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In previous articles published in Sustainable Land Development Today (www.SLDTonline.com) magazine, I have supported a more environmentally-friendly approach to land development.
âUnderstanding the Sacred Bond we have with Treesâ pointed out the historical importance of wood to the rise of major civilizations and the link between deforestation and environmental collapse, and the fall of many of those same civilizations. The article âBiodiversity is the Living Foundation for Sustainable Developmentâ was published to highlight the fact that underlying all efforts to achieve a triple-bottom-lined sustainable future is the fundamental requirement that certain environmental building blocks must exist, or little hope for civilization can remain. Finally,âBuilding a Sustainable Community Forestâ addressed the need for a comprehensive approach to build sustainable âdesigner ecosystemsâ for the future.
Having taken an early environmentally defensive position on land development issues in the past, I now find myself in the position of defending our industry in the face of recent publicly reported criticism and dire predictions which have outlined a very bleak future for humanity as a consequence of the collective eco-sins of present and preceding generations. While the consequences of bad environmental practices are now evident and obvious to any rational observer, I now offer an opinion contrary to the current hysteria-media-driven fear of a coming âDark Ageâ for civilization.
The key to my optimism is the belief that inevitably the movement of human emotion between the extremes of confidence in human dominance over nature, and the fear of nature punishing us for our exploitive tendencies, will result in a more balanced view that as part of nature, humans have the capability to be a positive evolutionary force and to learn from and influence the natural world around us, for the benefit of society today, as well as future generations of all species.
As evidence that the above described human emotional cycle does exist, I offer the following simple example - In 1992, in conjunction with the assembly of the first World Summit on Sustainable Development, a majority of the worldâs leading scientists signed and delivered an unprecedented and explicit document entitled, âA Warning to Humanityâ with the following introduction:
âHuman beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about.â
âWe must bring environmentally damaging activities under control to restore and protect the integrity of the Earthâs systems we depend on.â
Even though it is easy to see in hindsight that the scientists were correct in their warnings, at the time neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post even carried the story. Now, in contrast, doomsayers are given top billing in the news of the day, and end-of-the-world stories are common.
What is a responsible land developer to make of this?
Well, in 1987, five years before âA Warning to Humanityâ, this developer was elected president of a major environmental organization, called for âThe Year of Restorationâ, and predicted that earth restoration would become a major world-wide industry. Since that time, as evidenced by the emergence of SLDT magazine and its parent organization â Sustainable Land Development International (SLDI)- there has been an amazing burst of new technology on the scene, with much more on the way, that will enable our species to not only survive, but to thrive as the stewards of a restored planet.
The cornerstone of our new-found knowledge of sustainability is the philosophy of âdoing more with less,â and the best sustainable models to study are the earthâs natural systems. By emulating the efficiency of nature, we can sustain our species at a desirable standard of living and at long last, the often repeated cycle of natural resource exploitation, and the rise and fall of civilizations from the dawn of human time, will be broken.
Terry Mock
Executive Director
Sustainable Land Development International
www.SLDI.org
TMock: Great, but this oneâs about hunting (same topic as Non Sequitur, if you want to check that out too), not development. Generally, hunters (like the guys in Ducks Unlimited) are also against development.
TMock over 16 years ago
Nature Bats Last We are Part of Nature, TooâŠ
In previous articles published in Sustainable Land Development Today (www.SLDTonline.com) magazine, I have supported a more environmentally-friendly approach to land development.
âUnderstanding the Sacred Bond we have with Treesâ pointed out the historical importance of wood to the rise of major civilizations and the link between deforestation and environmental collapse, and the fall of many of those same civilizations. The article âBiodiversity is the Living Foundation for Sustainable Developmentâ was published to highlight the fact that underlying all efforts to achieve a triple-bottom-lined sustainable future is the fundamental requirement that certain environmental building blocks must exist, or little hope for civilization can remain. Finally,âBuilding a Sustainable Community Forestâ addressed the need for a comprehensive approach to build sustainable âdesigner ecosystemsâ for the future.
Having taken an early environmentally defensive position on land development issues in the past, I now find myself in the position of defending our industry in the face of recent publicly reported criticism and dire predictions which have outlined a very bleak future for humanity as a consequence of the collective eco-sins of present and preceding generations. While the consequences of bad environmental practices are now evident and obvious to any rational observer, I now offer an opinion contrary to the current hysteria-media-driven fear of a coming âDark Ageâ for civilization.
The key to my optimism is the belief that inevitably the movement of human emotion between the extremes of confidence in human dominance over nature, and the fear of nature punishing us for our exploitive tendencies, will result in a more balanced view that as part of nature, humans have the capability to be a positive evolutionary force and to learn from and influence the natural world around us, for the benefit of society today, as well as future generations of all species.
As evidence that the above described human emotional cycle does exist, I offer the following simple example - In 1992, in conjunction with the assembly of the first World Summit on Sustainable Development, a majority of the worldâs leading scientists signed and delivered an unprecedented and explicit document entitled, âA Warning to Humanityâ with the following introduction:
âHuman beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about.â
âWe must bring environmentally damaging activities under control to restore and protect the integrity of the Earthâs systems we depend on.â
Even though it is easy to see in hindsight that the scientists were correct in their warnings, at the time neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post even carried the story. Now, in contrast, doomsayers are given top billing in the news of the day, and end-of-the-world stories are common.
What is a responsible land developer to make of this?
Well, in 1987, five years before âA Warning to Humanityâ, this developer was elected president of a major environmental organization, called for âThe Year of Restorationâ, and predicted that earth restoration would become a major world-wide industry. Since that time, as evidenced by the emergence of SLDT magazine and its parent organization â Sustainable Land Development International (SLDI)- there has been an amazing burst of new technology on the scene, with much more on the way, that will enable our species to not only survive, but to thrive as the stewards of a restored planet.
The cornerstone of our new-found knowledge of sustainability is the philosophy of âdoing more with less,â and the best sustainable models to study are the earthâs natural systems. By emulating the efficiency of nature, we can sustain our species at a desirable standard of living and at long last, the often repeated cycle of natural resource exploitation, and the rise and fall of civilizations from the dawn of human time, will be broken.
Terry Mock Executive Director Sustainable Land Development International www.SLDI.org
tobybartels over 16 years ago
TMock: Great, but this oneâs about hunting (same topic as Non Sequitur, if you want to check that out too), not development. Generally, hunters (like the guys in Ducks Unlimited) are also against development.
Tjin about 14 years ago
you canât hunt in an urban setting⊠well okay you âCouldâ but you would probably get in troubleâŠ
Lord Vivamus about 12 years ago
HrmmâŠâŠ NOW I know where my lost soapbox went! Thanks MrTerryMockExecutiveDirectorSustainableLand DevelopmentInternationalwww.SLD1.org guy!
Lord Vivamus about 12 years ago
& beyond that, cute strip Mr Tatulli!
Happy, happy, happy!!! Premium Member over 7 years ago
BUNNIES!
sunchaunzo over 3 years ago
HUNTERS ARE ALWAYS IN SEASON!!!