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.
2 comments :
The things you say are true. My question to you is "Are we in Mont Belvieu considering those things as we move forward in the development of our city?"
You state that nature must adapt. And you are correct Nature will adapt.
I wonder where the water will go? I am sure study upon study will be done on the water runoff but as always something will be unaccounted for and as always it will continue to rain. Rain WILL find a place to go.
I also wonder about all of the animals that live in the areas that are being developed, where are they going to go? Just die off or start foraging in other places? Probably both..I do know that the foraging in inappropriate places has been going on for awhile. The golf course used to have wild pigs digging up the courses. I don't know if that has been resolved or not. I have lost several pets to coyotes and I have a beautiful hawk hunting in my backyard these days. They are adapting.
And you speak of remembering the touch and the feel of the earth, at some point it becomes a telling of how it used to be. I mourn that day as I know many people before me have mourned for something dear to them. There are those of us that still do use the earth for farming or gardening. I am teaching my children about growing things in the earth, so maybe they will pass it on. I am very glad that I have a place to do this. If I need concrete and pavement, there are many places I can go but then I can return home.
A lot of times we just want what we don't have. And sometimes bigger is not always better.
With all of that said, as Mont Belvieu grows let's help it stay that place to return home.
Don't get me wrong, I want Mont Belvieu to grow and prosper but I want it to remain the great place people want to raise their children and be away from the big city.
And by the way sometimes maybe you just need a good wallow in the mud to remember what's important.
Have a wonderful day!
Cyndi,
You have a beautiful way of expressing yourself. Thank you!
Water is of particular concern here in southeast Texas. We get over 50 inches of rain per year (although it doesn't seem like it recently...). We need someplace for it to go, and also make sure that where it goes and while it goes it doesn't get too polluted along the way.
Animals. Animals are too often neglected in our efforts to tame the wilderness. Many animals that were once here have been displaced. Others have died out, like you mention. But again, most have an incredible ability to adapt, as long as they have enough time and space to do so... I love to go to our bridge over Cotton Bayou and watch the turtles crawl around. If the water was too bad, there would be no animals there...
Mont Belvieu is in an interesting position. We have a large industrial complex to our west and a relatively rural county surrounding us. Yet Baytown is pushing out this way, as well as Houston in general. Interestingly, the answer to our solution may be to increase density in some areas so that there can remain open areas in the outlying regions. It's counter-intuitive, but it would work like this:
Mr. Developer owns 100 acres. According to our current law, he would be allowed to construct 400 homes (on quarter acre lots). Rather than spreading out all over the 100 acres, if he were to build 200 apartments (say 15 acres) close to the "downtown" area, transitioning into 100 townhomes or garden homes (about 20 acres), and finally into 100 single-family residential (about 25 acres), there would be significant land left over (in this example, there would be 40 acres of open land). That land could be put into a conservation easement, allowing for a more natural or park-like amenity. Same number of units, much less land used. The City gets a 40 acre park, the developer gets a variety of housing types and has less infrastructure (roads, utilities, etc) costs, and the residents get more choice in housing.
Conservation easements may be granted by land owners at any time. Developers don't even have to be involved (it's just that they ususally are). There are also agricultural preserves and other kinds of things where people can "guarantee" that these lands are reserved forever.
It's interesting to think about. There are many options. It's my job to make sure that they are all on the table.
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