tjj wrote: Yes, I know that train travel is expensive - coaches are cheaper but take longer. Cars are seductive, once we have one, or even access to one, they are hard to live without - and I'm not advocating getting rid them, even though it is only a century ago when no one had a car. People used trams, trains and perhaps still the canal system. We can't turn back time but we can kick our collective addiction to speed and the personal desire to get everywhere in the shortest possible time.
Of course 100 years ago, most antiquarian sites were the preserve of the wealthy classes, because the poor couldn't afford to get to them - let alone afford the leisure time to make the journey.
Which touches upon another point. You refer to an addiction to speed, but the reality is that speed is bred by time pressure. I'd love to have the luxury to tour Scotland at a leisurely pace, for example, but the demands of work mean that that isn't an option.
tjj wrote: It's hard not be a hypocrite on this subject. Mustard wished me 'good luck' with my post. Good luck indeed to future generations having to deal with global warming and diminishing sources of energy - let's not forget that the internet uses a massive amount of energy itself. I can only see dark times for the human race - though I suspect our planet will make the necessary adjustments to survive.
I don't believe we should be blind to the damage we're doing, but nor do I subscribe to some Malthusian view of the future. The human race is incredibly ingenious once its back's against the wall, and there are some really interesting potential energy sources out there. I don't doubt that the challenges can be met, but will we ever desist from severely degrading the environment around us? I doubt it. It seems to be in our nature. Dartmoor was deforested before the Romans even set foot in Britain.
Reply | with quote | Posted by Mustard 1st October 2013ce 09:16 |
A303 to go into a tunnel eventually? (Littlestone, Sep 26, 2013, 16:17)- Re: A303 to go into a tunnel eventually? (nix, Sep 27, 2013, 00:27)
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- Re: A303 to go into a tunnel eventually? (Sanctuary, Oct 04, 2013, 08:10)
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