Ocean Arks International is one of the offshoots of the New Alchemy Institute. This piece by John Todd, the ecological designer, is from their publication, the latest Annals of Earth, subscriptions available.
A Different World Is Possible
Imagine for a moment a time in the future. You are flying at a low altitude over an Appalachian Valley silently in an electrically powered ultra-light plane whose energy and propulsion is derived from solar cells incorporated into the fabric of the wings. Everything below you is green, but in the greenness there is both pattern and variety. In recent years the pattern and variety have been created anew as the result of humanly orchestrated biological activities on the ground. The last time you saw this land was several decades ago when it was scarred and laid barren by mountain top removal and valley fill surface mining of coal. Then it looked like a moonscape devoid of life and of people, but today it is different.
You notice that the landscape patterns below are the result of the vegetation. There are both block and contour patterns. Some of the blocks and contours are comprised of trees and in some the trees all look the same, and in others the tree types are diverse with different shapes. Trees, orchards and nut groves dominate on the slopes. Other blocks deeper into the valley are fields of waving grasses, grains and pastures that in their colors reflect the diversity of the farms below. In some of the pastures there are livestock including cattle, bison and goats that graze in well-fenced paddocks. Fat active pigs are seen scurrying in and out of oak groves in their search for abundant foods.
The other big change is that there are people in the landscape and lots of them. Where once a few houses stood, houses that were eventually washed away by floods caused by rain, bare slopes and the collapse of a coal slurry dam, have been replaced by a thriving town, much larger than was typical when you were last there in the 20th century. A closer look shows other changes. The sheer diversity of activities in the town is startling. There are libraries, a hospital, churches, galleries, shops, civic centers and the pride of the town, new schools in the heart of the village. Integrated into the fabric of the village are clusters of buildings where manufacturing of various goods and services takes place. They supply the area and in some cases their products are sold throughout the world. The factories don't pollute the atmosphere or the water so they have been situated where people live. The heart of the town contains a park defined by a stream that runs through it. The park honors the stream and the surrounding landscape that helps keep the waters pure. In the center of the park there is a memorial to honor the people who had the courage and vision to transform the region into an ecological and economic jewel. The list of people is long.
As you bank the plane to have another look you see that the town is connected up and down the valley with three parallel ribbons of transportation for cars, light rail trains and walking and bicycling paths. The plane climbs to look for the airport. On the way it passes over a cluster of slowly turning windmills on a hill top ridge and then descend into the valley. You have come to visit the people who made your plane and observe first hand the efforts of their research and development. They are already using the new composite materials in the latest carbon neutral tractors and pickup trucks. It is a very busy place actively developing a plethora of new ideas. You discover that the firm, as are many of the other companies in town, are owned by the people who work in them. You also learn that the town, as well as the surrounding county, have invested in most of them. The town is an ownership community.
You walk down town to the inn by the river. There is a bridge next door where many of the children are casting for trout. Within the town limits only children are allowed to fish in the streams. The meal that evening, including the wines and the cooking oils, all came from the the valley. The town is now famous for its wild caught and locally grown and processed foods.
At dawn you are ready to depart. Like a soaring hawk you lift off with the sun and head off to the west. The region has been transformed and you have seen the future.