Vol. 51—1997 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

130
Ho
much land can ten billion people spare for Nature?
Paul E. Waggoner
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
New Haven, Connecticut
In the st Ie of a debater, I choose the affirmative of four
resolutio s: Because human needs are imperative, land for
Nature must be spared, not legislated. Farmers amended
Malthus' aw into Jefferson's Imperative. Yield can be lifted
more to s are more land. And, environmental expense need not
cancel th profit of sparing land for Nature.
Land for Na
e must be spared
Proclamat'on of wilderness and purchase of preserves prove
the rank ature has won in minds and affairs. Nevertheless,
because h n needs are imperative, Nature has to be spared
and canno be successfully legislated.
After tal ing with a poor woman along a path in the royal
preserve f Fontainebleau near Paris, Thomas Jefferson wrote
James Mad'son,
I aske myself what could be the reason that so many
should be permitted to beg who are willing to work in
a coun ry where there is a very considerable
propor ion of uncultivated lands? These lands are
kept i Ie mostly for the sake of game .••• Whenever
there s in any country, uncultivated lands and
unempl yed poor, it is clear that the laws of
proper y have been so far extended as to violate
natura right •..• If we [allow land to be
approp iated and do not provide employment], the
fundam ntal right to labour the earth returns to the
unempl yed. (Jefferson 1785)
Jefferson hoped for a peaceful evolution, but the French soon
cut away he violation of natural right with the guillotine.
I have de ended my first resolution: Because human needs are
imperativ r Nature must be spared--not legislated.