When I lived in New York and wrote for the New Yorker, I concerned myself mostly with people stories. But at some point I began to understand that Manhattan was an island of puffery and hype in many ways. Also, I started reading Edward Abbey's work. And Wendell Berry's. You say that Edward Abbey and Wendell Berry's writings inspired you.
Overpopulation is one of our most intractable worldwide problems.
Eventually, growing populations will make it nearly impossible to re-wild the surrounding areas. We tend to think of population as a problem somewhere else, but in fact our own pop. Half the battle is population, the other half is consumption, and consumption-efficiency. Human nature may be the most insurmountable obstacle to harmony with the environment. In my new book, which will come out in the fall, I explore a few areas where humans have more limited desires.