Tag Archives: progress

Here’s my newspaper column (in tomorrow’s edition)

Here’s something to think about the next time you’re stuck in traffic on Interstate 81 or another of our wildlife habitat-fragmenting highways to nowhere.

Incredibly, there are those walking among us who think such traffic snares constitute wonderful news as they’re signs of “progress.” Among them are likely developers mapping new townhouse clusters and dreaming up better and bigger subdivisions to be bulldozed into existence from natural lands where songbirds once ruled.

Meanwhile, there are growing numbers of thinking folks – dispirited over the loss of green, open space to the pavers and builders – who wonder where it will all end, and worry about the already-frayed quality of life.

In 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt boldly said, “The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life.”

When he proceeded to create the national park and national wildlife refuge systems, the U. S. seemed set on a new path toward real conservation. Well, as we all know, progress on that path since then has been uneven at best.

Have you heard of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative? Despite being well tapped into conservation-oriented news outlets, I hadn’t heard much. For one thing, the record-setting heat wave we just finished enduring was more than enough to keep one focused on global warming.

As someone who cares deeply about such things as air and water pollution, environmental justice, habitat destruction and fragmentation, I worry a lot about the status quo.

My reading list included media coverage of listening sessions hosted by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and other high-ranking federal officials. The sessions are part of the Outdoors Initiative, by which the president aims to create new policy with substantial on-the-ground impacts as profound as Teddy Roosevelt’s were 100 years ago.

On rolling out this ambitious initiative on April 16, Obama said, “Even in times of crisis, we’re called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage – because in doing so we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us as Americans, and as inhabitants of this same small planet.”

President Obama took this bold move at a time when it would have been easier politically to sideline grand conservation plans. One listening session participant reported that the officials present seemed quite serious about something coming of it all. The bad news is that the public segments holding sway on the electronic-forum segment of the show – which, the plan goes, will inform policy – are anything but “long view” environment-friendly.

This “Ideas” forum is an Internet site where people can post ideas and others can vote to “Promote” or “Demote” them, yielding a positive or negative score that reflects net feedback.

After a few early encouraging votes, my idea quickly fell into the red, with “Demotes” outnumbering “Promotes.” No comments, just negative votes. I was prepared to take the plunge into the minus side personally until I checked out the “What’s Hot” list along the right side of the Ideas page. That’s when I realized that every “hot” idea running positive had to do with increasing off-road access in public lands, eliminating regulations, limiting wilderness designations, “wise use” – you get the idea. Every idea running heavily in negative territory actually would serve to protect and/or foster appreciation for the environment. If federal officials really do use the voting on this public forum to make policy, the environment is in for a rough ride.

It doesn’t have to be this way. There’s still time to turn the tide. The truly bad ideas are only a few hundred votes ahead. From urban green spaces to peace parks to helping grass-roots groups be more effective, plenty of ideas worthy of Sierra Club members’ support have been posted, and you can make a difference. Please visit the site, post an idea, and vote today.

Get started  at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors

Remember the words of the great conservationist/writer Aldo Leopold:

“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”