environmentalism sidenote
Post #295 • June 9, 2004, 6:25 AM
CNN.com: Water woes, not wars, ended Angkor's empire.
[A]n international research team now thinks [Angkor's] demise was set much earlier [than 1431], by something that is the bane of many modern urban societies -- ecological failure and infrastructure breakdown.
"They created ecological problems for themselves and they either didn't see it until it was too late or they couldn't solve it even when they could see it," said Roland Fletcher, an archaeologist working on the Greater Angkor Project.
CNN.com: Grand Canyon in deep trouble.
The Grand Canyon is in deep trouble, and the government-appointed panel assigned to come up with solutions is torn by competing interests and cannot muster the political will to act decisively.
"The best that we can do is keep slapping on as many Band-Aids as we can and hope the patient survives," complained Pam Hyde, one of two environmentalists on the panel.
Art returns tomorrow.