Paving Paradise:  RiverPlace and all the Rest

Rumor has it that RiverPlace has gone away – at least for now.  What does this really mean?  If it doesn’t happen here, will it happen somewhere else?  What will become of Green Meadow?  Each week we read letters in favor or opposition to the proposed RiverPlace project.  We saw the words of the meager few urging us to keep an open mind – that perhaps this mega mall would be good for us all.  The majority of the letters though, detailed the various ways this project would harm the community.  I’d like to offer my own thoughts on RiverPlace as an example of a much greater problem.

For me RiverPlace is symbolic of a larger epidemic, perhaps a pandemic of unchecked, unnecessary development.  It is part of a selfish, rapidly spreading disease that provides monetary benefits to a few, while sickening the masses.  This may seem like a harsh, dramatic statement, but if you take the time to uncover (I don’t have the space to do it all here) the many ramifications of over-development you will hopefully see what I mean.

On a worldwide scale, paving over our open space is simply disastrous.  There are more then 6 billion people trying to share space on a planet that many scientists say can only comfortably house around 2 billion.  As a result, we are seeing massive species extinction and staggering starvation rates – every four seconds someone in the world dies from hunger; and our species are disappearing in numbers we haven’t encountered since the dinosaurs died out.

On a local level, we can look at what is happening in our own backyards.  Southern New Hampshire has the poorest air quality and highest asthma rates in the state – in fact these numbers are among the worst in the nation.  The American Lung Association’s 2007 report gives the area a D rating for Ozone level pollution and a C for particulate matter.  A direct result of this poor air quality is a high rate of lung ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.

We all share the same planet and its resources – once we destroy them or pollute them there is a ripple effect that is disastrous and difficult to undo.  Look around you – what do you see?  What do you hear?  What do you smell?  Where are the causes?  Do you hear birds, peepers, or traffic?  Do you smell spring blooms or exhaust from motorists?  Do you see a night sky studded with sparkling specks of light too numerous to count, or a heavens of grayish haze with a few muted specks of white?  What do you see during the day?  Do you like what you see, hear, and smell?  What sort of landscape do you want your children to inherit and at what cost?

We all need to start thinking of the ripple effects of our actions and ask ourselves what will truly benefit ourselves and future generations.  The answers aren’t sitting on the surface – please take the time to uncover the real, lasting consequences of unnecessary development before you encourage the construction of another superficial pleasure dome.

Alethea Kehas - Hudson

© Copyright 2007 Hudson-Litchfield News - May 11, 207