Analysis William Cronan's “the Trouble with Wilderness”

The rapid industrialization of the Earth has been one of the greatest changes the earth has undergone, surpassing in magnitude the numerous ice ages or massive extinctions. This industrialization prompted a large chunk of the Earth’s population to dwell in cities. As a result, much of the wide open spaces of “nature” were transformed into an environment dominated by buildings and congested with roads and people. It is then no surprise that humans separate themselves from nature and expect nature to be “pristine.” Imagine for a moment that you are at a place where you feel like you are “away from it all.” It’s a special place where you are surrounded by sceneries not usually commonplace. You are surrounded by rows of, swarms of bugs and the unyielding odor of decaying plants permeating through the air. To many of us, these types of places are still reachable. Whether it’s in your backyard or a one hour drive away, it’s reachable.

However, scholars such as William Cronan argue that because of the way we define “wilderness,” there are no such places left on Earth. This is one of the central ideas of William Cronan’s, “The Trouble with Wilderness.” No matter how many hours you drive or the distance you fly, you will not find a “pristine” location on this Earth. William Cronan writes that we must learn to take responsibility for our actions and accept that we are a part of nature. Only then will we be able to live responsibly with the “wilderness”. This argument is logical and is well supported by Cronan.

Humans have been altering the world around them for thousands of years. Ever since we evolved a large brain, we gained an unfair advantage for survival in the wilderness. We have slowly (until now) adapted to the wilderness around us. Can anyone imagine a world in which the Homo Sapiens never came to be? In what state would the Earth be? There would be no roads, farms, hole in the ozone, large amounts of greenhouse gasses, or cities. The world would undoubtedly be a different place. Our species has changed the world so much that no part of the earth is “pure” anymore; not even the treasured National Park system in the United States. Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Mt. Rainier, and Zion are all just an illusion of the wilderness. These national parks are no more pristine than the moon is thriving with life.

It is true that the sceneries of grandeur found in the national parks of the United States are quite inspiring. They induce a feeling of awe from even the most reserved. However, these so called “pristine” parks are far from pure and untouched. William Cronan writes that these “pristine” parks are the creation of human beings (in a deeper sense). These parks go against our very definition of the word “wilderness”. We think of the “wilderness” as a sublime and untouched landscape. The very fact that we have created these regions on the map where nobody may reside, where nature is supposed to be “wild” makes them unnatural. It is this flawed definition of the world around us that is the central dualism. If nature is supposed to be wild and therefore pure, the very presence of humans in nature negates the definition which we hold to be true. Consequently it makes us question the way we have viewed the “wilderness” and “nature” around us.

It is not so much our misunderstanding of the concept of wilderness that irritates William Cronan, but the imposed separation of humans and nature, and the apathy we express towards the well being of “nature.” We must, instead of viewing nature and humans as being separate, realize that we are an important part of the natural world. We are undeniably connected to our world. Any view that forces us to look upon nature as the “Other,” “is likely to reinforce irresponsible behavior,” writes Cronan. The self sustenance of “non-human” nature is an essential corrective to human egoism. Arrogance and apathy will further worsen the situation. Until now, William Cronan has been generally agreeable; however, his opposition to Bill McKibben’s ideas in The End of Nature is quite puzzling.

William Cronan argues that Bill McKibben’s view of nature and wilderness are flawed. In The End of Nature, Bill McKibben writes about the environmental problems plaguing