Conservation had its origin in the USA where attention was drawn in the 1950s to the damage done by mining in the Appalachians. It may be defined as the protection of natural or man-made resources and landscapes for later use.
Conservation protects resources for future use by banning reckless exploitation.
It promotes an end to wasteful use of non-renewable resources, more efficient extraction methods, and recycling. A major theme is the conservation of soil, perhaps the most abused of the natural resources. Conservation is both rational, since it extends resources for the use of future generations, and morally sound. It is argued that the human race has no right to bring about the extinction of species and environments which have value on aesthetic, scientific, and recreational grounds. By this French legislation, conservation has been achieved in Avignon, Chartres, and the Marais quarter of Paris, for example.