John Neville is concerned about Arizona’s continued focus on growth. “Growth on a finite planet is paradoxical. Or suicidal. You cannot continue to have growth on a finite planet because you use all the resources and you die,” he said. And Mark Stapp agreed there is more Phoenix can do. “We haven’t even really started to work on the conservation side of this equation. As we mature and we begin working on conservation and lower water use facilities, it’s simply going to help that process,” he said. But, he says that because the Valley is still a relatively young metropolitan area, there is time to develop sustainable habits. “We are like a gangly 12-year-old. We are not fully formed.” He continued, “A lot of what we see is also the result of a maturation process and as we mature and as we evolve, our patterns are going to change.” But in general, the outlook for the future of Phoenix is hopeful, even with the current exponential growth. “To say we are unsustainable because we are a desert is, in my terms, kind of ridiculous, because civilization has been around in deserts for a long time and have actually done fairly well,” said Climatologist Nancy Selover. “I feel actually very positive about it,” said Stapp. Even John Neville has a hopeful outlook. “I’ve been meeting the people and I have hope. I don’t think we’re going to completely self-destruct. I think we can come out of this in a good way. We’re just going to have to suffer a bit on the way.” |
"I think we can come out of this in a good way. We're just going to have to suffer a bit on the way." |