Growth, Part III

So, we are faced now with a reality that we are many. We are many upon this earth, and we are productive. We make big homes for ourselves, and we make many things for ourselves, and we sell things around the world. With the level of sophistication we have reached, we support a huge global population and impact the earth’s natural equilibrium to an unprecedented level.
Secondly, we realize that we have thoroughly affected every corner of the planet. The ecosystems of our “wild places” have been infiltrated by invasive species. A recent study showed that even deep corners of the ocean far from cities are contaminated by our desechos. In 2008, we are no longer frontiersmen charged to tame the dark unknown, but rather we’ve taken our biblical place as shepherd and caretaker of our kingdom.
I have said a million times that we must see ourselves as part of the natural system, instead of seeing ourselves as separate and isolated from it. I was fortunate to grow up where I did, with the mountains wrapped around me, river flowing under me, fishing for breakfast, hunting for dinner, raking leaves and shoveling snow. I know what it means to chop wood and run from an angry bear. Because of my visceral connection with the earth’s seasons, weather and animals, I feel part of the greater picture. Recycling makes sense because I know places with no trash. Reducing air pollution makes sense because I know the feeling of crisp clean air.
But not everyone can live how I lived. We are too many. There is not enough land. In an attempt to give each person the “sense of space” of the frontier, we created the suburbs, which are an awful ecological wasteland of non-native grasses and uninhabitable landscaping. Ecologically rich forests and plains are erased by concrete and landscaping, and any insect or rodent that tries to stay around is quickly “solved” with a red spray-bottle from the Home and Garden aisle.
The sad thing about the suburbs is that they cover so much land surface, and thereby destroy the exact terrain that could potentially inspire the next generation of children. Let’s consider two options. One, a suburban housing development clears 40 acres of land and paves in 60 homes. Or two, six apartment buildings are built on sides of the property, or perhaps on the four corners, with ten apartment in each, and 30 acres is not only “saved,” but also becomes space for children to lose and find themselves, get dirty, learn to use a compass and a tent and matches, and how to spot deer and birds.
If we extend the example to a larger scale, we would discuss the vertical growth of our cities, focusing on creating positive livable urban environments, and thus preserving easily accessible natural places outside the cities. Thoreau lived in Concord and went to Harvard, but Walden was close enough, and wild enough, that he was able to get his greatest inspiration. We need to create livable urban environments so we can house our growing population without covering the earth’s entire surface, but everyone needs their Copper Ridge or their Walden.