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Door County Environmental Council Column

NASA satellite imaging of ancient village ruins through the jungle.

Watching public television often brings out stories from the past that seem to directly correlate to modern events or give warning of things that are possible in the future. Most recently, the Jungle Story featured the ancient city ruins that are found deep in the jungles of Guatemala and Cambodia.

These ruins, which have recently been discovered and are barely accessible through deep jungle growth, have complex remnants of buildings from hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. Overgrown with jungle trees these ruins were completely hidden from view.

Infrared satellite images show that these sites were cities that extended for several miles in all directions with possibly millions of people as dwellers. Something happened to cause the demise of these cities and everyone living there without a trace.

The theory is that as these ancient cities expanded with population, and as they removed the vegetation to create room for people and growing crops, they also caused the area to eventually become arid and unsuitable to support life. The crops failed and the downfall of that civilization began. When the life there failed, natural vegetation again returned slowly to reclaim the land and return it to jungle that we see there today.

It seems that urban sprawl without any consideration of the ultimate consequences brought about destruction of this ancient civilization. One can only imagine the problems that were unknown and not understood by these people with limited intelligence regarding future planning, with unfamiliar disease and pestilence ultimately taking control. In addition, the challenges of sewage disposal, lack of useable drinking water, along with other unknown problems probably led to their demise.

Does any of this sound familiar?

We can learn some essential lessons from the past if we take the time and effort needed to ensure that our communities are truly sustainable.

It is a mandate right now that we plan for continued natural and responsible growth and adopt new thinking and updated planning, along with responsible groundwater management with proper localized wastewater recycling technology at each location.

These are basic requirements for our small communities to prosper and be viable places in which to live unto the next generations.