There is a particularly amusing cartoon from Gary Larsen's Far Side depicting humans escaping from a broken specimen jar into an untouched natural world, with a voice from the clouds saying "uh-oh." This modern view of human environmental impact contrasts sharply with 18th-century attitudes, when the world was seen as created entirely for human use and benefit.
Biblical teachings provided the foundation for this perspective. Genesis 1:27–29 granted humans dominion over creation, establishing religious justification for exploitation. European accounts of the "New World" reveal initial awe that quickly transformed into rapacious consumption.
Early colonists viewed all natural resources — animals, plants, and minerals — as commodities to be exploited. John Josselyn's 1672 work described New England wildlife purely as food sources: beaver tail as "exceeding good meat," moose tongue as a delicacy. Animals were also harvested for dubious medicinal purposes, including osprey beaks "for the Tooth-ach" and beaver testicles for stomach ailments.
The beaver suffered particularly, hunted intensively for waterproof fur used in felt hatmaking. This exploitation disrupted traditional Native hunting practices and tribal diplomacy, increasing armed conflict.
By the 18th century, some voices expressed concern. Peter Kalm, a Swedish naturalist visiting in the 1740s, observed how European settlement devastated wildlife populations. He noted that "the spirit of freedom which prevails in the country would not suffer" conservation regulations to be obeyed.
The consequences became evident by the 1790s: the area near Old Saratoga was logged out, and within fifty years most of New York was deforested. The abundant resources Europeans encountered proved finite.
Earth Day represents recognition of a relatively recent shift in human attitudes toward nature — acknowledging that natural gifts require stewardship for future generations' survival.