Rural Nature Lover Paradox

[urbpan]

People who love Nature (in my most optimistic moments I imagine that this includes a majority of people) of course like to be surrounded by it. Often nature lovers are repelled by cities, and take effort to instead live in the countryside or surrounded by wilderness.

But living outside of the city causes a greater environmental impact: Trees must be cut down, roads must be built, and resources are sent out through diffuse networks. Rural people use more energy heating and cooling their homes, getting to and from work as well as running simple errands. As the population increases, whole non-urban communities are created, paving over wilderness and paving the way for more cars, more houses, more development.

In order to live where you are surrounded by natural beauty, one must participate in a system (development of rural areas) that is slowly and surely destroying that beauty.

Discuss.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bazilisk_/]

I always think about this paradox, and it has been the basis of many arguments with my city-hating friends. It has gone into my theory that humans should all move to massive skyscrapers in already present cities and leave the country and the suburbs to be overgrown by forests and fields and swamps. In order to be a good environmentalist, one should move to the city.

You gotta eat

[marmota-monax.livejournal.com]

In order to be a good environmentalist, one should move to the city.

And who, pray tell, is going to grow your food for you in your mega-city?

Re: You gotta eat

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bazilisk_/]

The farmers who live in the country, of course. The majority of people who live in the country aren't actually farmers. Just keeping the existing farmers in the country would be fine, the real problem lies in the people living in brand-spnking new SUBURBAN developments- those people should move to the city. And I never said this was a seriously held plan. Just a little idea.

Re: You gotta eat

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Farmers don't live in the 'burbs last I checked.