“Aspenization”
This term cannot be found in regular
dictionaries. There are plenty of sites
that have a definition of the term, mostly to do with economics or
presentations. Most of the examples
referred to towns in Colorado (Aspen, Vail and Telluride) and Wyoming (Jackson
Hole).
It seems to me that the process has existed long
before Aspen or Jackson Hole were “aspenized” as exclusive tourist areas. Aspen and Jackson Hole didn’t become a ski
resorts until the mid 1900s. Telluride didn’t become totally exclusive
until the 1990s.
Massachusetts has many areas that have been a part
of this process. Cape Cod, the Vineyard
and Nantucket have long been popular getaway vacation retreats for the rich and
famous. Unlike the resorts in the Rockies,
the cape and islands drew tourist and rich part-year residence because of the
warm weather, access to beaches and the heritage and architecture. These concepts are actually a part of the
real estate marketing strategies for this area.
At the real estate site for Sothebys International http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/article/marthas-vineyard-nantucket-massachusetts-usa, you would think this area was in some long lost,
private paradise unknown to mankind. Terms
like ‘…second homes…mirror real life…’ and ‘…homeowners being stewards of
Nantucket history' are used to market this area.
As I mentioned in the previous chapter, my dad and
his family are from Massachusetts and my grandfather built a number of small cottages on the Cape and one on the Vineyard.
We have vacationed in that area a number of times. If you ever had to try to get by car over the
Sagamore Bridge or drive along Route 28 to any of these ‘…communities
transplanted in time…’, you’d see an entirely different paradise. This isn’t to say that Massachusetts hasn’t
attempted to maintain the history and beauty of the islands and the Cape. Like so many other places, it is at the expense of the environment. Just because there is a working water mill or
gingerbread cottage doesn’t mean that the area isn’t as exploited as any of the
other overpriced resort areas in the world.
The year round residents usually can’t wait for the crowds to leave so
they can enjoy their daily lives and routines.
Ahead of Their Time
Along with the previously mentioned issues of using anthropocentric
values to create exclusive areas for tourists and the wealthy comes the
responsibility of environmental health.
In 1964 the Wilderness Act was passed in an attempt to prevent the
devastation of all natural lands and habitats.
While this has not completely stopped the destruction of protected
lands, it has done a lot to protect many of our countries most beautiful areas.
A video presenting information about wilderness preservation
The idea of preserving national lands
didn’t first happen in the 20th century. Yellowstone became the nation’s first
national park back in 1872. John Wesley
Powell presented his vision of the development of the west back in 1878. It just took a long time for the government and others to see the big picture and try to save what was left of the land.
Massachusetts has also been home to many
people who have worked to resolve problems with the environment. With such a beautiful coastline and
interior, it’s no wonder that there is a history of environmentalists in the state. The following is
a list of just a few of the most famous environmentalists. I'm going to admit right now that I didn't "copy and paste" this information but I also didn't know any of this before I did the research, so it all comes pretty much directly from Internet sources.
Jared Eliot
(1685-1763) was a farmer, and physician and a minister. While most of his work was done in
Connecticut, his family was originally from Massachusetts. The focus of his
work was on soil conservation throughout New England. While he did support the draining of swamplands
because they were areas of nutrient-rich soil, he also promoted the idea of
using the water for irrigation and water conservation.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was a writer
and activist. At the age of 28, he built
a house in the wilderness on the shore of Walden Pond to get away from the
problems caused by modern society. This
is where he published his most famous book Walden: A Life in the Woods,
which was about living simply or “deliberately” as he called it. He was also a land surveyor and
environmentalist and wrote extensively about the ecology of forests.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) studied at the
Wood’s Hole Marine Laboratories in Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts. She wrote an expose on the damage done to the
environment by pesticides in a book called Silent Spring. Pesticides like DDT were eventually banned
because of her writings.
Steven Colbert interviewing Bill McKibben
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQj-1RMs9oU
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