Human Rights at Home and Abroad: Past, Present, and Future

Moira Jefferson, Kutztown University
Conservation
Since the end of the late 1800‘s, men brought attention to the destruction of natural resources. As
more people continued to conquer uninhabited wilderness, men became increasingly concerned for the
exploitation of natural resources. As countries progress, preservation of natural resources align with the
issue of human rights because we depend on natural resources to survive. Moreover, the controversy over
conservation is a topic of interest when referenced to human rights mainly because it opens up the
discussion of whether humans should have a hand at attempting to manipulate nature for optional energy
sources.
Conservation involves the act of preserving natural resources such as forest and lakes
(―Conservation,‖ Oxford English Dictionary). The act of conserving natural resources did not concern
many Americans until settlers began moving out west during the late 1800‘s. One of the first men who
played a major roll in conserving America‘s natural beauty was John Muir. In the following years, a
middle-aged man became increasingly aware of the destruction of what he loved so much. The middle-
aged man, in 1901, became the President of the United States. Theodore Roosevelt implemented
legislation that protected many lands. Nonetheless, the importance of conserving natural resources, not
only in America but other countries as well, includes the preservation of many indigenous species and
benefits of the ecology. Although it may cost taxpayers to conserve natural resources, with the
establishment of national parks and non-profit foundations, money is generated into the economy. Finally,
a major impact on protecting the wilderness involves preserving the natural beauty, which encompasses
the world.
When gold was discovered out west during the mid 1800‘s, many people began to settle the west
for longer periods of time. However, it was not just their settling which impacted the land, it also was the
mining business, which kept towns afloat. Mining was considered a large business that had a ―basic
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