ACP Pubs

Christina Fisher

New Day, New Blogger
March 18, 2008

The prospect of joining the web community known as “bloggers” is a bit daunting to me. Although I am a writer/editor by trade, I am not a journal keeper. Never have been.

            When it comes to arguing a point, I tend to do so on an emotional level rather than a factual level. “Just do it because it’s right!” Unfortunately that argument doesn’t always work. So, perhaps this new blog will force me to change that.

            And then there’s the “controversy” factor. On the one hand we’ve been told that a bit of controversy is good. It gets people reading your blog. On the other hand, I’ve been a bit censored in the past in my editor’s column when what I feel or believe goes against the mainstream view of those in the construction industry. 
            I guess one thing I have learned on this job, and throughout my life, is that for many of us our goals aren’t that different, it’s just deciding how to get there that’s the problem. What means do we choose to reach an end that’s satisfactory for everyone involved?

            Of course to do this, we need to listen to each other and to try on some level to see a point of view from another’s perspective. Extremely difficult. Rarely easy. But amazing things can result when there is success. A homogeneous community is shortsighted and narrow in its thinking. A heterogeneous community brings new perspectives to the conversation that offer unique and important insights.

            For example as a result of my job, I’ve learned a lot about the industry’s perspective on the environment. Although I still believe that the fragile nature of our ecosystems must be maintained and nourished – even if it means stopping a project at times – I can understand the frustration of the contractor involved. Unfortunately, because so many before failed to take the environment into consideration, whether it was because of ignorance about environmental impacts or a blatant disregard, contractors today are often “paying the price of another’s sins” by having to follow a myriad of confusing and often conflicting rules and regulations to complete a project.

            So what should we do? Coordinate these rules and regulations among all of the various entities involved, and have the contractor in on the conversation from the beginning. I myself have been on an environmental policy board, one which grew out of concern for large-scale development, and my first question was, “Where are the contractors? Shouldn’t they be involved in this conversation?” Nearly every group was represented but them.

            If everyone met, talked and, more importantly, listened at the table together – activists, government agencies, owners, developers, contractors, manufacturers, and the community – BEFOREHAND, wouldn’t so much more be accomplished and so much easier?

            With extremely few exceptions, I have rarely met or heard of someone who doesn’t care about the environment on some level. Maybe it’s the hunter who wants to trek through the forest for the wild game it provides. Maybe it’s the outdoorsman who wants to hike a mountain trail and camp along a stream. Or maybe it’s the urban environmentalist who believes in high-density building along mass transit lines and promoting green space. All of them have a similar end in mind – protecting our earth and all it has to offer.

            Now let’s work together on the best means to get there.

Posted by Christina Fisher on March 18, 2008 | Comments (0)