Cohousing-L Mailing List: Save Land, Trees, the Planet: Let's Retrofit and Re-use

[Susan Johnston (sjohnsto]

On Tue, 23 May 1995 Mmariner [at] aol.com wrote:

> I and some other folks on the list server have been urging coho groups to
> retrofit their dreams into existing neighborhoods/structures rather than
> going out and building on farmland or forest or whatever.

I am one of those "other folks."  I feel *very* strongly that there 
are *enough* buildings on our planet, enough bulldozed acres, and 
precious few resources left with which to build.  Just last weekend 
I was once again moved to tears and almost uncontrollable rage at the 
sight of the clearcuts all along Vancouver Island's west coast.  Every 
2x4 stud, every shingle kills the living forest.  These clearcuts, and 
the others I kayak past on the west coast of the Olympic Peninsula here 
in Washington State, are located where *you* can't see them, where you 
aren't *forced* to look at them and witness what we have done, and what 
we continue to do to the earth by building new buildings, and through 
our other wasteful bad habits.

It may appear to cost more, or cause inconvenience, to find and retrofit 
existing structures.  But the *real* price you pay to build something new 
is far dearer.  You are paying with your future on this planet, and with 
mine.  That's a high price.  The desire to have one's *own* house, built 
from scratch, to match one's *own* private dream is common, and 
understandable.  However, if you stop to truly consider what the real 
cost of this dream is going to be, you will be forced to recognize 
the arrogance, greed, selfishness and hypocrisy of that desire to build.

Come walk with me in the rainforest.  Then stand in a clearcut.  Let's 
look at your architect's plans again.  It's grotesque.

I apologize if this is somewhat out of order here.  I am committed to the 
vision of co-housing as a means to rebuild our society, in a form that is 
sustainable and humane.  However, we cannot allow ourselves to slip into 
complacency or arrogance -- thinking that merely because we are housing 
people more efficiently and concurrently building human fellowship -- 
that we are better -- that we are granted the right to squander scarce 
resources unnecessarily -- just because we are squandering less.  The 
lesser evil is still an evil.  Now let's talk about how to house people 
and build community using what we've got already, creatively.

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Susan E Johnston - Flying Fish Private Expeditions Inc - sjohnsto [at] wln.com
                         Have a defining moment! 
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