"Big Yellow Taxi": Protecting Paradise

In 1970, when Joni Mitchell wrote "Big Yellow Taxi", environmentalism was a major part of American culture. Only 8 years prior, Rachel Carson had written Silent Spring. The hippie movement, which was heavily tied to environmentalism, was also at its peak. Now, though, most Americans care about the environment much less.

The refrain goes, "Don't it always seem to go/That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone/They paved paradise and put up a parking lot". This very much reflects the current environmental degradation for profit. Going back one hundred and fifty years, the US was in the industrial revolution, the first major wave of environmental degradation. Forests were cut down for logging, and factories not only destroyed habitats, but they also contributed heavily to pollution, most notably, air and water pollution. This was not just an issue for animals and plants; it also was problematic for people. Not only were they breathing that air and drinking that water, but the water and air don't just remain in the area where they're being polluted. Because of the wind, pollution in the air migrates. It can also settles on Earth, such as on plants or water. Water, obviously, flows. Anywhere downstream of where the initial pollution happens will also get polluted. This is why pipelines crossing major water sources are such an issue; people, animals, and plants relying on that source of water will also face the consequences of pollution regardless of how far they are from the initial pollution point (so long as they are downstream of it). For these reasons, pollution has a negative impact on the food people eat. Whether they are plants or animals, one is eating the pollution consumed by their food. In the 1960s, with environmentalism, there was a bit of a rollback on environmental degradation. Forests were rebuilt and regulations were put in place for pollution. Then, in the late 1960s, environmental degradation picked up again with an increase in oil spills, industrial dumping, along with the pollution previously witnessed. The environmentalist movement picked up traction in the 1970s, but by the 1980s, profit has largely been placed above the environment. Depending on the politicians in power, some policies have supported the environment more than others. All politicians benefit from capitalism, though, so of course none of them will enforce policies to prevent environmental exploitation entirely. Popular American culture has not had any more notable shifts for environmental protection since the 1970s either.

In her refrain, Mitchell literally focuses on a small scale issue regarding environmental degradation, but of course, putting up a parking lot symbolizes larger environmental issues. Today, environmental issues ought to be a major concern since scientists have found that climate change has advanced past the point of no return. No matter what we do now, we still will feel the affects of climate change. Trump's policies also are speeding up the process of making the planet unlivable for humans and animals alike. He has withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement (a resolution to de-escalate climate change), emphasized the need for drilling for oil, which is destroying the US' few virgin ecosystems, primarily in Alaska (including in a wildlife refuge), and is rolling back on environmental justice (meaning impoverished and racialized communities may be directly harmed by environmental degradation even more than it has).

The other part of Mitchell's refrain ("Don't it always seem to go/That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone") is a very common sentiment. In environmental philosophy, those who argue that we ought to protect the environment often see inherent value in its existence. While "inherent value" means that something does not have to provide anything to anyone for it to have a right to exist, the environment often does. It provides many people with joy, comfort, and peace that they don't understand because those feelings aren't as tangible as profit. Once they are denied what has provided them with those feelings, they suddenly realize how that thing has positively impacted their lives. I am not saying the major reason to protect the environment is the positive feelings it gives people, but those feelings should be noted when discussing environmental degradation and how it impacts a person emotionally (as Mitchell has pointed out).

In her second verse, Mitchell discusses the juxtaposition between people's desire to see the natural world and their desire for development. "They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum". People still want to experience the natural world, but they still desire development. National parks are popular vacation destinations because people still want to experience nature even though they will not act in any way to protect the environment. She also comments on how this desire is commodified: "And they charge the people a dollar and a half just to see 'em." While this is true with museums, it is also the case with national parks. To go to some of the only places that industry hasn't completely destroyed, we are charged. To continue to prevent degradation from destroying these lands, the National Parks Service has to make money. Even then, national parks are still used for profit (see: Tongass National Rainforest).

In her next verse, Mitchell discusses DDT and how she prefers imperfect crops than the death of animals. "Give me spots on my apples/But leave me the birds and the bees, please". Thankfully, DDT has since been banned, but that does not mean harmful pesticides are not still abundant. For example, Imidacloprid is a pesticide that has harmed 80% of the planet's endangered species. Pesticides are not the only agricultural practice having an adverse effect on the environment. Factory farming destroys habitats and ecosystems (primarily rainforests), and the high amount of cow manure produced on factory beef and dairy farms is responsible for most of Earth's methane, which is a major reason for climate change.

In her last verse, Mitchell focuses on a more personal experience: her boyfriend leaving her in the middle of the night. Even though it doesn't seem relevant in a conversation regarding the environment, this final verse represents how environmental degradation can be a personal pain.

We're taught to take a purely logical perspective regarding political and social issues, but for many, this is not sustainable. Sometimes, we have a personal connection to an issue and feel emotional about it. That is 100% okay. The protection of the environment is a utilitarian fight, but for many, it is also a deeply personal and emotional fight. No matter which perspective you align yourself with, they are both valid so long as you keep fighting to save not just our planet but also ourselves.