Lucas Spelsberg (10/07) Ecology of Eden, Chapters 13-14

I think that Eisenberg's classification of Mountain and Tower is a great way to understand our relationship with nature. I agree with him when it comes to the discussion on the middle ground and how difficult it can be to find spaces where the prioritization of one does not create an imbalance. I enjoy the way that he talks about modern-day Greece's Arcadia and the juxtaposition between that actual place and the lack of ability for us to achieve this music and love-centered realm. Even if we are to find ourselves in this Arcadia it is endlessly finite and will eventually be consumed. I found the section on Suburbia to emphasize some of the feelings that I already had about the suburbs. Our in-class discussions about the ways that people interact with one another in the suburbs reaffirm my disdain for that mode of living even if it is the modern midpoint between the Mountain and the Tower. I think that a major orientation of Eisenberg’s book is on the question of how can our society live more responsibly with the environment that surrounds us. This can be seen when he talks about our footprint (The Mountain vs The Tower) and what that looks like. Because we are both The Mountain and The Tower, how can we live and dwell without destroying but living harmoniously? The managers and fetishers are both wrong, instead, we need what he refers to as Earth jazz.

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