I was thinking about this statement while taking a shower:
> 170 year old steam hoist encased in a poured
> concrete building with windows made of quartz, and realize it sat
> unattended for over a century and is still basically functional. But it
> also was a big waste of effort and resources to build it to last so long.
You're looking at that with hindsight. It was built with the
techniques and technology of the time. I suspect the
designers and builders were not aware of the changes that
would take place. But yet, the building and equipment stands,
and they have given you some satisfaction and pleasure
(perhaps even some good photographs) and a sense of what
things were like in our past.
I'm not sure that the people who paid to build the mines were planning to fund a tourist attraction for the 21st century, though through their largess they did. But some of the ruins are hazardous eye sores and sooner or later modern day folks will have to pay to clean them up.
I believe that preservation of the past, through buildings,
and the objects we use on a daily basis, whether currently
useful or obsolete, are an important part of our culture and
heritage. By making everything disposable, and planning on
obsolescence, what will remain of our culture, history, and
heritage in 100 or 200 years?
I'm sure some stuff will survive for future generations to look at. Heck, I have all my Commodore 64 stuff boxed up in the basement ready to donate to posterity...
I was watching a show about ancient Rome, and there were some
scenes of buildings that were built in those days that are
still being used today. Pretty amazing. Can't imagine why
the Italians didn't just bulldoze 'em into the ground. The
world is filled with buildings that are 400 or 500 years old,
or older, some of which stand as reminders of the past and
others, while serving that purpose, are also being used today,
some in their original states and others having been
modernized and upgraded with contemporary amenities. I do not
see that as a waste of resources.
Using your argument one can argue that the Inca and Mayan
temples and buildings were over built and were a waste of
resources. I don't think anyone who has been to Machu Pichu
would take that position.
Romans, Mayans, Incas, Egyptians, and most other ancient societies enslaved huge numbers of people who where literally worked to death to build those extravagant monuments. The economies of those societies were fueled by forceably stealing resources from neighboring peoples, enslaving them, and forcing the majority to attend to every whim of the minority. They operated at a level of brutality unheard of in the modern world. The monuments and incredible buildings you see today were built at a phenomenal cost of human life and suffering. Waste of resources? Absolutely.
(Stonehenge might be an exception.)
- MCC
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Mark Cassino
Kalamazoo, MI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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