Abhigya Basnet
Professor Frogley
English 1010
1/7/2011
The situation motivating Roosevelt to write this essay was the consequences that were
failing to act about conserving the nature and natural resources. In this essay, “There Must be
the Look Ahead” Theodore Roosevelt tries to bring the public attention on the ongoing crisis on
national forest, waterways, land and all natural resources as a whole. He uses first person
narrative throughout the essay to make it sound authoritative.
In this essay, Roosevelt refers to the Congress arguing about conservation as a broader
issue. According to him, conservation of nature is a public rather a private and each and every
individual of the nation should concern about it. He further says we are enjoying the natural
resources but we should use it in a proper way so coming generation also get benefits from it.
Roosevelt claims that it is the fundamental problem on which every other problem underlies and
associated with it. Roosevelt says by the phrase “But …. the fact to waste….to increase its
usefulness” as if we do not realize about conservation and preservation of natural resources then
it will certainly turn out to be a wasteland. In this essay, he tries to convince us that we should be
alert and begin to preserve our natural resources.
Such references indicate Roosevelt extreme influential by the conservation and
preservation of natural resources. He focused entire life on this topic from his childhood to his
presidential days till the end of his life. From his beginning of political life he made
“conservation” and “preservation “as his top priorities. He was a nature loving person. Roosevelt
was really worried about the depletion of the natural resources by human activities. And as a
result, he asserts it will automatically hamper the economy of the country too.
For him forestry is the backbones of development because all the industry is depend upon
them. So, he said to value the forest and to use it wisely. He uses ‘wise use’ here as contributing
to the welfare of people, not stopping them to use but in contrary giving them the assurance of
using it. But also preserving for future use .
For instance, Roosevelt claims that our great river system should be developed as
national water highways. As well as he further says to the government to realize the utilization of
waterways and this provides the incalculable benefit to our people. If not it will turn out be a
great problem, there is lots of bad effects and consequences if we will lose to conserve natural
resources. He refers National Government should take this responsibility receiving ‘Mississippi’
as a special attention as it extends the coastline leading from east to the west. He said that the
development of our waterways involves many other water-problems. He further says it should be
used to make government dams to produce electricity and to improve navigation.
Roosevelt writes irrigation as one of the important step for the betterment of the
upliftment of the country. He points to the Federal government to devote to the task, realizing
that irrigation, forestry, water-ways, water-power etc. are all interdependent parts of same
problem. He explains why we should not let the grazing of the public lands as it will hamper our
natural resources. He further explains to focus on conservation of forestry, irrigation to soil
conservation.
Roosevelt tries to involve government in the issue. He said they must put their effort to
deal the public land. He provides of some statistics like “160 acres…, 300,000,000 acres…” and
so on to make it more reliable. Roosevelt points on the existence of great fraud and
recommended to change the law. The facts and the whole statements he provide shows him to be
knowledgeable, well-educated and experience on the subject- matter. He uses sentence “…..by
putting in best use” indicates here the “moral use” against the person benefit. He further says that
the government should take part with its title actually to make “home- maker”, not a profit maker
who does not care to make a home.
He further questioned about the “civilization” depended on natural resources. The
mineral wealth of the country, the coal, iron, gas etc. does not reproduce themselves. All the
development of the country is due to the use of natural resources. The development is on the
shadow of natural resources which he said can’t be denied. He asserts that the present
development and the modern society is based upon the resources like gas, coal, wood , iron and it
was not possible to develop the society without using them. But he further says the true
civilization is to use the resources in a meaningful way not only for the current prosperity but
also for the future use. He suggested that the short term prosperity has also given us long term
effect. He focused on the conservation. What he suggested is to use the resources in a wise way
and to preserve it. He explained that we should focus on the public benefits than self-interest. He
explains that there are many people that think it is against the ease and comfort and it’s correct.
Then again, he said only a “savage” would only think about private future disregard the future.
He made a concession here and again gives the counterargument in a logical way. So, he
concludes saying that the key of civilized culture and society is to think about the future of their
children.
In conclusion, overall he talks about his plan for the necessities of conservation on
natural resources giving different logical statements and arguments with all the appeals(logos,
pathos and ethos). Moreover, he is trying to draws our attention and the government to
implement new plan and projects in order to conserve and preserve the natural resources.
By using the word like ‘moral’, ‘savage’, ‘civilization’ etc. he is trying to make the
private affair as public affair to make it public issue and a public problem. He has used each
word meaningfully to address each part of the society. He addresses the government directly. He
wants the government to take the necessary steps to preserve the natural resources including
general citizen. He linked conservation to civilization, arguing that it is the responsibility of
every citizen to preserve it. If not then he considered them as savage.