This just in - John Muir is now deemed irrelevant!

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Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 13, 2014 - 09:38am PT

Today's LA Times:
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John Muir's legacy questioned as centennial of his death nears
By Louis Sahagun

John Muir is the patron saint of environmentalism, an epic figure whose writings of mystical enlightenment attained during lone treks in California's wilderness glorified individualism, saved Yosemite and helped establish the national park system..

As the first president of the Sierra Club, Muir shaped enduring perceptions about how the wild world should be prioritized, protected and managed.

But now some critics are arguing that the world has changed so much in the century since his death that Muir has gone the way of wheelwrights.

He is no longer relevant.

"Muir's legacy has to go," said Jon Christensen, a historian with UCLA's Institute of Environment and Sustainability. "It's just not useful anymore."

Christensen and others see Muir's beliefs as antiquated in the face of 21st century environmental challenges that the bushy-bearded Scot could not have imagined: population growth, urban sprawl, demographic shifts, climate change.

The debate boils down to Muir's primary ethic: The wilderness is a temple to be left undisturbed, so man occasionally can experience nature in its purity. That precept helped shape a century of conservation, ensuring that there would be unspoiled wilderness for succeeding generations.

"He had a huge passion for nature, such as we should all cherish in our hearts," said Mary Ellen Hannibal, a Bay Area author and Muir devotee. "He holds up an ideal of experiencing nature firsthand in a spiritual, transcendent way."

"Environmentalism, in some ways, has moved beyond John Muir," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "But he was a good guy. He was at the forefront of the notion of setting aside portions of pristine nature and letting natural forces in them move forward unimpeded."

To Christensen and others, however, Muir's notion that immersing people in "universities of the wilderness" — such as Yosemite — sends the message that only awe-inspiring parks are worth saving, at the expense of smaller urban spaces.

Critics also say Muir's vision of wilderness is rooted in economic privilege and the abundant leisure time of the upper class.

Rather than accessing Muir's beloved Sierra Mountains as backpackers, skiers or rock climbers, they argue, Californians would benefit more from the creation of urban parks, additional roads and trails in wild lands.

Nature exists in many forms, they say. Pristine wilderness is but one.

On Thursday, six weeks before the centennial of Muir's death, conservationists, geographers, lawmakers, artists, historians and environmental justice advocates will meet at UCLA to discuss his legacy and relevance. The occasion is the investiture of Glen MacDonald as the university's John Muir memorial chair in geography.

Among the presenters at the event, titled "A Century Beyond Muir," will be Christensen, who is a friend and colleague of MacDonald's.

Lining up behind him will be other critics — including Richard White, a historian at Stanford University who says Muir's late 19th century, Anglo-Saxon brand of environmentalism and bias toward untouched wilderness skewed the way nature has been portrayed in popular culture.

For example, in his writings, Muir said the squirrels he killed on his ranch in Martinez, Calif., were disgusting pests out to ruin the orchards. But he described the squirrels living in his beloved High Sierra as hard-working creatures like those later popularized in the Disney classic "Snow White."

Critics also see a correlation between the emotional, biblical language of Muir's writings and the demographic makeup of national park visitors and the ranks of the largest environmental organizations — mainly aging, white Americans.

The Sierra Club, which Muir founded, and the Audubon Society are struggling to connect with California's diverse population, particularly Latinos, who polls show are among the most devoted environmentalists in the state. A strong and diverse membership in California, where Latinos are expected to become a majority by 2050, is important to influencing political decisions and raising funds to support missions of conservation and environmental education.

Yet "the conservation movement reflects the legacy of John Muir, and its influence on a certain demographic — older and white — and that's a problem," Christensen said.

Walking in the footsteps of John Muir: Robert Hanna rarely mentioned that Sierra Club founder John Muir was his great-great-grandfather.

He is joined in that view by D.J. Waldie, an author and expert on Southern California culture.

"We have to reimagine our relationships with nature to accommodate modern, increasingly diverse communities that see the world differently than white Anglo-Saxon Protestants like Muir did in the late 19th century," Waldie said.

"For many communities of color, nature of great significance isn't out there in distant charismatic Sierra peaks; it's in urban parks, in local mountains and along local rivers — and under their fingertips in the stuff they grow in their own backyards," he said.

One blemish on Muir's past is indisputable: He had disdain for California's Native Americans, a group he claimed had no place in the Sierra landscape.

Laura Pulido, a professor in USC's Department of American Studies and Ethnicity, said Muir's prejudice should be taken in perspective.

"It is essential that we try to understand John Muir in all his complexity," Pulido said. "He was a man of his times, who actively worked to disgrace California Indians by taking their lands.

"But he also launched the environmental movement, which is no small thing," she said.

In Hannibal's view, "all this postmodern talk about what Muir said and what his prejudices were is, at the end of the day, just words. What counts is the number of acres protected."

On a recent weekday in his office at UCLA, MacDonald tried to conclude a spirited debate with Christensen over the relevance of Muir's legacy: "For all his flaws, Muir did a lot of great things and his enthusiasm for nature continues to inspire."

Christensen wouldn't budge. "Muir's a dead end," he said. "It's time to bury his legacy and move on."

louis.sahagun@latimes.com
Copyright © 2014, Los Angeles Times
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Maybe White Tower pundits are also irrelevant? Furthermore, in the first
picture (as framed in the print edition) Mr Snooty Pundit is seen to be
wearing patent leather slip-ons. Dood, you just lost all credibility!

mouse from merced

Trad climber

The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.

Nov 13, 2014 - 09:48am PT

One reason there are so many older NP visitors is that they are released from captivity after a lifetime of slavery. They aren't about to go into wilderness, though, because for most it's beyond their abilities.

A taste will do for most, maybe a ride on a train back in the day made it an adventure of a lifetime.

ron gomez

Trad climber

fallbrook,ca

Nov 13, 2014 - 09:52am PT

I guess we're all entitled to our own opinions.
Some of my favorite writings are of John Muir and I think wilderness is a good thing to preserve. Yes the world changes....maybe we should change with it, maybe not.
Peace

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Nov 13, 2014 - 09:54am PT

You bury the person, his/her legacy lives on.....by definition.

this just in

climber

north fork

Nov 13, 2014 - 09:58am PT

Blasphemy Reilly.

son of stan

Boulder climber

San Jose CA

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:04am PT

Not irrelevant. His legacy is solid.

Never stop pondering life's big questions. Like what
kind of chain saw would John Muir have used on trails?

Maybe this one.
http://www.stihlusa.com/products/chain-saws/professional-saws/ms880/

And I think today he would have used it to drop trees onto trails to slow
the scourge of the sierra horse packing businesses.

guyman

Social climber

Moorpark, CA.

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:09am PT

Just another bunch of UCLA jackoffs....

"Latinos are the most environmentally active people in the state....."

I guess those UCLA beard stroking professors have never visited "lower Eton Canyon" or the POOL at Malibu, or ????? anyplace really.

Reilly

Mountain climber

The Other Monrovia- CA

Topic Author's Reply - Nov 13, 2014 - 10:11am PT

Guy, thank you, I was hoping somebody would pick up on that monumentally
stupid statement.

kaholatingtong

Trad climber

Nevada City

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:32am PT

Do they really believe this sh#t? Is it possible for a college professors reading comprehension to be this bad?

skcreidc

Social climber

SD, CA

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:41am PT

Reeaaalllyyy.....sounds like some department at UCLA is becomming irrelevant.

Bruce Morris

Social climber

Belmont, California

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:43am PT

Just one more good reason for a mandatory program of eugenics, birth control, and euthanasia to establish and maintain a New World Order.

Rhodo-Router

Gym climber

sawatch choss

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:50am PT

Everybody has their particular hobby horse to ride. Muir's was the grand wilderness. For someone else, it's the urban park or backyard garden. I don't agree that because his vision was incomplete, it should be completely discounted. There were plenty of small farms and open spaces back then- they didn't need an advocate. Now they do. But that's not his fault.

WBraun

climber

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:57am PT

"It's time to bury his legacy and move on."

To what?

He didn't say to where?

dirt claud

Social climber

san diego,ca

Nov 13, 2014 - 10:57am PT

I was wondering what the fook he was talking about. My family would make fun of me when I would visit them in Mexico because I would stuff trash in my pockets instead of throw it on the ground. Things have changed now with the new generation but many do not have the morals about littering like we have here. I've been to Mexican national parks and monuments and even those have trash sometimes. 3rd world countries governments that don't emphasize care for natural surroundings or do not provide the proper ways of disposing of trash and people get used to throwing it on the ground. Not gonna say Latinos are the biggest population that litters here but I don't see them as ""Latinos are the most environmentally active people in the state....." either. I guess he is talking about all the cartels growing weed in the forests when he sais the are the most environmentally active.

StahlBro

Trad climber

San Diego, CA

Nov 13, 2014 - 11:00am PT

Just trying to get their 15min. by saying something inflammatory. Dumbsh*ts.
Unfortunately some people will now use this as an excuse to futher impose homo sapien will on the environment, and we can then rationalize our out of control population growth and lack of respect for the rest of of the living things we share the planet with.

Sheets

Trad climber

Livermore, CA

Nov 13, 2014 - 11:25am PT

I've noticed environmental justice advocates sure push a lot of things I would consider counter to environmentalism.

neversummer

climber

30 mins. from suicide USA

Nov 13, 2014 - 12:05pm PT

EAT MY SH#T UCLA...

10b4me

climber

Nov 13, 2014 - 12:21pm PT

Just another bunch of UCLA jackoffs....

"Latinos are the most environmentally active people in the state....."

I guess those UCLA beard stroking professors have never visited "lower Eton Canyon" or the POOL at Malibu, or ????? anyplace really.

or the West Fork of the San Gabriel River(near the bridge).

edited to say, been going to the west fork since 1970. If I had a dollar for every diaper I've seen thrown in the river. . . . .
and not a fan of the rednecks either.

Batrock

Trad climber

Burbank

Nov 13, 2014 - 01:05pm PT

Thats a pretty broad brush statement saying Latinos are the most enviro minded in the state. Kayaking the West Fork of the San Gabriel River a few years ago I witnessed Latinos spray painting on the rocks, throwing diapers and trash in the river along with their BBQ ashes, at least they threw the ashes in the river and was shot at with a pellet gun. Granted this was a weekend and I should have known better and right downstream all the redneck white guys were mud bogging with their giant 4x4's. The Latinos are far from carrying the enviro torch in California.