Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Built Environment

I've been thinking about the "built environment" for the past couple of days. First, it was the post on Boing Boing, originally pulled from the BBC (which is increasingly becoming my source for American news, since our own press can't seem to get its act together!). There are essentially "Hoovervilles" popping up already as a consequence of the "sub-prime meltdown." During Bush I's reign we had the "S&L scandal", but at least that just meant that working and middle class people bailed out the bankers through taxes. This time around a lot of them are losing their homes. It's sad. But I'm also wondering what it means for the the abandoned houses - the (already) built environment - that is left behind. What happens to those houses, and the land that was destroyed for them to be built? I don't think this is good news for the environment in general.

And then there was this post (I'm sorry to say I can't remember how I got there!) about an artist's envisioning of the built environment. Or landscape as museum. Beautiful. And a little bit scary, if you ask me. But gorgeous and affecting.

Finally, Garden Punks finished a review of Omnivore's Dilemma, which it sounds like I have to read. Once I get my hand on Affluenza, O.D. is next!

1 comment:

Katie said...

Hey Sally,

Thanks for the link! It's all very sad, the state of our country. But folks like you and I can certainly make a difference. :0)

Another great source for American and international news is the Christian Science Monitor (unbiased straight news reporting that pleases an Athiest even like myself!)

CS Monitor link