A Natural Longing for Nature?

The title of this post comes from an old New York Times article of the same name that you can read here. Inspired by Kyle Norris's story that you can find right now on the Environment Report website, (and always, in the ER story archives) I wanted to find out if there was more to this nature lovers in the city thing. And as it turns out, yes, there is! Awhile ago, scientists began to hypothesize that humans have a genetically-based emotional need to be in the presence of nature, be it going to a zoo, having a pet, or just looking out the window at some trees in your backyard.

Apparently, the emotional need goes deeper still. Scientists fear that this so-called "biophilia" might not be activated in people who live in urban settings. So why is this a problem? Well, they say that the lack of biophilia could mean emotional deprivation or just indifference to nature...or in the worst-case scenario, outright hostility towards nature, at a time when conservationists need sympathy the most.

Maybe this has already begun. Don't you know a few people who are pretty hostile towards nature? People who would rather get a root canal in the safety of their dentist's office than go camping, even in their own backyard? People who bemoan the occasional bug in their house, or even on their patio furniture? People who blame nature for all the extra time and money they must spend on shoveling snow or cleaning up their basements from a heavy rain?

Granted, most people take all of this as a given...a price we pay for living on Earth. But are some people becoming more resentful? If so, do we need to force these genetically-challenged people into zoos, or buy them puppies and kittens as presents until that biophilia gene kicks in? Thoughts? Anyone out there feel like they're not as sympathetic to nature as they should be, given its important (or annoying, as the case may be) role in our lives?