Protecting Nature?

Assessing environmental awareness in the conasauga river valley

By Guadalupe Espitia

Interactions between humans and nature lead to cultural adaptations that can change the way humans interact with nature. These adaptations depend, to a large extent, on the level of awareness of how human actions have altered the environment, which, in turn, depends on how humans conceptualize nature. Is it something to cherish and protect? Or something to use and enjoy? Moreover, who should lead the way in protecting nature? This paper aims to give the reader a better understanding of the way that environmental awareness and nature is celebrated and lived throughout Dalton Georgia and its surrounding areas. It will focus on one major Earth Day celebration and two environmentally active groups, the Conasauga river cleanup and the Ecumenical church earth day (which is how most people celebrate earth day), as well as a brief part examining the impact that environmental awareness has had on Dalton’s primary industry, carpet. In Dalton, Georgia, nature has been celebrated as conservationists of the progressive era celebrated it—as a leisurely place to vacation and with an overwhelming urgency for people to do their part on an individual level. The early romanticized views of wilderness, where the association of God and wilderness began to take root[1] in which the value placed on nature derives from the belief that nature is God’s creation, also seems to be embedded in Dalton’s environmental thought. Throughout this paper the different ways that earth day is celebrated will be explored and compared to the different ways Americans have thought about their relationship with the environmental (or nature).

 In American history environmental thought has been a crucial force in the making of American landscape. From the first colonies where nature was viewed as an evil that needed to be tamed. To the young republic where attitudes toward nature started to shift toward a romanticized view, appreciating nature as God’s creation. Environmental thought starts to take a more prominent spot in history during the progressive era where prominent figures like Teddy Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot preached the idea that nature was a valuable and limited resource which was meant to be harvested in an efficient matter and placed that responsibility on the government. This matter of efficiency would be the hallmark of progressive conservationism, although contested by people like John Muir who believed nature should be left alone to strive without human interference and enjoyed. This progressive conservationism seemed to be odds with democracy. Luckily Hoover seemed to have the solution with conservative conservation and his idea of volunteerism—where Lazzie-faire economics merged with progressive ideas. Under this conservative conservation the notion of efficiency and awareness of nature being a limited resource stayed but the involvement of the federal government was substituted by the idea that environmental concerns were supposed to be left to the people within their communities to resolve. Aldo Leopold would challenge this conservative conservation for its promotion of consumerism and leisurely interaction with nature and instead promote and work towards a wilderness free of human encroachment to be experienced through work like John Muir believed. The last big change to environmental thought would come in the 1960’s and 70’s through the environment movement. The environment movement was a grassroots movement created through the new science of ecology which helped place humans within the Earth’s ecosystem and thus dependent on the wellbeing of the ecosystem. The environmental movement was marked with government regulation on pollution and the creation of Earth Day.  

The Conasauga River Watershed Cleanup was started in 1995 by John Lugthart and Gretchen Lugthart partnered with what was then Dalton-Whitfield Clean and Beautiful Commission now called Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful and a Boy Scout looking as an eagle project.[2] The purpose of the cleanup was to help inform the community of how much biodiversity was in the Conasauga and how pollution was affecting it. When asked what their hopes for the future of the cleanup and what the cleanup meant, the Lugtharts replied, “ what we… hope is that people will learn to respect our beautiful streams… and, therefore, future cleanups will be unnecessary. To our community, a clean Conasauga means an outstanding resource for recreation, and domestic and industrial water needs. To us personally, a clean Conasuaga means being able to someday see the darters, shiners, and mussels in all the places where they once thrived.”[3] The relationship that they derived from the cleanup was twofold. They recognized the practical and economical use that nature has for society, reminiscent of Pinchot’s philosophy on wilderness—that wilderness was primarily for the advancement of civilization while admitting the beauty of wilderness itself as a bonus but secondary to the resources that nature provides[4]. However, their personal stake in the cleanup was the joy of enjoying nature in a purer sense than that which they had already enjoyed. Their twofold answer is aligned to the sentiment of Pinchot, wanting to be able to benefit from nature without destroying nature and giving nature room to flourish. The Lugtharts defended the protection and nurture of nature with the practical and economical use that healthy nature provides for us either because they understood the question to be looking for a practical answer or because they felt the need to give a practical defense for their cleanup against society’s values.

One of the major celebrations of Earth Day in the Conasauga Valley was the Ecumenical Earth Day celebrated by local churches. Ecumenical Earth day was started by a group named Christian Green Teams and from its beginnings about 24 years ago its purpose as stated in their mission statement was to create a medium through which to address problems in the North Georgia area as well as leadership for, “God’s creatures and creations in need.”[5] This year would be the 24th annual celebration of the event throughout which John P. Rossing, a pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church, has been involved with the event. In an article for the Daily citizen Rossing explained that earth day was a much-needed holiday explaining that as a Christian he believed that Earth was made by God and is special to Him, so we should honor the Earth as His creation.[6] He claimed that nature deserved our respect and nurture because of the relationship that nature has with God—being that nature is His creation. Purpose of the event has stayed the same throughout its 24 years as Cheryl Phipps (person in charge of the email associated with Ecumenical Earth Day) stated, “The main idea was that people from different faiths and churches would work together to promote biblical earth stewardship.”[7] Rossing’s and Phipps’ philosophy on the environment is akin to the romanticized view of the Thomas Cole responsible for Hudson River School that associated the power of wilderness with the power of God, or in Cole’s case wilderness had “religious as well as an aesthetic significance.”[8] This association of nature as an extension of God calls for the contemplation of Earth and for people to be good stewards of the land as respecting the Earth shows respect towards God, however this doesn’t give nature value for itself instead  nature derives its value from God.

Another organization which is environmentally active in the Conasuaga Valley was Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful (KDWB).  KDWB, in regards to environmental awareness, is primarily focused on educating people to be environmentally savvy and keeping, as its name implies, Dalton-Whitfield beautiful by keeping it clean. Part of KDWB’s mission according to Amy Hartline, the executive director for the organization, is, “encouraging residents to take responsibility for the environment” and their role is to “function as advisers and teachers.”[9] KDWB has a single staff member and relies on volunteers to make up the all other members including the board[10]. KDWB’s website serves as medium for people to stay informed about events that the organization is sponsoring[11]; all of this goes to show that KDWB is an organization to facilitate individual awareness and cooperation pertaining to environmental awareness. They emphasize the efforts of the individual and rely on the commitment of volunteers, similar to environmental movement of the 1960’s and 70’s, which was driven by the effects that people had on nature and conversely the effects nature could and did have people. [12]This new awareness or concern was popularized by things like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. In the same way KDWB tries to make environmental consciousness common place in the actions of our communities by emphasizing the contributions that individuals make.

There is an undeniable environmental consciousness in Dalton led by a mixture of philosophies regarding conservation from the practical and essential uses that the environment offers us when it is in good shape, to being tasked with being stewardess of the earth from God, or the sheer pleasure that wilderness and nature inspire in some. Regardless of the reason it is clear that environmental awareness is linked with the people on an individual level. This means that environmental consciousness is exercised by individuals independently of the government and stresses the involvement of people and the power of their collective efforts. Conservation is a personal task in this area of Georgia and it mostly lands on the backs of those who feel the need to contribute. The message being sent by green organizations is that people, individuals are the ones who need to contribute, who need to recycle, who need to stop littering, who need to pick up litter, who need to be informed, who need to feel responsible for their environment. This message is valid but lacking a certain authority that government intervention might be able to give it. This is perhaps how conservationist like Herbert Hoover who championed volunteerism envisioned the future of conservation with local people taking initiative over their localities while letting the government implement laissez-faire economics and be controlled by capitalist ideals that ultimately hurt the environment.

Individuals are the main component of Dalton’s environmental conscious, so people experience nature in a very direct way. Ecumenical earth day offers a variety of ways to experience earth day with an ambience reminiscent of a carnival with lots of different exhibits set up including “music, upcycling crafts, animals, and plantings”. In 2017 they had close to 20 exhibits even though some outdoor activities like a petting zoo and adopting pets had to be canceled due to rain[13]. Ecumenical Earth day offers an interactive form of engaging people of all ages with the Earth promoting a sense of responsibility and rejoice in being in charge of taking care of the Earth. In 2018 the event organizers had an article featured on the Dalton Daily Citizen where they invited everyone to join them in celebrating Earth day with poster competitions for kids, hot dog lunch for everyone, and door prizes.[14]According to KDWB’s Hartline, who helps prepare an exhibit on behalf of KDWB, Ecumenical Earth day sees around one hundred people if the weather is nice[15].

KDWB also helps people experience environmental awareness through different events throughout the year. They don’t have an annual event such as Ecumenical Earth day, although they do participate in Ecumenical Earth day every year, and they try to celebrate Earth day every year with an event that meets the occasion for that year. In 2017 when litter started becoming bigger problem, they decided to give people that were taking the initiative in cleaning up prizes through #LoveItDon’tTrashIt and #LiveLitterFree (education programs they started), and in 2018 they held “Donut Litter” a cleanup where 26 bags of litter was picked up with the help of about 50 volunteers.[16] This year KDWB had more than ten different programs scheduled that included recycling Christmas trees, adopt a mile cleanups, and helping in the annual Conasauga Watershed Cleanup,  although due to Covid-19 there has been some canceling and there still isn’t a new definite scheduled set.[17] Through KDWB the community is given numerous opportunities and in a variety of different ways to give back to nature, to experience nature, and to work toward having a healthier environment.

The Conasauga Watershed cleanup also offers a way for people to get involved with their environment and to give back to the water source responsible for close to 50% of Whitfield’s drinking water according to Hartline.[18] The Conasauga cleanup is a success year after year the Lugtharts noted that the number of participants range from around 160 to 360 a year with the first 5 years averaging around 70lbs of litter per participant being picked up while in recent year the average has dropped between 30lbs and 40lbs of litter per participant.[19] In 2015 they picked up close to 6 tons of litter with 359 volunteers in ten different locations.[20] So, even though there is still work that needs to be done in keeping the Conasauga litter free there has been improvement from when this cleanup first started in 1995. The efforts of John, Gretchen, and everyone involved in the cleanup throughout the years have clearly borne some fruit.

Another instance where the impact that environmental awareness has had on Dalton is evident in Mohawk’s farmer market. Mohawks sustainability report for 2017 shows the company celebrating Earth day by starting a farmer’s market for their employees, so that they (the employees) could get fresh local goods which also promotes the local economy.[21] It started in Calhoun, Georgia and offered fruits, vegetables, honey, and other goods, after seeing lots of good feedback Mohawk decided to host a farmer’s market for two more locations which included Dalton.[22] In 2009 Mohawk was noted to be the, “leader in recycled and renewable floors,” by Massage magazine and in honor of Earth day Mohawk shared 10 tips aimed to help the environment and people’s pockets.[23] Through programs and actions like these Mohawk helps individuals celebrate earth day and through different innovative products aimed to be more environmentally friendly.

One of, if not the only, thing that Dalton Georgia is globally known for is its carpet, so it is only natural to include the impact that environmental awareness has had on the carpet industry in Dalton. Mohawk industries has used technology to help bring the amount of material used and the amount of waste down by creating virtual spaces that show their product instead of having to use materials to create mock-up representations of space.[24] Another way Mohawk practices sustainability is through efficiency. They claimed to have saved $43 million through two new “zero waste to landfills (ZLF) sites,” which saved them the cost of hauling away trash, landfill, and water treatment.[25] The theme for the 2018 sustainability report was leaving a handprint instead of a footmark meaning doing more good than harm to the environment. They outline this cause with almost every example; in Russia where demand for vinyl is on the raise, they built a vinyl factory, and by building a factory in Russia they claim to eliminate the emissions associated with transporting their product to Russia. From 2006 to 2017 Mohawk has recycled 159 million pounds of carpet as part of their way to contribute to the circular economy (meaning taking old products or waste and creating new products out of them).[26] These are only a few examples found within Mohawks 2017 and 2018 sustainability report. It is clear that sustainability plays a big role in Mohawk industries. Mohawk seems to understand that sustainability is an economic asset as outlined with most of their polices. Mohawks virtual spaces saves them the money of having spaces made, ZTF’s save them money, building a factory in Russia expands their market and makes them money, and recycling products saves them money. Through being green they make green.

Another carpet giant, Shaw flooring is also invested in sustainability. Shaw also takes part in a circular economy with its “Cradle to Cradle” program that started in 1999 with Eco- Worx® backed carpet tile.[27] By 2018 Shaw has close to 90% of its products Cradle to Cradle certified and part of its circular economy in which each product has a number that to call when you don’t want it anymore and Shaw will go pick up the unwanted product so that it can be recreated.[28] Shaw shows its carbon dioxides (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOx), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in its 2018 sustainability report in an effort to show the progress its made in efficiently making its products.[29] Shaw notes that the pound of CO2 emissions corresponding with a pound of finished product was done by .59lbs from 2010, and the amount of water used per pound of finished product is also down 33%.[30] Shaw seems to embrace the progressive mind set of efficiency being the be all, end all of environmentalism, which is evident through the clear steps they are making towards being more efficient.[31] This is good; however, efficiency does not necessarily translate into Shaw emitting less CO2, SOx, NOx, or conserving more water. They measure their progress based on pound decrease per pound of finished product or with water they measure gallon decrease per pound of finished product. This means that if Shaw saw a 49% increase in product from 2010 to 2018 then they would be emitting the same amount of CO2 as they did in 2010 despite being more efficient. If Shaw saw a bigger increase than 49% in product production, then they would be emitting more CO2 than in they did in 2010. The same with NOx, Sox, and water, if Shaw experienced a big enough increase from 2010 to 2018, they could still be polluting as much and wasting as much water as in 2010 or potentially more than in 2010.

Admittedly, the sources used for the carpet section of the paper are obviously biased as they were made by the companies themselves, which means that they want to present their respective companies in a favorable way for potential consumers. Nevertheless, the following sources offer valuable information about the policies that these companies follow which have been impacted by the notion of being more environmentally friendly. If nothing else, they at least show that society’s or consumer’s environmental concern has been great enough to cause a change in the way that these companies try to present themselves. At the same time there might be incentive to become environmentally friendly not primarily for the environment’s sake, but because some environmentally friendly practices might increase efficiency which would lower over all the price of production. Regardless of the reason the environmental consciousness has had an impact on Shaw and Mohawk.

The focus and stress placed on the individual contribution that people make toward a healthier world is valid and well intentioned. There is merit to the individualistic philosophies that surround this area and that is evident through the works like the Conasauga Watershed Cleanup which has already rendered results, as well as the satisfaction of experiencing nature and the gratifying feeling that is only gained from contributing to greater and noble cause. However, the contributions made by individuals alone cannot create a healthy environment or a sustainable community. This is in no way intended to critique the organizations, events, or individuals previously or hereafter mentioned. As Brandon Zimmerman, a sports writer for The Red and Black (a local Newspaper Article in Athens, Ga) noted in a 1997 article that close to 99% of waste in the U.S. came from industries[32], so even if all the waste created by people could be recycled and it was all recycled  the overwhelming majority of waste created by the U.S. would remain the same. According to the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, in the solid waste management plan for 2018-2028 from July 2016 to June 2017 the amount of waste that Whitfield count landfills received came from the following sectors: 55.7% commercial, 16.2% household, 14.1% C&D (construction and demolition), 13.6% industrial (11% of all industrial waste was waste from carpet industry).[33] This means that locally Whitfield follows the same trends as the nation with most of the waste coming from areas other than the household and as a result even if people were able to recycle all their waste the majority of waste created in Whitfield would still end up in a landfill.

The solution then is not what Zimmerman argues that we should not recycle or reuse or waste time trying to save the Earth and instead go out and experience the parts of nature that man hasn’t corrupted yet[34]. Instead government policy should be implemented to try and reduce the amount of waste that other sectors create and encourage those sectors to recycle the waste they do make. A counter argument is that if enough people get behind the idea, they can change things through their purchasing power, namely laissez-faire economics where the invisible hand regulates the corporations. This might work in a perfect world where everyone is invested in being sustainable and in being environmentally aware, but the sad reality is that this is not a perfect world and not everyone is interested in the wellbeing of our environment. Another issue with sustainability and letting the market regulate itself is that many times sustainable practices can be more expensive than non-sustainable ones because although in theory sustainability is cheaper the lack of infrastructure or laws geared toward sustainability make it more expensive. A case in point would be government subsidies that have paid out 78% ($223.5 billion) of subsidies to the highest 10% producing farms[35]; the government encourages agribusiness as opposed to small farms. Agribusiness, for the most part is unsustainable, because their main goal is high yield not sustainability. The government, however, has (or should have) long term interest in the wellbeing of the environmental state of its nation (state, county, city, ect.) as the environment’s wellbeing is directly linked to the nation’s wellbeing and should therefore encourage sustainability. Additionally, the government has the means to change the price of sustainability by encouraging sustainable practices through means like laws, subsidies, and education.

As mentioned earlier the actions taken by groups, organizations, and individuals like the ones mentioned above have their merit and deserve recognition. They show initiative and try to get people involved in taking care of the environment and educate people in more sustainable practices. They make a difference. They shape how environmental awareness is lived in placed like Dalton, Georgia, and are crucial in setting a foundation that can one day propel government entities to incorporate themselves more heavily in caring for the environment.

[1] Nash, Roderick Frazier. Wilderness and the American Mind : Fifth Edition. Vol. Fifth ed. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014. Pg.68

[2] John Lugthart and Gretchen Lugthart (founders of Conasauga Watershed River Cleanup) interview with Rivers Alive (state cleanup organization) obtained from John Lugthart via email to Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020

[3]John Lugthart and Gretchen Lugthart (founders of Conasauga Watershed River Cleanup) interview with Rivers Alive (state cleanup organization) obtained from John Lugthart via email to Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020

[4]Nash, 159

[5] Christian Green Team (Scan), obtained from Cheryl Philipps associated with Ecumenical Earth day) in email with Guadalupe Espitia. March 2020.

[6] Whitfield, Chris, “Ecumenical Earth Day celebration wet but ‘inspiring’”, Daily Citizen, April 24, 2017, Accessed February 12, 2020

[7] Cheryl Philipps (associated with Ecumenical Earth day) email with Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020.

[8] Nash, 102

[9] Amy Hartline (Executive Director for Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful and Recycling and Education Coordinator for Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority) email with Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020.

[10] Amy Hartline (Executive Director for Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful and Recycling and Education Coordinator for Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority) email with Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020.

[11] Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, “Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful”, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Accessed March 17, 2020

[12] Nash, 278

[13] Whitfield, “Ecumenical Earth Day celebration wet but ‘inspiring’”, April 24, 2017

[14] Event organizers, “Ecumenical Earth Day in Dalton announces plans”, Daily Citizen, April 4, 2018, Accessed March 17, 2020

[15] Amy Hartline (Executive Director for Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful and Recycling and Education Coordinator for Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority) email with Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020.

[16] Amy Hartline (Executive Director for Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful and Recycling and Education Coordinator for Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority) email with Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020.

[17] Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, “Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful”, Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Accessed March 17, 2020

[18] Cobb, L. Shaka, “Hundreds volunteer for the annual Conasauga River Watershed Clean-up”, Daily Citizen, April 22, 2018. Accessed March 17, 2020

[19] John Lugthart and Gretchen Lugthart (founders of Conasauga Watershed River Cleanup) interview with Rivers Alive (state cleanup organization) obtained from John Lugthart via email to Guadalupe Espitia, March 2020

[20] Hawkins, Gary “5.9 Tons of Garbage Removed from the Conasauga River Watershed”, Water at UGA, UGA Extension, November 11, 2015

[21] Mohawk, 2017 Sustainability Report, pg 25

[22] Mohawk, 2017 Sustainability Report, pg 25

[23] MASSAGE Magazine, “Mohawk's 10 Tips to Green Your Home”, MASSAGE Magazine, MASSAGE Magazine, April 2, 2009, Accessed March 16, 2020

[24] Mohawk, 2017 Sustainability Report, pg 9

[25] Mohawk,2018 Sustainability Report, pg 3

[26] Mohawk,2018 Sustainability Report, pg 17

[27] Shaw, 2018 Sustainability Report, pg 40

[28] Shaw, 2018 Sustainability Report, pg 44-45

[29] Shaw, 2018 Sustainability Report, pg 44-45

[30] Shaw, 2018 Sustainability Report, pg 44-45

[31] Hays, Samuel P, “The Conservation Crusade”. Conservation And The Gospel Of Efficiency : The Progressive Conservation Movement, 1890–1920, Pittsburgh, Pa: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1999. Pg. 123

[32] Zimmerman, Brandon, “Message of Earth Day lost due to hype”, The Red and Black, April 22, 1997, Accessed March 21, 2020

[33] Dalton Whitfield Solid Waste Authority, Solid Waste Management Plan November 2018 through October 2028, Whitfield County, Cohutta, Dalton, Tunnel Hill, Varnell, Georgia, a goldsmith resources, 2018

[34] Zimmerman, “Message of Earth Day lost due to hype”, April 22, 1997

[35] Ewg, “EWG’s Farm Subsidy Database,” EWG Farm Subsidy Database || Farm subsidies in the United States, Accessed May 4, 2020.