Consumerism damages souls, but conservation can save them

Barnhill tries to get to the roots of the evils forged by development. He blames consumerism for robbing human society of its soul but hopes he can restore humans' souls by uniting them behind conservationist causes, like declining water quality. Humans need to redefine their sense of place, argues Barnhill, because that sense of place has been fragmented by development. By reuniting community members around their need for clean water, Barnhill hopes to reunite them with their lost sense of community and sense of themselves.