Of the environmental virtues, Leopold greatly focused on respect and humility towards nature, both in his own personal life, and in his environmental philosophy. For example, Leopold (1966, p. 240) says:

“In short, a land ethic changes the role of Homo sapiens from conqueror of the land- community to plain member and citizen of it. It implies respect for his fellow-members, and also respect for the community as such.”

The point of applying ethics to nature is to treat nature and its individual members as our equals. By adopting a non-anthropocentric approach to the natural world, we are showing respect for the land and its elements because we value them not only for their instrumental value, but their intrinsic value as well. By virtue of existing, they are valuable and worth our appreciation, and so we have to recognize that our actions have consequences on them that cannot simply be brushed away. In addition, we need to become humble; we recognize that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, that we are not as self-important.

From the top of the Wallace Monument, Edinburgh, UK

[Image mine; all rights reserved]