At this weeks Rose Cafe, we heard from an ILR grad who has dedicated a substantial part of his professional life to conservation through a land trust. What a land trust does is buy preservable land from private owners in order to convert the plot into public space. Never before had I considered the environmental repercussions from private owned land. When interests collide and environmental considerations are set aside, large issues arise. It is in the public interest to ensure the longitivtiy of our environment.

What really sparked my interest during the Cafe is our discussion of why this system is seldom implemented in Europe. Our discussion revealed that the inefficient and expensive land trust system is implemented in the U.S. by lack of alternatives. In Europe, the system allows for much easier and cheaper preservation. This really makes me think about what our different regions value. Both areas espouse themselves as leaders of the progressive future– yet one government actually follows through with this promise.