Posted by
derrick m.
Cover me, when I sleep
Cover me, when I breathe
You throw your pearls before the swine
Make the monkey blind
- peter gabriel
It seems if you are one of those people who think more and more Americans are enjoying the great outdoors, chances are you are still a Flock of Seagulls fan as well. According to an article by David Biello published in Scientific American magazine, the number of people in the states visiting national parks and other natural areas has been on a steady decline since 1987. In fact it would take 80 million more visits this year to get the per capita numbers back up to 80s level. It seems that public enjoyment of the great out doors was on a 50 year climb that peaked in the 80s and has slipped about 1 percent per year since.
Conservationists interviewed for the article believe (not surprisingly) that the electronic world is the main culprit. They also believe that “fear” runs a close second. It’s hard for modern parents to know which to fear most, strangers or racoons. . . Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods” asks, “If you are raising a generation under protective house arrest, will they have a joyful experience in nature?” The article goes on to suggest that the solution may be as simple as parents just getting outside with their kids. No surprise there either. Good luck with that.
America has always had a bit of an ambivalence toward nature. There is quite a disconnect between words and deed that tracks back to when our forefathers first set foot in the "new world". From the slaughter of the buffalo to the damming of the Colorado river we have always found nature as something to dominate and use rather than enjoy. Maybe there was just too much of it to appreciate it. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a middle road, a way to use and not abuse, but for too many generations we’ve been extreme. Growing up in the 70s I was quite sure the world as a whole was a colorless place comprised of rusty Fords driving over flaming rivers through a mist of DDT. Natural areas were seen much like 50’s drive-thrus. The only real way to enjoy a natural park was through dirty windshields. In fact if you wanted to get any closer to nature, you may just invite a bear into the front seat for a photograph with the wife. (a classic “Darwin” moment) When I was a kid I think we were the perfect examples of the nature “drive by”. We used to visit the local state park regularly but rarely actually stop and get out of the car. I can remember staring out the glass like a prisoner and wanting nothing more than to stop and go play. Of course the $2 fee at the time was enough to keep my parents from encouraging such frivolity. Sadly too many of these folks are still passing on that attitude today.
The downside of this "out of touch" lifestyle is that nature becomes just another form of rectangular Hi-Def fiction. When nature is something we see on television or through a windshield it becomes hard for us to understand environmental issues in any real sort of way. Environmentalism becomes nothing more than another stagnant issue of the talking heads. National Geographic films showing aerial views of rain forests do nothing more than re-enforce the idea that all is right with the world, something the SA article calls, “Virtual Nature”. Viewers tend to believe what they “see” much easier than they understand the commentary that goes along with the pictures. Not to mention that kids can spend all day exploring the jungles of Tomb Raider, and those forests do seem to go on forever.
The upside of course is that the few of us who do get out have a much better chance to spend a bit of quality time alone in the woods.
Posted by derrick m.
Cover me, when I sleep
Cover me, when I breathe
You throw your pearls before the swine
Make the monkey blind
- peter gabriel
It seems if you are one of those people who think more and more Americans are enjoying the great outdoors, chances are you are still a Flock of Seagulls fan as well. According to an article by David Biello published in Scientific American magazine, the number of people in the states visiting national parks and other natural areas has been on a steady decline since 1987. In fact it would take 80 million more visits this year to get the per capita numbers back up to 80s level. It seems that public enjoyment of the great out doors was on a 50 year climb that peaked in the 80s and has slipped about 1 percent per year since.
Conservationists interviewed for the article believe (not surprisingly) that the electronic world is the main culprit. They also believe that “fear” runs a close second. It’s hard for modern parents to know which to fear most, strangers or racoons. . . Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods” asks, “If you are raising a generation under protective house arrest, will they have a joyful experience in nature?” The article goes on to suggest that the solution may be as simple as parents just getting outside with their kids. No surprise there either. Good luck with that.
America has always had a bit of an ambivalence toward nature. There is quite a disconnect between words and deed that tracks back to when our forefathers first set foot in the "new world". From the slaughter of the buffalo to the damming of the Colorado river we have always found nature as something to dominate and use rather than enjoy. Maybe there was just too much of it to appreciate it. Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a middle road, a way to use and not abuse, but for too many generations we’ve been extreme. Growing up in the 70s I was quite sure the world as a whole was a colorless place comprised of rusty Fords driving over flaming rivers through a mist of DDT. Natural areas were seen much like 50’s drive-thrus. The only real way to enjoy a natural park was through dirty windshields. In fact if you wanted to get any closer to nature, you may just invite a bear into the front seat for a photograph with the wife. (a classic “Darwin” moment) When I was a kid I think we were the perfect examples of the nature “drive by”. We used to visit the local state park regularly but rarely actually stop and get out of the car. I can remember staring out the glass like a prisoner and wanting nothing more than to stop and go play. Of course the $2 fee at the time was enough to keep my parents from encouraging such frivolity. Sadly too many of these folks are still passing on that attitude today.
The downside of this "out of touch" lifestyle is that nature becomes just another form of rectangular Hi-Def fiction. When nature is something we see on television or through a windshield it becomes hard for us to understand environmental issues in any real sort of way. Environmentalism becomes nothing more than another stagnant issue of the talking heads. National Geographic films showing aerial views of rain forests do nothing more than re-enforce the idea that all is right with the world, something the SA article calls, “Virtual Nature”. Viewers tend to believe what they “see” much easier than they understand the commentary that goes along with the pictures. Not to mention that kids can spend all day exploring the jungles of Tomb Raider, and those forests do seem to go on forever.
The upside of course is that the few of us who do get out have a much better chance to spend a bit of quality time alone in the woods.