“The county also determined that the project will not significantly affect water quality, threatened or endangered species or other natural, cultural or recreational resources.”

Bell, Tracey. “Garrisonville Road to Get Wider.” INSIDENOVA.COM, 10 July 2014, www.insidenova.com/news/stafford/garrisonville-road-to-get-wider/article_a4d87a30-7a50-5784-9458-e8ac2fa5a4a6.html.

Humanity has discovered a way to benefit from nature but not return the favor. We have found a way to use its resources in a sustainable way to not hurt the environment but we fail to see that humans’ relationship with nature is rarely mutualism and more parasitism. Once in human life, we had to adapt to nature. But through time we’ve learned to give nature roles of how it should be. Heidegger interprets technology as a “means to an end”, which in the case of this article Stafford county has decided to create its own means for nature (Heidegger, 4). However, nature does not have to be “in use” for it to be a technology. In this case, the road expansion of Garrisonville road has predetermined the role of all nature including habitats for animals. Although it is currently not doing anything its role has been given. Heidegger’s term “standing reserved” backs the idea that something can be still and unused but still is being used as a tool for some goal. An example of this can be the harvest of crops. Although the plants have not grown yet, their motive has been determined since the seed or root was put in the ground.

Heidegger, Martin, The Question Concerning Technology and Other Essays (New York: Garland Publishing, 1977).