Ecotopia

Weston’s May 15th journal entry marks his first meeting with Marissa Brightcloud, a woman who meets him to show him around a “forest camp” in which Ecotopians practice sustainable woodcutting practices (50). Initially attracted to Marissa, it soon becomes clear that Marissa also feels an attraction to Weston, and they quickly become involved, sexually. Weston is intrigued by her, since she seems much more open and forward than the women he knew in America. They become close quickly, sharing personal information about their past and current relationships, though Weston is unsure what to make of her “tree-worship” tendencies (53).

The article that follows, “In Ecotopia’s Big Woods,” describes the sustainable logging practices of the Ecotopians at the forest camp. Eschewing clear cutting, they instead pick and choose mature trees to cut down one by one, using specialized electric machinery, which reduces erosion and, the Ecotopians say, ends up being more cost effective. Also in this article, Weston describes a point of contention in logging policy, as they still use diesel trucks to haul the wood away. Another important aspect of logging is that, if an Ecotopian wishes to purchase wood to build a structure, they must also work at a forest camp.