George Marsh: Humans and Nature

*Man and Nature*, written by George Marsh, a pioneer of the environmental conservation movement. This book raises the issue that human actions disrupt the natural order and lead to environmental destruction. The author, having visited sites of environmental destruction himself, argues that nature does not impose restrictions on humans, but rather humans are toying with the Earth's surface in the direction they desire. It analyzes the consequences of nature destruction caused by human intervention from various angles and critically discusses diverse agendas, including flora and fauna that promote some degree of restoration, changes in plant distribution accompanying human migration, environmental changes affecting livestock, shifts in natural geography caused by war and revolution, vegetation, the decline of birds and animals and the increase in insect populations due to agricultural modernization, the impact of deforestation on climate, shifting crops and fire, the drainage and reclamation of wetlands, the management of sand dunes, and the conservation of water resources, including groundwater. Furthermore, it sounds a warning to those who are seduced by the abundance of nature and believe that developing and even controlling it through the rational means of science is an essential task for the advancement of civilization. It asserts that maintaining a distance from livestock—which claim to be the helpers of humans and human civilization—and sustainably balancing the ratio of forest land to cultivated land is the foundation that enables the protection of the ecosystem.

Korean title: 인간과 자연

Korean author: 조지 마시

Korean publisher: 한길사

ISBN-13: 9788935657391