Alexander Von Humboldt

Sammy Faham

Prussian naturalist, Alexander Von Humboldt exemplifies an early understanding of how humans impact the environment. He believed that nature set laws and that it was unified, claiming that all parts of nature were connected with one another and shared the same community. He emphasized the importance of protecting this complex system in order to protect the health of Earth’s inhabitants. He cultivated the idea that humans must respect the rules of nature and protect the environment in order to thrive, a surface-level claim on the modern climate crisis. This fundamental understanding of the environment has been around since the 18th century, but it seems to still be an unknown or controversial concept. Environmentalists should not only orient their work around fighting the climate crisis through direct action, but also educate people about the rules of their environment.