Meshing Industry with Nature

        I have been reflecting on how our world is changing from a more natural landscape into a more industrial one after being inspired by the film last week. There was one thing I was curious about which the photographer hadn't addressed in his film. I was wondering what environmental aesthetic philosophers would think of places like Huntington Beach, CA. The beach has a long pier which is home to one of California's famous restaurants called Rubie's along with also being formally as Surf City, USA. They have fire pits and fairly decent parking prices if you want to spend the whole day there, but they also have a wonderful view of an old oil refinery which makes for great scenery when you're trying to take a photo.

        How can we appreciate our natural landscape and our new emerging one if they are so opposite? Things like nuclear power plants, oil refineries, factories, etc are all a part of our growing 'natural' environment and I'm still not quite sure how I can appreciate one or the other together. When I have gone to Huntington beach before, seeing the deserted oil refinery never ceases jar me out of the sense that I am hanging out on a beach. The sea, the sand, everything sort of takes on a grimy quality to it because I keep thinking of pollutants and other things like that.



        One possible solution to the incorporation of industry and nature is organic architecture. Organic architecture is a movement to try and create living or working spaces that take buildings and try not to disturb the natural surroundings or use the natural surroundings to the design's advantage.


   
       But organic architecture doesn't really help get the eye to appreciate industrial design like a factory with the continuing natural environmental like at Huntington Beach. So I would like to find someone within Carlson's text who would try help give an idea of how to see the aesthetic value of an old oil refinery next to a beach because right now I don't see it.