As I See It: Sustainability as possibility

by Samantha Polon

Thursday February 15, 2007

If Frank Lloyd Wright built buildings that were not beautiful, nobody would be working to maintain them after all these years. It is specifically because of these buildings’ beauty that they have become longstanding cultural icons. As you read this, the Guggenheim Museum is undergoing a several-million-dollar renovation to reseal windows and fix the damaged outer structure. “Falling Water” in Pennsylvania is constantly plagued by leaking ceilings, and the house-turned-museum is visited by thousands of people each year whose admission payment goes directly to maintaining the building. As much as I love Wright’s work, I am shocked that our planet is not afforded the same respect. As a work of unparalleled beauty comprised of deep oceans, fertile land, and scenic vistas, we are never charged admission to our earth and yet our natural resources have become a commodity to be bought and sold.

Wright’s architectural style was and is so revolutionary because his buildings were structured around the landscape in which they were built. In an age of massive and homogeneous developments, it is no surprise that people are paying to see Wright’s work. These visitors are paying to see art as mature and not nature itself. Most people will never make it to more than on national park in their lifetime, and yet every citizen pays taxes to maintain these parks. What I propose it twofold: first, get out into the spaces that you are paying for. Go hiking in a nationally protected forest or simply go for a walk in your local park. These green spaces will go away if we do not make use of them. Second, petition to reallocate tax funds to conservation efforts. The government’s war chest is comprised of billions of dollars of tax-payer money that is being used in nefarious agendas. Just a fraction of that money could allow individuals to purchase rainforests and other high-risk natural resources, putting them under private ownership. With millions of acres of protected lands as a direct result, permanent conservation through new tax laws and agendas would be a walk in the park.