There has ever been a love-hate relationship between the built environment and the natural world. People have ever modified the world in which we live in an effort to make it more comfortable, more livable, more convenient, and more safe and healthy. Anytime we make these modifications, however, nature must adapt to the changing condition.
All construction starts with demolition and destruction. We scar the earth in an effort to bring order to the chaos. And it can never be the same.
Thus it is important to consider how to touch lightly the earth on which we live and depend.
It is also important to remember the touch and feel of the earth.
As we cover more and more of our world with concrete, pavement, macadam, tar, gravel, etc, it separates us all from the earth from which we sprang. And this distance, this alienation, is inherently destructive....
I am not advocating people go wallow around in the mud. But the attitude of connection to our earth is what is important. As we recognize the foundations on which we build, both literally and metaphorically, we can respect better the intrusions we make on the earth. The earth has long been held as sacred. It is only a recent thing when we have removed ourselves from the earth. Even farmers hardly touch the earth - sitting in giant machine two stories in the air, listening to stereos in air conditioned comfort, following GPS tracks laid out to maximize utility and field use. Compare that to ancient farmers who (until very, very recently) were forced to walk behind plodding animals, breathing the dust and really becoming one with the land. Harvest was done with bent backs leaning close to the ground. This is real. But it is also no longer the case.
Building is the same. Development is the same. Yes, people need a safe, healthy, and clean place to live and raise one's family. But our built environment covers over the natural and subsumes much of what we once were.
All construction starts with demolition and destruction. We scar the earth in an effort to bring order to the chaos. And it can never be the same.
Thus it is important to consider how to touch lightly the earth on which we live and depend.
It is also important to remember the touch and feel of the earth.
As we cover more and more of our world with concrete, pavement, macadam, tar, gravel, etc, it separates us all from the earth from which we sprang. And this distance, this alienation, is inherently destructive....
I am not advocating people go wallow around in the mud. But the attitude of connection to our earth is what is important. As we recognize the foundations on which we build, both literally and metaphorically, we can respect better the intrusions we make on the earth. The earth has long been held as sacred. It is only a recent thing when we have removed ourselves from the earth. Even farmers hardly touch the earth - sitting in giant machine two stories in the air, listening to stereos in air conditioned comfort, following GPS tracks laid out to maximize utility and field use. Compare that to ancient farmers who (until very, very recently) were forced to walk behind plodding animals, breathing the dust and really becoming one with the land. Harvest was done with bent backs leaning close to the ground. This is real. But it is also no longer the case.
Building is the same. Development is the same. Yes, people need a safe, healthy, and clean place to live and raise one's family. But our built environment covers over the natural and subsumes much of what we once were.
