The Iron Curtain was the somber reality of a world polarized to the point of mutual destruction. But nature, it its infinite ability to adapt, took over the empty spaces drawn by political adversaries on maps. Squeezed out of their homes by development, the no-man's land became a haven for wildlife. Flowers, birds, insects and mammals now thrive in a network of parks, reserves and organic farms. It is entirely fitting after the end of the Cold War that the European Union plans to turn the 4200 mile former international barrier into the world's largest greenbelt stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea. A symbol of death becomes a symbol of life triumphant. Not all of the zone is wilderness and only one third of it is designated as nature conservation areas. But European environmental organizations such as Germany's Bund are fighting encroaching development wherever it can. Legal protections must be given to the zone if the new reality of man's harmony with nature is to be realized.[graphic source: The Independent]