We trust ourselves, far more than our ancestors did… The root of our predicament lies in the simple fact that, though we remain a flawed and unstable species, plagued now as in the past by a thousand weaknesses, we have insisted on both unlimited freedom and unlimited power. It would now seem clear that, if we want to stop the devastation of the earth, the growing threats to our food, water, air, and fellow creatures, we must find some way to limit both.

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Themes

  • Freedom — The value of liberty, independence, and self-determination
  • History — Lessons from the past and the arc of human civilisation
  • Nature — Appreciation for the natural world and our place within it
  • Power — The dynamics of influence, authority, and leadership

More quotes by Donald Worster, Under Western Skies: Nature and History in the American West

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