with his skill set, is that he believes in the value of public service.  He believes that the work he does benefits the American citizens.  Joe and I are of the same opinion.  The environment and the natural lands of America have inherent value to people.  The Forest Service was essentially developed and created by one man: Gifford Pinchot.  His enduring legacy is the unofficial mission statement of the Forest Service:  “The greatest good of the greatest number in the long run” (Gifford Pinchot, 1905).  This central ideology is one of the main reasons that I have wanted to work for the Forest Service for years. 

The aim of the Forest Service is to provide natural resources for the public for as long as there is a United States of America.  This assumes that all of the citizens of the United States are a community and are interdependently linked for mutual prosperity.  A culture based solely on individual gains will not lead to a more productive world.  Instead we will be left with the ruins of a biosphere; ravaged for short-term gain and individual greed.  Environmental economists refer to this dynamic as the Tragedy of the Commons. 

The idea that the world is a community linked and interdependent with the ecosystem is a powerful one.  Perhaps in past centuries, nations could exploit and destroy their resources without a thought about bigger impacts, but in this modern world that is not possible.  Global Climate Change, international water issues, and migrating pollution are all distinct examples of how what one nation does affect others.  An ecosystem can be any size, ranging from molecular interactions in the soil to major storm systems over the Pacific Ocean.  Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.  This is why the idea of nations or corporations enacting policies that only take into consideration individual effects is folly, shortsighted, and counterproductive to world progress.  The mindset of systems does not just stop at ecology or environmentalism. 

My internship is to be a volunteer coordinator and outreach representative for the recreation department of the Truckee Ranger Station of the Tahoe National Forest.  The recreation department maintains and manages the trails and the Granite Chief Wilderness Area.  Joe explained an interesting cycle about trail maintenance:  If the trails are not maintained, less people use them, which leads to less money being spent on outdoor equipment and food in town, which decreases the overall town quality, which leads to less money for the Ranger District and the Recreation Office.  So it is in the best interests of everyone who lives in the area to maintain and develop quality trails and scenic areas.  I have a feeling that environmental tourism will be a huge industry in the coming century.  This will be due to the fact that the environment will continue to degrade and be used in most areas, which means that people will want to visit beautiful locales like Lake Tahoe.  Also, governments, municipalities, and organizations will see the environmental philanthropy inherent in that eco-tourism.  It will allow for the preservation of natural areas and widespread appreciation for nature. 

My desire to work for the Forest Service and my passion for this internship come from these ideologies and direct my career path towards global service.  Also it doesn’t hurt that my internship is in a gorgeous area that I get paid to explore.  I truly believe that a paradigm shift in the mindset of people is needed to avert global catastrophe that may take many forms.  Until people stop thinking only individually, locally, or even nationally, there will not be positive change in the world.

All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers.

-Francois Fenelon

Nationalism is an infantile disease.  It is the measles of mankind.

-Albert Einstein