Paris and the American Gods

A short rant by N.

America is a country rich in natural beauty. Their mountain ranges, national parks and wilderness and wildlife is breathtaking. And Americans, to their credit, take full advantage of their outdoors largess. As we approach populated areas or the weekends roll in, the parks fill with families and day hikers enjoying the natural environment. Even though they clog up 'our' trail, we can't help but be impressed by their embrace of it all.

Often, in these Wilderness areas, there is an object of special significance or unique appeal. An earie lake, a peculiar boulder, a phallic like outcropp. 

In his book, American Gods, Neil Gaiman writes of a country obsessed with landmarks, attractions...and the souvenir shops which accompany them all, like The House on the Rock. The roadside attraction, he posists, is America's temple.

We have entered that America now. AsAs

AsAs with our last stop, we are in a small village to resupply. This place shouldn't exist, there is no industry here, no reason to be but for the caldera it sits below. A giant volcano, Mt Mazama, the blown-off top of which is filled by a lake (of, so it is claimed, the world's cleanest still water) and a Bond villan'esque Island in the middle, called snake island. It's a stunning vista, make no mistake. 

Huge American cars pour in and out of the lookout carpark, the occupants alight, take photos then head for the gift shop and RV park to pay homage to the American Gods.

It is in one of Gaiman's so called temples we now sit, inside the gift shop at the restaurant, taking sacrament; cheese burgers and 2-litre cups of refillable soda. 

Watching the gigantic RVs pulled by ridiculously over sized cars, with ATVs in tow (god forbid you have to walk to the gift shop), I ponder the hypocrisy. In the only country not a signatory to the Paris Agreement, with an admninistration hell-bent on overturning all good environmental law, where the God of Gasoline is given sacrifice by the gallon, how long can these places of natural homage last? Will even the PCT survive these 4 (or 8) years? It's a saddening thought.

Then I read that we (in Australia) have decided against ratification of Paris. And I rage that we are no better. Is there really such a thing as cheaper energy, or are we just delaying the bill until the balloon payment comes along, a payment we cannot afford? Do better, Australia.