Croatia Fighting the Battle We All Face
Croatia, like most prosperous countries, faces an internal debate associated with the development of pristine lands. The Dalmatian islands, of which there are 2243 off the country’s western coast, appear ripe for the taking, and there are plenty of hungry business groups salivating, with visions of casinos and luxury hotels in their heads.
Opposing them, of course, are the environmentalists who have the usual litany of counter-arguments: wildlife habitats, resource consumption, pollution, sewage disposal, and the permanent end of the pristine quality of these lands.
Who will win here is no more clear than the fate of the arctic vis-a-vis exploration by the U.S. oil companies. As big money pours into Washington to propel this forward, the future of this previously frozen (now-thawing) wilderness looks increasingly in doubt.
Perhaps the only real certainty here is the fight itself. There will always be those whose life’s work is based on prospering at the expense of the quality of life we leave for future generations, and, I’d like to believe, there will always be those who take a long-term and more circumspect view.
Fortunately, this is not a spectator sport; anyone who cares to can raise his voice and demand what’s right.
Craig,
I’m glad you appreciate the ancient and astonishing beauty of the Dalmatian coastline and Eastern Adriatic islands.
This has been Croatian territory since the 7th Century AD.
Why must you always take such a ‘moralistic’ and childish attitude to human occupation and development?
In your “pristine” environment, there would be no room for human beings! Human development is not essentially “evil”, and those who seek to build communities and human amenities are not “despoilers” or sinister “hungry business groups salivating, with visions of casinos and luxury hotels in their heads”.
These are the people who build towns,roads, infrastructure so you can travel in safety and hypocritically decry their efforts.
The people who live on the Islands are not “quaint, backward, simple picturesque villagers”, for your entertainment. These citizens have the same aspirations for comfort, security and prosperity as you.
Their children need employment and all the amenities of advanced civilization. Dalmatia is not a sort of private nature reserve for affluent Americans to sanctimoniously tut their heads about the any economic development “despoiling” nature.
It’s this sort of arrogance which gives rise to the term “the Ugly American”.
Development can bring immense benefits to local people. The environment is a continual evolutionary process, not a natter of eliminating human habitation.