In 1949, A Sand County Almanac was published which includes an essay by Aldo Leopold entitled "The Land Ethic." In this essay Leopold writes about his idea of Land Ethic which is essentially conservation to an extreme. His main point in this essay is that people need to help the land because no one is aware of what harm humans do and how people can help out.
             Leopold begins his essay by defining an ethic and the ethical sequence. According to Leopold, an ethic is what allows interdependent individuals to cooperate (432). Examples he uses are economics, politics, the mosaic decalogue, and democracy. The ethical sequence is the sequence in which ethics are ranked. According to Leopold, the relationship between individuals is ranked first, the relationship between the individual and society is ranked second and the third, which is still only lightly considered, is between the individual and the land (433).
             Leopold then begins to discuss the community concept which basically defines what is meant by "land" and what problems the "land" is facing. Leopold defines land as soils, waters, plants, and animals. The major problems pointed out in his essay are erosion, water pollution, and plant and animal extinction (434).
             Profit is a big part of Leopold's essay. He writes continually about the land being used for "self-interest" (435). He supports this with laws created in Wisconsin, The Soil Conservation District Law. It gave farmers free labor and equipment if they would help stop erosion in nearby rivers. Farmers took advantage of the equipment and labor but eventually gave up on helping the land (437). In this essay, profit is pointed out as a major part of distroying the land.
             In his attempts to encourage others to assist in the fight for the land, Leopold offers alternatives to his idea of Land ethic. He begins by saying that all animals and plants are part of a natural order which h...