from the editor’s desk

We hit 800 posts again...for what it's worth.

I am a bit conflicted. On the one hand, I believe loggers have every right to cut down tree-huggers along with their profitable pines, but it's altogether different when those loggers move in on my turf. Recently, the expansion of natural gas drilling in the region resulted in the construction of two large derricks in my vicinity. With them came a horde of tankers, workers of questionable immigration status, and plenty of discarded beverage bottles (and human excrement, but I won't get into that story).

Still, as frustrating as all of the noise and commotion was, it didn't really hit home until the company offered to pay for the placement of a pipeline on the back of our property. Of course we couldn't pass up the "free" money, but one must always consider the price for selling his soul - is it really worth it? What was explained to be a narrow, inconspicuous clearing for the placement of an underground pipe has yet to fulfill those qualities.

Here are some before-and-after comparison shots to help you share in my dejection:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's disturbing how efficiently man can wipe out nature. What took many years to grow can be destroyed within a matter of hours. The need for adequate working space is an appreciable one, but I find it difficult to believe that they could not be more conservative in the removal of neighboring trees, or that all of that space is absolutely critical to the successful laying of the pipe. But it's simply more cost-effective to cut in a straight line and to avoid any possible obstructions by eliminating them early. They don't care what it looks like - they just want their gas.

It's beginning to look like Harvest Moon will be the only way to get back to nature in the future.

About scwtte

Founder, and chief author, of CGHM Networks.