Mike Davis' (1998) Ecology of Fear: Los Angeles and the Imagination of Disaster, the tale of the creation and subsequent development of Los Angeles (L.A.) highlights the tragedy of a city that knowingly defies its ecological system in the name of economic development. The reckless pursuit of individual wealth supplants the vision of community, thus resulting in a city that celebrates a world of double standardsùone standard for the rich and another for the poor. Resources have been devoted to the rich that allows them to tamper with nature, while the poor have been left to fend for themselves in dire living conditions.
When Davis (1998) talks about the "social construction of natural disasters," he refers to Southern Californians' tendency to attribute natural disasters to the random and unpredictable forces of nature. Although it is evident that the rampant urbanization has contributed to the debilitating effects of natural disasters, Southern Californians continue to ignore the consequences of irresponsible regional planning and land development (Davis, 1998, p. 9).
Southern Californians believe that they live in a stable natural environment that is characterized by sunshine and adequate water. However, scientists have uncovered information that contradicts Southern Californians' expectations because the pleasant weather they have experienced in the past 150 years actually deviates from the "normal" weather patterns of this region (Davis, 1998, p. 25). Therefore, Southern Californians are ill prepared to deal with the typical drought weather.
The lack of acknowledgement to the ecological system can also be seen in the policy adopted towards the L.A. River. Documented in their 1930 report to public officials, Olmstead presented a vision of the L.A. River that would allow for the conservation of natural ecosystems with definite limits on land development. Therefore, Olmstead and his partner, Bartholomew, created a plan...