“Touching the Earth Lightly (TEL) is a call to action…that combines people, design and conservation. It expresses a relationship between humans and the earth based on custodianship, sensitivity and respect, that results in developments that have the least possible impact (both visually and physically) on the natural & cultural landscape, and that reflect both internally and externally, the “sense of place” evoked by the intrinsic qualities of the landscape.
Green design is an opportunity for job creation. We need to create and sustain meaningful job opportunities for poor people in the conservation sector through design. Every person, irrelevant of their formal education or lack of it, has the ability to design, to create, to freely express with an authentic voice. The poor (not the rich) are the mothers and fathers of innovative and ingenious design.
The concept of eco-poverty-alleviation projects should be main-streamed and used as the principle informant of large-scale public-works programs. We must remember that nature presents herself, her beauty, her ideas, her simplicity and her complexities freely and without prejudice, to everyone. We celebrate and cherish the democracy of design.”
Source: Touching the Earth Lightly
I always encourage each person to do their own part.
It would be nice if their vision could become reality.
Sadly, large public works projects are generally a function of local, regional, and national governments. Those governments listen to their lobbyists. The big construction companies and corporation have the lobbyists and campaign money to donate to politicians.
Poor people don’t have much in the way of money, and no lobbyists.
Don’t expect much from governments, of any political party on this. They will give contracts to the big businesses and their fat cat donors.
I would love to be proven wrong on this, but I’m not holding my breath.