Living by the Environment: Cascadia

3/24/14

Humans are a phenomenal people. We’ve overcome obstacles of nearly insurmountable immensity when viewed from the head on. Just seven or so generations ago, a democratic, representative government was nearly unheard-of, and the wonders of our post-industrial-revolution world were out of the picture for even the most extraordinary of thinkers. Most remarkably, we’ve come by great strides to understanding the universe we live in, in all the vastness it encompasses, to nearly the largest and smallest scales as are possible from our standpoint.

The one thing, however, that our race is still humbled by, is the very world we live in. Farmland is warped to conform with the boundaries of rivers and mountains, houses are precariously perched and often impossible in the face of great inclines, and our settlements are routinely swept away by the weather in determined regions of elemental intensity.

We cannot beat our environment.

Since the beginning of our time, we have been forced to adapt to our environment or die. Today, we have the resources necessary for simple survival, but still conform to the rule of nature in the best interest of all involved. This new way of living is different in each of the innumerable bioregions found on our planet, and is uniquely beautiful in each case.

Perhaps among the most sparkling of examples is the Northwestern coast of North America: Cascadia. Bordered on one side by the Pacific Ocean and its accompanying range of hills and mountains, and on the other by the range of dormant volcanoes we call the Cascades, it is a land rich in falling water.

The region’s unique and prosperous collection of flora and fauna have long been appreciated, cherished, and savored by the humans that reside there, resulting in a way of life that is unparalleled in its efficiency, unique quality, and low environmental impact. The people of the area share a common love for all that surrounds them, recycle often, and consume locally.

Portland, for example, is moving progressively towards businesses supporting the Cascadian identity, preferring Voodoo donuts, Pendleton blankets, and, above all, locally-brewed beers to the out-of-area competitors. More and more, the people of Portland find themselves at farmer’s markets, street fairs, and supporting local businesses.

The Northwest has also become an evolving tech centrum for the United States, a Silicon Valley to the North. Companies such as SurveyMonkey, Webtrends, Wieden+Kennedy, and CD Baby all got their start in the Pacific Northwest, providing valuable export potential for the region.

It only makes sense then, that this unique, productive, and self-supportive identity should be consolidated under one flag. And what better to define this identity than the one thing us humans have not yet conquered, our environment.

The Cascadian movement can be described as a movement that “isn’t about a like or dislike of federal government,” but rather “about a common love for a place and the desire to see it become even better.” A united force of defined identity will lead to a more coherent, driven movement to secure the identity we know as our own in Cascadia, built upon what we do to thrive within the constraints and benefits of our environment.