In the book "Bicycle Diaries" by David Byrne the author cycles around different cities all over the world and writes down his experience. In Germany he fusses about manicured landscapes. As a matter of fact there's no wilderness left in Europe he says. Personally, I don't have the feeling that all landscapes are manicured in Europe. Sure, forests have been managed for wood and sometimes been replanted but where has not that happened. At least Europe has forests and has them near and in cities, at the door step to be enjoyed. What do I care about wilderness that is hours and hours of driving away from where I live, such as in Edmonton, and in some cases, because it's wilderness, it's totally inacccessible? Instead Edmonton is surrounded by miles of 'man-mad wilderness' of industrial plots that alone are so neglected and partially left to rot (because land is cheap) it's very ugly to look it. I'd prefer a manicured forest there.
Considering the population density in Europe I think we are doing really well for nature. If North America had the same population density I bet there would not be a single tree left here. German autobahns are not as space wasting as the American Highway system either. Besides, American wilderness is found where people have (had) access difficulties but even those are disappearing. Just think about the oil and mining companies and how they move further into the last great wildernesses of North America - ready to chop them down! Land Brandenburg, the federal state of Germany that I am from, is famous and infamous for its tree-lined roads. Famous because they are so beautiful and infamous because reckless drivers crash and die since the trees do not give in where a field would. By the way, Iceland and Scotland, just asa examples, have surely areas left "to be wild" but they are mostly still in reasonable reachable distance for people like me. If you don't pay attention you might end up in a bog or geothermal pond though!
No comments:
Post a Comment