The novel's theme of survival is reflected in the concept of habitats and home; how can humans fulfill their need for shelter without putting other living creatures in jeopardy?

The novel's theme of survival is reflected in the concept of habitats and home—such as the bear trying to escape the flames, and Cadie's attachment to the rustic house of her youth. How can humans fulfill their need for shelter without putting other living creatures in jeopardy?

One aspect would be to protect some untouched habitats. There are many neighborhoods that could use refurbishing before new builds on land that is home to many animals, some endangered.

Stop new development if possible.

By learning from the past and doing homework before tearing down and building. All the paving we’ve done has in many places resulted in severe damage to people and animals from storms and hurricanes. What do we do afterwards? We re-pave. Vanity often leads us to build what we want rather than what we need, and to build it where we want even when that could endanger other living creatures as well as ourselves. If human beings were less greedy and thought before they acted, we’d have a better chance of protecting this planet and all its inhabitants.

First of all - the scene with the bear KILLED me, I was so bothered by it! We must be better stewards of our planet - not just for generations to come, but for all the other creatures with whom we share space. Our single-use mindset is terrible and we have to make big changes that are meaningful. I think that sprawl is devastating, and as mentioned above, unnecessary. We need to embrace the idea that less is more and re-use is where it's at (be it consumables or land). But if we don't collectively embrace this we are just putting a band-aid on a bullet wound.

We need to learn from our past mistakes, yes we need to develop towns and cities with new homes and commercial places but we nude in the planning for these preservation of the planet to avoid flooding or forest fires or other damage as much as possible. There are many communities that incorporated open space in their plans and this proves it can done.