Preservation

Preservation, or protection of ecosystems and biodiversity from injury or harm, is a form of resource management advocating the separation of humans from nature. Since the 19th century, there has been a schism in the American environmental movement over the best way to manage natural resources, with preservationists on one side and conservationists on the other. Preservationists believe that nature should be protected from the simplifying effects of human management. Conservationists believe that natural resources should be adequately used and managed by society in a utilitarian manner to achieve the highest possible benefit for the greatest number of people. The preservationist perspective believes that ecosystems and biodiversity can only be saved through nonuse, or full protection. Preservationists criticize the material aspects of the conservationist approach, ...