an email i wrote that i like:

We talked about Dubai so much in my Cities and Sustainability class last semester... called it the "future of development" which had us all floored -
this kind of development is encouraged by the global stereotype that Americans have firmly cemented that bigger is better and the proper use of natural resources never factors into the equation. The attitude of domination of nature, for which Christians have been much maligned over the years (a la Lynn White in the late 60s), is something I no longer accept as even originating with Christians (though there still is strong evidence that the West is running out of water because of Mormon history - does that count? hahaha).
Current resource use worldwide (China in particular is not handling its natural resources very well in this time of rampant growth and technological advancement) and sinful attempts to deny our responsibility to God's creation are fully in the realm of secular development and development by those who do not understand what their faith says about stewardship.
There is no excuse for this. We cannot call ourselves educated or civilized until every child in society knows his/her local ecology and every adult appreciates the feel of desert winds, filtered forest light, vast grass plains, or frozen tundra underfoot - none of those can be simulated in a mall. In short, the shit has officially hit the fan - and I encourage you all - right now - to look out the window and name all the plants and animals you can see from where you're sitting. If you can't see out a window from where you are, think about how buildings can be better designed; if you can't see an animal, think about ways your habitat can be more diverse; if you can't see at least 3 types of plants, think of what you'll plant (or encourage your workplace to plant) next spring; if you can't identify any of the plants or animals you see, make a commitment to yourself to learn 2 of them today, 2 tomorrow, and so on, until you know your local names. Names are the beginning... then relationships - just like when we meet people.
I feel I've gone far overboard with this but I'll leave you with 2, no, 3 quotes:

"What is the extinction of a condor to a child who has never known a wren?" Robert Pyle
"Small is beautiful." EF Schumacher
"Rebuild my house." God to Francis.

God bless you all, and best for a beautiful summer.