ABSTRACT

The debate about a new geological epoch ‘The Anthropocene’ has helped spawn ‘Age of Man Environmentalism’ (AME). According to AME, humans’ planetary impact indicates that respect for independent nature can no longer serve as a guiding value for environmentalism. Traditional goals of nature preservation and restoration are grounded in the illusory ideal of pristine nature. Humans are now fully integrated into nature and must become responsible managers of an earth we have created, governing it by our ideals. This essay repudiates AME, defending traditional environmental values of naturalness and respect for nature’s autonomy. AME’s exaggeration of human influence over Earth manifests an anthropocentric narcissism blind to nature’s ongoing agency. Rather than becoming gods or parents of a nature that allegedly needs us, human flourishing requires we strengthen our commitment to humility, restraint, and respect for nature’s gifted character. Naturalness becomes increasingly valuable the rarer it becomes, even in highly humanized areas. AME’s thoroughly managed future ignores the possibility of rewilding and turning nature loose. Its promotion of non-native species and ‘novel ecosystems’ attempts to polish the image of human-impacted nature and denigrates preserved wild areas. Taking seriously humans’ massive impact on earth does not require abandoning traditional environmental values.

摘要

关于新地质时代“人类世”的争论催生了“人类环保主义时代”（AME）。根据 AME 的说法，人类对行星的影响表明，对独立自然的尊重不能再作为环保主义的指导价值。自然保护和恢复的传统目标基于原始自然的虚幻理想。人类现在已经完全融入大自然，必须成为我们创造的地球的负责任的管理者，用我们的理想来治理它。这篇文章否定了 AME，捍卫了自然的传统环境价值和对自然自治的尊重。AME 夸大人类对地球的影响，表现出一种人类中心主义的自恋，对大自然的持续作用视而不见。与其成为据称需要我们的神灵或父母，人类的繁荣需要我们加强对谦逊、克制和尊重自然天赋性格的承诺。即使在高度人性化的地区，自然也变得越稀有，就越有价值。AME 彻底管理的未来忽略了重新野化和使自然变得松散的可能性。它推广非本地物种和“新生态系统”，试图美化受人类影响的自然形象，并诋毁受保护的野生地区。认真对待人类对地球的巨大影响并不需要放弃传统的环境价值。它推广非本地物种和“新生态系统”，试图美化受人类影响的自然形象，并诋毁受保护的野生地区。认真对待人类对地球的巨大影响并不需要放弃传统的环境价值。它推广非本地物种和“新生态系统”，试图美化受人类影响的自然形象，并诋毁受保护的野生地区。认真对待人类对地球的巨大影响并不需要放弃传统的环境价值。