Ansel Adams quote

Dafydd Wynne-Evans · 12-12-2001, 08:39 AM

The following is a quote of Ansel Adams:

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The American Pioneer approached the Natural Scene in a very different way than we must now.

The land and its provisions were seemingly inexhaustible. The problems of existence were most severe. The Pioneer undoubtedly cherished his farm, his ranch, and his range -- representing something almost infinite in extent and bounty -- young, vibrant, ever-enduring.

Now, as the blights of over-population, over-exploitation and over-mechanization encroach from all directions, we come to love our land as we would love someone very near and dear who may soon depart, leaving naught but the recollection of a beauty which we might have protected and perpetuated. We must realize -- and with desperate conviction -- that it *is* truly later than we think.
-- Ansel Adams, 1965

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I've been reading a compilation of his writings (and photography) lately, this above just struck me.

I'm not a tree hugger... although I must admit that I have leanings that way. I have been an amateur photographer for many moons... my favorite subjects are landscapes and other natural wonders. I'm not sure I believe that the natural world will one day disappear, as some tree huggers believe... but I am sure that I don't want to see that day.

I have lived in Minnesota now for 9 years. My parents moved here long before I did; they moved to a rural area in 1981, near a town called Maple Grove.

The latest comments we all share about their area have to do with the fact that it's a good thing there's now a retirement home within a mile of their house! Over the years, they've said goodbye to many acres of forest, goodbye to many of the pesky deer in their backyard, hello to the honking of automobile horns and little bits of paper waste scattered here and there.

I grew up in the country (mountainous region of Washington State) and really miss it. The last time I passed thru Snoqualmie (where I grew up), I could unfortunately see much more of the land. It had once been forested, and is now being re-forested... still, it makes me sad that the woods had to go away at all.

Like I said, I'm not a tree hugger. But I sure do miss them.

12-12-2001, 09:48 AM

I think we all have these feelings of nostalgia. We're reminded of the fun times we had poking around in the woods, and we wish we could be 9 again. I know I do. That's when it really hits me.

But yes, the human race is overrunning the Earth. For better or for worse, we are. Everywhere you look, there's another building. When I was 8, there used to be some bike trails in the woods near my house. Awesome little trails that I could spend the day on, doing tricks and spending my fair share of time lying on the ground in agonizing pain after going over the handlebars. They built a house over them when I was 10. I still miss not being able to ride them.

I guess I get past it by recognizing all the amazing and wonderful things that I have. I can't say that the change has been for the better, nor can I declare it a change for the worse. But there was a change, and I have adapted. And I'm happy.

warch · 12-12-2001, 04:20 PM

I am an open hugger of trees. I'm particularly fond of conifers, the larch,.. but I digress.

We need to be smart about environmental/urban/suburban planning. The pioneer spirit, manifest destiny, is still alive and kicking- particularly in MN. And as with the farming practices during the Great Depression, at some point you need to change the ways you do things or its dust. I'm also an advocate of historic preservation- so many jewels- building and greenspaces- in our cities were lost in the name of 1970's urban renewal. New construction is not always better construction.
Suburbia is a fascinating thing to consider. How does it age?

jaguar · 12-12-2001, 05:21 PM

Quote:

New construction is not always better construction.

NOt by along hsot *laughz. I think Le Corbusier had the right idea with building like L'Unite d'Habitation, large beatiful apartment structures. Many "future" city design things you see seem to consist of large towers with the nbertween covered in greenland and travel underground. The two key concepts are mass transport and mass habitation, which i'd argue for the human race to be viable nithe long term - must happen.

russotto · 12-13-2001, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jaguar
NOt by along hsot *laughz. I think Le Corbusier had the right idea with building like L'Unite d'Habitation, large beatiful apartment structures. Many "future" city design things you see seem to consist of large towers with the nbertween covered in greenland and travel underground. The two key concepts are mass transport and mass habitation, which i'd argue for the human race to be viable nithe long term - must happen.

Which means you slam up against the one unsolvable problem: People don't like to live like ants, are crushed up against each other.

warch · 12-13-2001, 02:44 PM

Livable cities, communities, neighborhoods. small business/venues. Home ownership.Planned greenspace is essential- viable, safe public transportation, bike and walkways. Humanscale, not automotive scale.

Griff · 12-13-2001, 04:54 PM

I'm pretty much with russotto on this one. We've seen a lot of planning schemes come and go generally ramming someones idea of perfection down everyone elses throat, stripping property rights and ignoring how real people want to live.. at least post interstate.

That being said, I would support reducing the subsidies that the automobile receives. Anyone else read "The Immortal Class" "Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power" by Travis Hugh Culley? Really interesting book in part about the urban combat that is bike messengering and about surviving on the edge of society. He gets into cycling mass demonstrations and his ideas for urban renewal. He's a bike advocate out of Chicago and worked in Philly for a while. Warchs comment about human scale not auto scale would fit his world view. His apparent weakness is that he seems to want anarchy for himself and rigid rules for the drivers he comes in contact with. Even so the writng is brilliant.

As a cyclist and one time bike shop guy I prefered the choice of riding rather than driving when I lived closer to town but I wouldn't want to see people forced out of their cars. The way to get it done would be to incorporate and buy up a bombed out neighborhood with a large group of like minded folks.... of course I live in the boondocks and drive a 4x4 so maybe I'm just talkin out my ...

warch · 12-14-2001, 11:47 AM

Quote:

As a cyclist and one time bike shop guy I prefered the choice of riding rather than driving when I lived closer to town but I wouldn't want to see people forced out of their cars.

I'm all about choice. In cities and towns think its creating those possible choices. For cities, its generally a big pain to drive and big $ to park. Given safe, reliable alternatives- light rail, bus, bikeways, I know of many who would love to get out of their cars if they had public transportation with in walking distance or it didnt mean a 2 hour commute with 3 transfers, or the mind numbing hell of the bus that never.....never.....comes.

You need a good vehicle out in the country. But newer suburban developments that are totally designed around the car-, highly populated, with no other alternatives. To exist, people are forced into their cars. Kids raised there have no concept of any options.Just *try* to cross that sidewalkless 6 lane intersection on foot, to navigate the 3 football fields of parking lot to get to that food warehouse, or the movies.

Griff, I'll check out the book.

russotto · 12-17-2001, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by warch

You need a good vehicle out in the country. But newer suburban developments that are totally designed around the car-, highly populated, with no other alternatives. To exist, people are forced into their cars. Kids raised there have no concept of any options.Just *try* to cross that sidewalkless 6 lane intersection on foot, to navigate the 3 football fields of parking lot to get to that food warehouse, or the movies.

Griff, I'll check out the book.

Never mind the intersection -- I can cross that. What city dwellers don't understand is just how great the distances are out here in the suburbs. The movies? Maybe 6 miles away. That's 60 Philly city blocks. I live in Trappe happen to have a Clemens nearby, but it's mucho expensivo and I prefer to go to Acme in Collegeville, which is about 2 miles away.

jaguar · 12-17-2001, 06:04 PM

We live in cities? Often there is little difference. Le Corbusier's work tended to be signifigantly different from the norm, while people like Frank Loyd Wright were busy building fantastic works for the ultrarich (falling water etc) Le Corbusier was doing allot of mass-housing developments, some of which were far more...creative than the norm - look him up. Yes i am missing the point. Well either we face a completel ecological meltdown though one of 20 odd damoclean sowrds or something is going to have to change. Either we change it or its changed for us.

Griff · 12-17-2001, 08:39 PM

At risk of turning this into Griffs book recommendo for every topic- Bjorn Lomborg has written a book called The Skeptical Enviromentalist which attacks the familiar litany of humanities woes using statistics. I've only just started it (and I've got a novel going) but his original idea was to rufute Julian Simons sunshine and lolipops view of the state of the world, after reading an article by Simon which offended his sensibilities. Lomborg is a self-described Green Peacer who thinks we should only attack the problems which are real and progress doesn't seem to be addressing. He sicked a bunch of his students on Simons work and found out, much to his suprise that Simon was usually (not always) right. After I read the whole thing maybe we can start a thread...

12-12-2001, 08:39 AM	#1
Dafydd Wynne-Evans Cakeman D Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Posts: 19	Ansel Adams quote The following is a quote of Ansel Adams: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The American Pioneer approached the Natural Scene in a very different way than we must now. The land and its provisions were seemingly inexhaustible. The problems of existence were most severe. The Pioneer undoubtedly cherished his farm, his ranch, and his range -- representing something almost infinite in extent and bounty -- young, vibrant, ever-enduring. Now, as the blights of over-population, over-exploitation and over-mechanization encroach from all directions, we come to love our land as we would love someone very near and dear who may soon depart, leaving naught but the recollection of a beauty which we might have protected and perpetuated. We must realize -- and with desperate conviction -- that it is truly later than we think. -- Ansel Adams, 1965 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've been reading a compilation of his writings (and photography) lately, this above just struck me. I'm not a tree hugger... although I must admit that I have leanings that way. I have been an amateur photographer for many moons... my favorite subjects are landscapes and other natural wonders. I'm not sure I believe that the natural world will one day disappear, as some tree huggers believe... but I am sure that I don't want to see that day. I have lived in Minnesota now for 9 years. My parents moved here long before I did; they moved to a rural area in 1981, near a town called Maple Grove. The latest comments we all share about their area have to do with the fact that it's a good thing there's now a retirement home within a mile of their house! Over the years, they've said goodbye to many acres of forest, goodbye to many of the pesky deer in their backyard, hello to the honking of automobile horns and little bits of paper waste scattered here and there. I grew up in the country (mountainous region of Washington State) and really miss it. The last time I passed thru Snoqualmie (where I grew up), I could unfortunately see much more of the land. It had once been forested, and is now being re-forested... still, it makes me sad that the woods had to go away at all. Like I said, I'm not a tree hugger. But I sure do miss them. __________________ ------------------------------------------------------------ dwbrant@REMOVETHISGARBAGEusa.net ------------------------------------------------------------ Action is transitory,—a step, a blow; The motion of a muscle, this way or that -- William Wordsworth

12-17-2001, 06:04 PM	#10
jaguar whig Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 5,075	We live in cities? Often there is little difference. Le Corbusier's work tended to be signifigantly different from the norm, while people like Frank Loyd Wright were busy building fantastic works for the ultrarich (falling water etc) Le Corbusier was doing allot of mass-housing developments, some of which were far more...creative than the norm - look him up. Yes i am missing the point. Well either we face a completel ecological meltdown though one of 20 odd damoclean sowrds or something is going to have to change. Either we change it or its changed for us. __________________ Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life. - Twain

12-12-2001, 09:48 AM	#2
dave Guest Posts: n/a	I think we all have these feelings of nostalgia. We're reminded of the fun times we had poking around in the woods, and we wish we could be 9 again. I know I do. That's when it really hits me. But yes, the human race is overrunning the Earth. For better or for worse, we are. Everywhere you look, there's another building. When I was 8, there used to be some bike trails in the woods near my house. Awesome little trails that I could spend the day on, doing tricks and spending my fair share of time lying on the ground in agonizing pain after going over the handlebars. They built a house over them when I was 10. I still miss not being able to ride them. I guess I get past it by recognizing all the amazing and wonderful things that I have. I can't say that the change has been for the better, nor can I declare it a change for the worse. But there was a change, and I have adapted. And I'm happy.

12-12-2001, 04:20 PM	#3
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	I am an open hugger of trees. I'm particularly fond of conifers, the larch,.. but I digress. We need to be smart about environmental/urban/suburban planning. The pioneer spirit, manifest destiny, is still alive and kicking- particularly in MN. And as with the farming practices during the Great Depression, at some point you need to change the ways you do things or its dust. I'm also an advocate of historic preservation- so many jewels- building and greenspaces- in our cities were lost in the name of 1970's urban renewal. New construction is not always better construction. Suburbia is a fascinating thing to consider. How does it age?

12-13-2001, 02:44 PM	#6
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	Livable cities, communities, neighborhoods. small business/venues. Home ownership.Planned greenspace is essential- viable, safe public transportation, bike and walkways. Humanscale, not automotive scale.

12-13-2001, 04:54 PM	#7
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	I'm pretty much with russotto on this one. We've seen a lot of planning schemes come and go generally ramming someones idea of perfection down everyone elses throat, stripping property rights and ignoring how real people want to live.. at least post interstate. That being said, I would support reducing the subsidies that the automobile receives. Anyone else read "The Immortal Class" "Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power" by Travis Hugh Culley? Really interesting book in part about the urban combat that is bike messengering and about surviving on the edge of society. He gets into cycling mass demonstrations and his ideas for urban renewal. He's a bike advocate out of Chicago and worked in Philly for a while. Warchs comment about human scale not auto scale would fit his world view. His apparent weakness is that he seems to want anarchy for himself and rigid rules for the drivers he comes in contact with. Even so the writng is brilliant. As a cyclist and one time bike shop guy I prefered the choice of riding rather than driving when I lived closer to town but I wouldn't want to see people forced out of their cars. The way to get it done would be to incorporate and buy up a bombed out neighborhood with a large group of like minded folks.... of course I live in the boondocks and drive a 4x4 so maybe I'm just talkin out my ...

12-17-2001, 08:39 PM	#11
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	At risk of turning this into Griffs book recommendo for every topic- Bjorn Lomborg has written a book called The Skeptical Enviromentalist which attacks the familiar litany of humanities woes using statistics. I've only just started it (and I've got a novel going) but his original idea was to rufute Julian Simons sunshine and lolipops view of the state of the world, after reading an article by Simon which offended his sensibilities. Lomborg is a self-described Green Peacer who thinks we should only attack the problems which are real and progress doesn't seem to be addressing. He sicked a bunch of his students on Simons work and found out, much to his suprise that Simon was usually (not always) right. After I read the whole thing maybe we can start a thread...

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