Eco-Density = Warehousing People to Save the Planet

Beware of social planners. In fact, beware of ANY planners. They tend to be those who "know best". Hmmmm does this sound familiar? Any Lenin's come to mind? ( Hint: Not John ) I'll come back to that thought later.

Eco Density is being promoted by all sorts of "planners" out there. It will save the earth. It will conserve resources. It will keep rich farm land productive. It will help make the delivery of services efficient and economical. It will create a perfect world! Or will it?

It will jam thousands of people into close proximity. It will reduce the living area of a family into 800 square feet and make them pay over $400,000 for it. It will reduce choices by restricting mobility, so groceries will cost whatever the vendors want to charge. It will increase noise levels and affect sleep and mental health. And most importantly, it will isolate Humans from Nature.

Oh that is very green.

Let us save nature by warehousing people. Now where have we seen this experiment before?
Does the word " projects" ring a bell?
How about the ugly concrete " people's housing" the soviets constructed after they ran everyone off their land?

Oh you may think I'm sounding extreme and paranoid. But history has a great store of times when the good intentioned elite intellectuals fell in with the power hungry. I hear the same retoric today.

To the elite, people are a problem and at best a disposable renewable resource. Is that how you see yourself? Are you huddled in you cold winter room under the erie glow of florescents and watching ads for a brilliant Las Vegas nirvana? Let's see....you feel guilty turning on a light in another room.......they....oh! They don't seem to feel guilty at all!!!!!!!!! What is it that really makes you feel alive?

Many have said that being in touch with nature has sustained and renewed them. How many successful therapies are based on reconnecting people with nature? Many. More than any other technique. We are told that our mission is to preserve, protect, and nurture nature.......but not to interact with it except in officially prescribed doses and under strict supervision.

Sacrifice is the call. Guilt is the whip. Fear is the goad.

Where is fullness of life?

Where is the exultation of communion?

It is where the "planners" want it to be........in a documentary on your HDTV screen.

Eco density is a way to take people out of nature. It is a concept built on the belief that man is separate from nature. Oh! Isn't that how we got here in the first place?


SOLUTIONS:

OK It is not fair to rail against an idea without offering alternatives.

I'll put some of my ideas on other posts but here is a quick summary.

Spread people out and make their dwellings constructed in tune with nature.
Use satellite village models where goods can be moved into hubs using energy efficient transport.
Start the idea of "Victory Gardens" again.

I'll go on in other posts, but instead of warehousing people through ecodensity, let them integrate back into nature with proper building codes ( and yes) development plans.

Also a quick note on commuting. Planners are too old! Web 2.0 is here. All your kids are electronically connected. This is the future. Use it.


OK this is as long a post as I want to go. I'll fill in more later.
Leave a comment if you found this interesting.
Colin