On Feb 26, 2006, at 4:01 PM, Wirt Atmar wrote: > Regarding my contention that very poor human populations have a > much greater > impact on the environment than do wealthy ones,
Your evidence is compelling but I think we are making a typical error that occurs frequently in ecological and sociological studies: Drawing conclusions based on limited scale. It is true that wealthy, western cultures place high priority on preserving aesthetic resources. What is ignored in the analysis is that our wealth and consumption are no longer limited to our immediate locale. We do not protect our forests because we are wealthy, but because we can afford to economically coerce third world countries into destroying theirs. The only simple trend I see in this pattern that the wealthier a country becomes the farther out-of-sight (and consequently out-of- mind) their exploitation becomes David David M Bryant Ph D University of New Hampshire Environmental Education Program Durham, NH 03824 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 978-356-1928
