Urban Sprawl - What's the Deal?

Change has never been something I have looked forward to or welcomed with much enthusiasm. I understand that some people welcome change and actually look forward to it. My wife, for instance, loves to rearrange the furniture just I as get accustomed to where it is in our house. Not a big thing to most folks. It's pretty big to me - especially when it happens while I'm away from home. I was used to sitting in the chair in that corner, facing that direction while watching TV. But, that's small potatoes.

I've been in the Houston area now for 7 - 1/2 years and have never ceased to be amazed at how large chunks of nature seem to be oblitterated with very little or no warning. I'm not an environmentalist wacko or anything remotely close to that. However, it's very depressing to see an entire section of a 40 or 50 year-old forest get bulldozed and then see the mangled timber burned in large piles of debris. Couldn't the wood be utilized in some way? What's the problem with keeping a few of the trees in the parking lot? I think it would look a lot better with a tree or two around these buildings - as opposed to transplanting pseudo trees to every place a new parking lot is built. Wouldn't it be better with the native trees instead?

And what about all the wild animals that are losing their home? What are they supposed to do? I'm not an animal rights freak either. But, I don't particularly like seeing raccoons and possums roaming around my neighborhood because they have nowhere else to go. It makes that routine visit to the vet more important - knowing the family pet might be exposed to rabies or worse. Can there be some research to see if it's possible to transplant these animals before they lose their home? Nah, that would just cost too much money. I know I wouldn't want to pay for it, but I'm sure someone would. Maybe those same folks wouldn't mind transplanting the possums who live in my neighbor's shed. There's a whole family in there - big ones, small ones and in between. I know if I see another one on top of my fence, I just might have to shoot it. Geez, possums sure are ugly!

I doubt this blog will stop another group of trees from being plowed under or save another animal's abode. That's not my goal here. What I hope is that I can get folks to stop long enough to think about some of the repercussions of new shopping center coming to the neighborhood. Maybe someone might stop to think about what is being wasted and the impact on the wildlife that once lived there. If anything, I hope we'll pause and think about what is being lost. Is all change "good?"