Disconnect From Place

A few classes so far this year have addressed our disconnect from place. Although “place” can include many aspects, the most important is the surrounding environment. Some reasons for this include the lack of importance and value given to place. This allows us to not consider the impact of our actions on our surroundings. When the repercussion of our actions and decisions are not visible we become disconnected from our true effects on the environment.

Goods travel long distances to end up in our hands today where as in the past they were made or grown locally, because of this we don’t see the environmental effects of the products life cycle. Similar circumstances surround waste disposal, when it disappears from the curb each week, the effects are not seen and hence do not affect actions. Garbage, despite what is believed does not “go away,” it just gets moved around until it is in a convenient location. This increasing detachment erases personal consequence or responsibility for actions and decisions. In order to make communities more sustainable a connection between the environment and actions need to be made.