Polemic: Industrial Tourism and National Parks

            The general argument made by Edward Abbey in his work Polemic: Industrial Tourism & National Parks is that he growing industry in outdoor recreation is threatening national parks along with nature itself. More specifically, Abby argues that increased profits and growth should not subject national parks to unfair treatment from Washington. The point of national parks is the preservation of nature, not to make money or serve tourists. He writes, “…the greater the quantity of traffic, the higher the value received.” (pg. 387) I this passage, Abbey is suggesting that national parks are for preservation and they should not be altered for human enjoyment or profit. In conclusion, it is Abbey’s belief that national parks should not be changes for any reason, especially profit or accessibility.

            In my view, Abbey is wrong because parks are meant for human enjoyment, national parks do strive for preservation but there would be no purpose of preservation if people did not have the chance to enjoy the park, this way people can enjoy and see nature the way it used to be. For example, places such as Yellowstone and Arches allow children to see nature with little distractions that are present within a city environment. Although, Abbey might object might object that nature is not preserved the way it used to be with so much human involvement and the building of roads I maintain that national parks help people recognize the importance of nature. Therefore I conclude that national parks should be readily available to those who want to enjoy nature.