Abstract:
When the very wealthy Rossano Burzi flies his plane he often wonders about the landscapes below. What was there a thousand years ago—along a riverbank where there is now a massive shipyard or instead of that clearcut or mountaintop removal project? He longs to fly over a pristine piece of North America that existed long ago, before Europeans brought “civilization” to the natives, before stands of timber fell to progress and greed. These are not just the musings of a wealthy man. Rossano Burzi is determined that money will buy his fondest dreams—but at what personal cost?