Source: John Muir, The Yosemite, Century, 1912 ✓ Solved

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Source John Muir The Yosemite New York Century 1912 255257

Hetch Hetchy Valley, far from being a plain, common, rock-bound meadow, as many who have not seen it seem to suppose, is a grand landscape garden, one of Nature’s rarest and most precious mountain temples. As in Yosemite, the sublime rocks of its walls seem to glow with life, whether leaning back in repose or standing erect in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to storms and calms alike, their brows in the sky, their feet set in the groves and gay flowery meadows, while birds, bees, and butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music—things frail and fleeting and types of permanence meeting here and blending, just as they do in Yosemite, to draw her lovers into close and confiding communion with her.

Sad to say, this most precious and sublime feature of the Yosemite National Park, one of the greatest of all our natural resources for the uplifting joy and peace and health of the people, is in danger of being dammed and made into a reservoir to help supply San Francisco with water and light, thus flooding it from wall to wall and burying its gardens and groves one or two hundred feet deep. This grossly destructive commercial scheme has long been planned and urged (though water as pure and abundant can be got from sources outside of the people’s park, in a dozen different places), because of the comparative cheapness of the dam and of the territory which it is sought to divert from the great uses to which it was dedicated in the Act of 1890 establishing the Yosemite National Park.

The making of gardens and parks goes on with civilization all over the world, and they increase both in size and number as their value is recognized. Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike. This natural beauty-hunger is made manifest in the little window-sill gardens of the poor, though perhaps only a geranium slip in a broken cup, as well as in the carefully tended rose and lily gardens of the rich, the thousands of spacious city parks and botanical gardens, and in our magnificent National parks—the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Sequoia, etc.—Nature’s sublime wonderlands, the admiration and joy of the world.

Nevertheless, like anything else worthwhile, from the very beginning, however well guarded, they have always been subject to attack by despoiling gain-seekers and mischief-makers of every degree from Satan to Senators, eagerly trying to make everything immediately and selfishly commercial, with schemes disguised in smug-smiling philanthropy, industriously crying, “Conservation, conservation, panutilization,” that man and beast may be fed and the dear Nation made great. Thus long ago a few enterprising merchants utilized the Jerusalem temple as a place of business instead of a place of prayer, changing money, buying and selling cattle and sheep and doves; and earlier still, the first forest reservation, including only one tree, was likewise despoiled.

Ever since the establishment of the Yosemite National Park, strife has been going on around its borders and I suppose this will go on as part of the universal battle between right and wrong, however much its boundaries may be shorn, or its wild beauty destroyed. . . . That anyone would try to destroy [Hetch Hetchy Valley] seems; incredible; but sad experience shows that there are people good enough and bad enough for anything. The proponents of the dam scheme bring forward a lot of bad arguments to prove that the only righteous thing to do with the people’s parks is to destroy them bit by bit as they are able. Their arguments are curiously like those of the devil, devised for the destruction of the first garden. . . .

These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and, instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar. Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.

Paper For Above Instructions

The debate over the Hetch Hetchy Valley, as described by John Muir, touches on crucial themes that resonate through the history of environmental conservation and resource management in the United States. Muir's poignant descriptions of Hetch Hetchy emphasize its beauty and spiritual significance, positioning it as a "grand landscape garden" and "one of Nature’s rarest and most precious mountain temples" (Muir, 1912). However, these sentiments are juxtaposed against the backdrop of industrialization and the demand for utility, as exemplified by the push for the dam aimed at supplying water to San Francisco. In unpacking these historical notions, we can glean insights that remain relevant in contemporary discourses around conservation versus commercial interests.

The deep appreciation for natural beauty that Muir conveys is combined with a fervent critique of the pressures modern society places on sacred spaces. He contextualizes the fight for Hetch Hetchy within a broader narrative of preserving nature against the relentless tide of commercial exploitation. As Muir laments, "this most precious and sublime feature of the Yosemite National Park... is in danger of being dammed” (Muir, 1912), we witness an early articulation of a conservation ethic that would not only serve to protect landscapes but also challenge the dominant economic paradigms of the time.

Muir’s arguments assert that true value should not solely be derived from utilitarian perspectives. He notes that parks and gardens exist “from the very beginning, however well guarded... subject to attack by despoiling gain-seekers,” indicating the necessity of a cultural shift in valuing natural spaces beyond mere resource extraction (Muir, 1912). This perspective calls into question the idea that development equates to progress, a notion that remains at the core of modern environmental debates, and underscores the ongoing relevance of conservationist ideological battles.

In the 1913 congressional hearings on Hetch Hetchy, Mr. Pinchot's arguments exemplify the utilitarian ethic, claiming that the best use for the valley's water supply for San Francisco surpasses its preservation as a natural site, stating “there is no use of water that is higher than the domestic use” (House Committee on the Public Lands, 1913). This clash between differing views on land usage aligns with Muir's observations about the broader implications of such decisions on environmental policies and societal attitudes toward nature.

The ongoing conversation between the advocates for the dam and preservationists like Muir highlights an inherent tension in American environmentalism—one that pivots between the desire for functionality and the innate human longing for connection with the sublime. Muir’s rhetoric appeals to deeper emotional and philosophical frameworks, emphasizing that preserving areas like Hetch Hetchy enriches not only the natural landscape but also the human experience (Muir, 1912).

As it stands, Muir’s rich descriptions serve as an early warning against the overshadowing influence of commercial interests on natural beauty. His work illustrates the necessity for integrated thinking that encompasses environmental, aesthetic, and spiritual values, something more essential than ecological statistics or economic gain. This leads to a significant takeaway: the realization that human connection to nature extends beyond physical and material measures, challenging us to consider the long-term consequences of our choices.

In examining the dichotomy presented in the Hetch Hetchy debate, we see the seeds of environmental policy as they stand today. The deep-rooted conflict between preservation and development initiated a dynamic discussion that evolved into contemporary conservation movements. As modern society grapples with climate change and biodiversity loss, reflections on Muir's ideals glean critical lessons about responsible stewardship, respect for ecological integrity, and the urgent need to cultivate an appreciation for nature that honors its intrinsic worth.

Muir's legacy endures in current environmental advocacy, urging us not only to protect the wild areas but also to recognize their spiritual dimensions. The challenge lies in embracing holistic approaches that transcend binary arguments of conservation versus resource exploitation. He invites us to envision a future where respect for natural beauty fosters sustainable management practices and advocates for an ecological ethic that inherently values the around us.

References

• Muir, John. The Yosemite. New York: Century, 1912.
• Nash, Roderick. The American Environment: Readings in The History of Conservation. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1968.
• House Committee on the Public Lands. Hetch Hetchy Dam Site, 63rd Cong., 1st sess. (25–28 June 1913; 7 July 1913). Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1913.
• Pinchot, Gifford. Statement to the Committee on Public Lands regarding Hetch Hetchy. 1913.
• Raker, John. Congressional testimony regarding Hetch Hetchy, 1913.
• Stegner, Wallace. Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs: Living and Writing in the West. New York: Penguin Books, 1993.
• Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949.
• Callicott, J. Baird. In Defense of the Land Ethic: Essays in Environmental Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989.
• Carson, Rachel. Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1962.
• McKibben, Bill. The End of Nature. New York: Random House, 1989.

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