In his recent syndicated column, Randy Cohen addresses the ethics of an ax-wielding neighbor. Cohen believes that what we do on our own property, even if legal, affects others and therefore we owe them some consideration, notwithstanding any property rights we can assert.
By removing those trees, your neighbor wrecked more than your view and privacy. Among other things, he diminished the air quality and perhaps worsened water-runoff problems for the entire area, destroyed something of beauty and most likely lowered the value of his own property — amusing but not enough so to justify the act. (This last, affecting only himself, makes him a knucklehead but does not make him unethical.)
Cohen is skeptical that the destruction can be mitigated by planting new trees…a favorite rationalization of local developers, who make the questionable claim that they plant more trees than they destroy.
As for replanting the trees, even if he acquiesced you would not benefit: saplings take years to reach shady adulthood. Nor can his handing you some cash increase the oxygen levels in the neighborhood.
He also believes that, by allowing such destruction to occur…
The law itself can be subject to ethical scrutiny. If it fails to weigh the ecological implications of this ax-wielding on the wider community, it is dubious indeed.
Clearly, many of our local and state laws make a poor accounting of themselves, ethically speaking. Hopefully, our state legislators will consider this when the lobbyists return to Austin next year asking for even more outrageous “grandfathering” statutes and draconian “takings” laws.
Cohen’s final bit of advice is one that, hopefully, everyone will to take to heart…
…your efforts should be expended on toughening local laws. And you’ll have plenty of time to do that, now that you won’t be squandering your weekends on backyard barbecues with the neighbor.
