Taking up Jane's query: I am interested in the wilderness theme from a
different perspective. Here in Britain there ain't no such thing as
wilderness. The wildest spots--say the Scottish Highlands--have long since
been profoundly affected by humans--mainly by the Clearances and
sheep-grazing and the demands of the shooting business. The Lake District
four hundred years ago was covered in (mainly oak) forest, and now there are
few trees other than the conifers planted by the Forestry Commission.
One of the results of this crowded, history-crammed environment is (I
suspect) a very different attitude to ecological matters in the UK. The
preservation of wilderness is just not on the agenda, although of course
there is great emphasis on the preservation of this or that habitat; but
there is also a lot of interest in urban environmental action--and I am not
sure that this preoccupation is reflected in US or Canadian (or Australian
or NZ) activism.
Does this strike any chords?
Susan
