What is the importance of wilderness to human society?

Question

How important is wilderness to You? Is it important to be treated only as a resource or is it more important to conserve it in pristine condition?

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This is the 2nd in a series of 30 questions on Nature and the Environment which I'll ask in the following sections: Religion & Spirituality and Philosophy (for the first few questions only), Society & Culture, Environment, and Politics & Government. I will post them in the US, UK, Singapore and India Y!A sites.

Here is a link to the 1st question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApfAHYXVrJJtNSPRxR1ytvPsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080214064749AAycDtV

This is not for homework, poll or survey purposes. The topics are ones that interest me specifically and are strictly for my own curiosity about the world.

If you are interested in seeing the complete results of these questions please send me a message.

Answer 1

Wilderness is very important, even if I never visit a wilderness. The trees put oxygen in the air for us, and animals, to breathe. It is a place for many birds and animals and plants and insects to live. There are chemicals that are used in medicines that can't be found anywhere else. Society would lose oxygen, rare breeds of plants and animals, useful drugs, and beauty. Yep. It's important to me.

Answer 2

Wilderness is of no value at all to human SOCIETY. OTOH,  it's of extreme importance to the human soul.  Yes, it is a resource that can be exploited, but that is done by individuals, not society. Mankind is supposed to be the steward of this planet. But keeping it 'pristine' is an impossibility in any case. Too many people forget that we are also a part of creation,  and our interactions are as natural as those of the snail darter.