Rose Dickson
06 November 2008
1423 – 1447 hours
In front of the UC, facing the Mill Stream on Willamette University campus, Salem, OR, USA
60 degrees, overcast
In an earlier blog post I wrote about the low water levels of the Mill Stream. As I look out on the stream today I notice the stream is no longer, it now looks like a trickling of raindrops in an open ditch. Dave Craig told our colloquium class that the low water levels is controlled by the city and is due to the construction going on near by. There are a few select individuals who have the ability to shut down the water flow of the stream for important circumstances. What gives humans the right to manipulate the natural process of the stream? One could argue that the stream is originally manmade so man’s ownership deems any manipulation acceptable. However, I would argue that when turning off the water flow, many processes besides water flow are affected. What happens to the animals and habitats that call this manmade structure their home? Do the animals and plants die in response to sudden transformation of their environment? Does man have the right to cause so much instability for so many life forms? One may argue again that the reason the stream is turned off is due to construction that they don’t want polluting the stream. However, I would argue it is not our job to change natural processes to fit the needs of humanity but instead we must change our lifestyle to adapt to natural process. We need to establish ourselves as a positive influence on our environment.
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