Monday, June 8, 2015

A Fable for Tomorrow” and “The Obligation to Endure

A Fable for Tomorrow” and “The Obligation to Endure by Rachel Carson remind me of a lot of how I feel about my home in Southwest Florida. I once was excited about development, now I feel like it’s too much. Part of it is because it just always seem to be more homes, and nothing new and exciting. The other part if the more they build the less the landscape looks like the place I love. The more people, the less secret spots are left. You see more and more people who come here and are ignorant to what we love. They kill things, take things, and build in places where we once played.  For some reason we keep meeting the demands of people who want to come here, rather than just letting are land go up and preserving what's left. I just wonder where all these people will go if they only build houses and not more stores and activities.  What has already silence the voices of spring in countless town in America (Carson pg. 152)?  Is this what is next for us an artificial place, with warm water, which nature is silenced?

She says chemicals prays on cropland or forest or gardens lie long in soil, entering into new organisms, passing from on to another in a chain of poisoning death (Carson pg. 154). It reminds me of the issues within the everglades are even in most residential neighborhoods. The chemicals have floated down river and effected the fishing. I know for a fact fishing especially in the backwaters has deteriorated since I was a kid.  There are things I see less and less of , or sometimes not at all. I notice it more in the areas which are fed from the agricultural lands which are sprayed with chemicals.


I sometimes am conflicted by what I do for a living, land development and engineering. I rely on growth for job security.  Although I do not agree with what she says that “we are in an era dominated by industry, in which the right to make a dollar at whatever cost is seldom challenged” (Carson pg. 160). I am starting to see a trend of with development comes a donation to the environment.  A lot of large projects come with a donation back to earth. I am seeing a trend of developing destroyed lands to serve the purpose of making a dollar but also contributing to the environment. So it seem as if we are changing are mindset somewhat. I am not sure if it’s enough, but it seems to be increasing. Although Florida is one of the fastest growing, it is also one of the most protected areas. Therefore I think there is some hope that we won’t lose all are paradise.





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