Re: “Sculpture rings Hollow for activist,” March 14.
It is very revealing to hear the responses from supporters of “homo economicus vancouverus” as they justify the present building boom that is sweeping our city. In Marpole, 100 living, breathing trees — net contributors to our common space — have been traded for 443 market condos, 110 rental units, 836 sq. metres of commercial space and a sculpture by artist Douglas Coupland costing $75,000 of Stanley Park’s Hollow Tree.
And how does Bob Rennie, real estate marketer extraordinaire, defend this imbalance?
To him the loss of trees are adequately offset because the project is being built next to transit and 100 residents will not have cars.
So well over a thousand people in heated spaces who flush toilets, wash dishes and do laundry, use electricity, produce garbage and — yes — drive cars at least some of the time, will not have much impact because some of them will use transit?
Human expansion — no matter how green — is always going to diminish natural capital.
The constant growth and excessive development that has recently descended on Vancouver at a rapid pace has come at a great human cost to the soul of our wonderful city. It also has a political cost as people turn to better alternatives.
We would be wiser to reconsider putting clear ecological economic values on a healthy natural world and human communities. Because a world with too many concrete towers and paved roads surrounded by polluted land and water systems and devoid of plants and animals is a sad legacy to leave future generations.
