The Wealthy and Access to Nature

By: Maggie Marshall | Posted in: Community | Monday, Nov 24, 2014 - 10:30am

Have you ever wondered if some people have more access to nature than others? Poor people often live in ghettos in the city. In supposed non-developed countries, people may live close to nature but have lost the ability to live sustainably through wars and corporate takeover of their way of life.  This is a huge topic and I really don’t want to get into all the politics and social issues around this.  These are just my musings on the rich having better access to nature in many places in North America, especially recreational communities and resorts.

I was walking in nature recently along a waterfront. Before reaching the nature trail I passed some pretty fancy houses.  I wondered how that person made their money to have such a big home.  For all I know they may have made their money ethically.  Or they may have taken advantage of their employees, or destroyed the environment.  They may also have given money to good causes.

Whatever the truth is, and it may be a mixture of humanitarian and destruction, I pondered their current relationship with nature. It seems sanitized and manicured. With their big beautiful stone fortress, and their many car garages, they are safe from what nature is really about.  They have a beautiful view of the water, or the mountains or whatever they consider nature’s beauty. But they are separate from nature and from other people. The lot is occupied by building and concrete. They are safe behind their walls and glass.

There was a time, before the industrial and consumer age when we lived on farms and in log cabins in the woods.  Of course, there have always been rich people, and kings and queens, but the rest of us lived very close to nature.  Our lives used to depend on a close and personal relationship to nature. Even the rich were not as protected from the elements as they are today.

I read recently that Leonardo DiCaprio bought a $10 million apartment in Greenwich Village with many amenities like a vitamin C infused shower, purified air and water, a circulated aromatherapy air supply, posture support reflexology flooring and circadian lighting.  He also has a wellness concierge to make sure he keeps healthy. Now that is really sanitized and protected.  And not really in touch with the beauty and awe of nature, as well as  the dangers of nature.

What does it say about our society that the rich can afford to be more healthy than most of us.  The poor cannot afford local food or organic food, let alone vitamin C or a reflexology appointments.  Corporations make sure that the cheap food is useless or harmful and that it is all many can afford.  Now, nothing against Leonardo, he may give money to good causes and he is socially active around wildlife and climate change. And I do admire artists for helping us feel emotion and increase our awareness of  environmental and social issues. But to me this is symbolic of our current society – insulated and isolated from the Earth and community.

In small towns where there may be nature and beauty, there is often no way for people to make a good living.  We no longer live sustainably. Even small farmers find it difficult to live by just farming. We need to go to the cities and make a living for some corporation. But the rich can afford to live in small places, in prime locations, no matter how they made their money.

Of course, people with large ranches and farms can also live close to the land. They make  their money from the land. They may have varying attitudes towards nature. Maybe it is just a business, but they need to be more in touch with nature on some level.

I’ve often wondered why some rich and many corporations don’t care about the state of the world. I suspect it is because they can stay behind their walls and feel untouchable.  With their money they can go anywhere and be safe. They think they have refuge in an artificial environment, no matter how the world and environment changes.

What do you think? Will the rich be protected for much longer than the rest of us, if the climate changes drastically, or if society falls apart?

I would love to hear your comments on access to nature.