In pre-Columbian North America, Jack Havig and Leonce hear a woodpecker and a bluejay among the shadows and fragrance of an oak, elm and birch wood while Leonce roasts a grouse and says:
"'I can never get over it... what a wonderful world this is before machine man screws things up. I don't think a lot o' the High Years any more. I've been then too often.'" (p. 141)
Compare Unpolluted Planets and some passages in works by SM Stirling here.
Also compare the earlier version of this post here.
Kaor, Paul!
ReplyDeleteI certainly have no objection to an abundance of wild life of all kinds. But I'm too old and too much of a city boy to want to live in a wilderness. To say nothing of the kind of wilderness survival lessons we see discussed in ORION SHALL RISE that I would first need to learn before trying to live like that.
Ad astra! Sean
Though the ecology of pre-Columbian America was impoverished compared to what it had been like before the Paleo-Indians arrived: all the biggest animals were gone. Before humans came on the scene, late-glacial America had a fauna more like Africa's, allowing for fur on the elephants because of the colder weather.
ReplyDeleteKaor, Mr. Stirling!
ReplyDeleteAnd we get a glimpse of that in the "Beringia" section of Anderson's THE SHIELD OF TIME.
And I rather hope it might be possible to clone Mammoths using DNA taken from frozen Mammoth tissue!
Ad astra! Sean
How much ecological restoration is feasible?
ReplyDeleteFor a small scale example, see Dale Hodges Wetland in Calgary. It was a gravel pit near the Bow River. Several years ago at the urging of Alderman Dale Hodges the pit was rearranged into a series of winding channels taking storm sewer water through reed beds to clean the water before it drains into the Bow River. I was there a few days ago and was impressed with the amount of wildlife especially birds, both waterfowl and song birds.
No mammoths unfortunately. ;^)
Kaor, Jim!
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me of how, every year, my home city sends property owners a pamphlet explaining how water/sewage is treated. The process is partly like what you described, water drained thru layers of materials like activated carbon.
Dang, no mammoths? Pity! (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean