On Sustainability

The Wilderness Act of 1964 poetically defined Wilderness as "an area of undeveloped Federal land retaining its primeval character and influence... where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." (Wilderness.net)

The Cirque of the Towers in the Popo Agie Wilderness, Wyoming

Everywhere used to be wilderness.  

The Mannahatta Project shows a great example of a beautiful, wild, and ecologically rich place where more and more people remained. Unfortunately for Mannahatta, it was more accessible, easy to develop, and convenient to European settlers than places like the Rocky Mountains.

A rendering of Manhattan Island before and after settlement from Wildlife Conservation Society

The lessons here are to preserve our wild places and to restore some aspects of the latent wilderness that is in every square block of our cities.  We can start by filtering run-off, providing habitat, or creating a refuge for our neighbors. "And that's what [sustainability] is all about, Charlie Brown."