Ecological restoration is the process of repairing human damage
to ecosystems. It involves reintroducing missing plants and
animals, rebuilding soils, eliminating hazardous substances,
ripping up roads, and returning natural processes such as fire and
flooding to places that thrive on their regular occurrence.
Thousands of restoration projects take place in North America every
year. In Nature by Design, Eric Higgs argues that profound
philosophical and cultural shifts accompany these projects. He
explores the ethical and philosophical bases of restoration and the
question of what constitutes good ecological restoration.Higgs
explains how and why the restoration movement came about, where it
fits into the array of approaches to human relationships with the
land, and how it might be used to secure a sustainable future. Some
environmental philosophers and activists worry that restoration
will dilute preservation and conservation efforts and lead to an
even deeper technological attitude toward nature. They ask whether
even well-conceived restoration projects are in fact just
expressions of human will. Higgs prefaces his responses to such
concerns by distinguishing among several types of ecological
restoration. He also describes a growing gulf between professionals
and amateurs. Higgs finds much merit in criticism about
technological restoration projects, which can cause more damage
than they undo. These projects often ignore the fact that changing
one thing in a complex system can change the whole system. For
restoration projects to be successful, Higgs argues, people at the
community level must be engaged. These focal restorations bring
communities together, helping volunteers develop a dedication to
place and encouraging democracy.
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