>These are beautifully sad pictures. If there were any pictures of the vast Icelandic forests before they were razed, I'd feel the same. >Nearly every space of

>These are beautifully sad pictures. If there were any pictures of the vast Icelandic forests before they were razed, I'd feel the same. >Nearly every space of earth is trending towards pavement and buildings. I'm asking myself, what can be done, where is there hope... Yes, we have a responsibility to maintain the ecosystems which sustain life. But there seems to be a total lack of understanding in modern environmental movements between the difference of preservation and conservation which borders on outright misanthropy. The former promotes a world view which defines all things "natural" as "good" things to be protected and untouched, the latter sees the natural world as a means to man's end, while simultaneously acknowledging our grave responsibility to ensure that means' survival. Give me stunning architecture, works of art, thriving industry, and world class educational institutions over a bunch of dirt and trees any day. Nature is beautiful, but the things that humans do are a thousand times more interesting and complex than a scenic view will ever be.