“The world was made for men," said he to Santa Claus, "and I have but guarded the forests until men needed them for their use. I am glad my strong trees can furnish shelter for men's weak bodies, and warm them through the cold winters. But I hope they will not cut down all the trees, for mankind needs the shelter of the woods in summer as much as the warmth of blazing logs in winter. And, however crowded the world may grow, I do not think men will ever come to Burzee, nor to the Great Black Forest, nor to the wooded wilderness of Braz; unless they seek their shades for pleasure and not to destroy their giant trees.”
—In his lesser-known tale of
the life and adventures of Santa Claus, written more than 100 years ago,
Wizard of Oz creator
L. Frank Baum presages humanity’s extreme entitlement that has produced the ecological collapse of the past century, including
the demise of some of Earth’s oldest trees.