Cement is then mixed with water to form this ubiquitous material which shapes our landscapes and cities.

BBC: By Ian Hardy

Our expansive landscapes remain an inspiration for all to behold, and as an essential piece of our heritage, it is incumbent upon us to protect them not only in our time, but for all time.

WHITEHOUSE: The White House

Now efforts to control global warming are set to transform our urban landscapes -- notably in London which last month unveiled ambitious plans to turn itself into the world's greenest city by cutting carbon emissions by 33 percent by 2025 -- the equivalent of a four percent reduction every year.

CNN: London leads climate change fight

"Our members believe that a vote for Gore is the best way to protect our families from pollution and safeguard our nation's landscapes for future generations to enjoy, " Cox said.

CNN: Sierra Club endorses Gore for president

As Americans, we possess few blessings greater than the vast and varied landscapes that stretch the breadth of our continent.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Signs Major Public Lands Protections

After all, who would ever believe that what lies beneath our feet could be any stranger than the landscapes on the surface above?

BBC: An Icelandic journey to the centre of the earth

Architect and academic Fritz Haeg, whose work has been exhibited at Tate Modern in London and the Whitney Museum of American Art, has written a book, "Edible Landscapes", in which he calls for our lawns to be replaced by beautiful spreads of fruit and vegetables.

CNN: Transforming England's towns into green and pleasant land

The books, naturally, present only our successes: outings that take the walker into apparently unspoiled landscapes and endlessly fabulous local cuisine.

WSJ: James Lasdun on the Dark Side of Writing Travel Books | Traveler's Tale

Or Michael Cadieux, whose gorgeous obsessive-compulsive paintings reflect our energy-consuming culture and its inevitable role in the degradation of once pristine landscapes.

FORBES: The 21st Century Novel: Jaded Ibis Sees a 'Mashup'