Earth Day is a time to pay homage to Mother Earth. I think it only right that we have given a female gender to our planet as she definitely provides for us. She nurtures us. Yes, we have learned how best to reap what she sows, but remember, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Abundance does not mean gluttony. We enjoy so much in this country and have become used to energy at our fingertips for our homes, our cars, our businesses our industry, etc. Current political leadership in Washington does not include an environmental agenda. In fact, green issues will be taking a back seat to the anti-regulations mood in our nation’s capital. But why do we have to be so out of balance with these issues all the time? Why do we make political issues out of topics such as climate change, carbon emissions, air pollution, clean drinking water, etc.? Science is science, facts are facts, and yet there is always another “truth” to be told to those who will listen. I wish we would take ownership of our energy consumption in this country. Why do we care about polluting “our” land when we continue to import oil from other countries? We need to care about the health of the “whole” planet, not just American soil, air & water. In the children’s story Horton Hears A Who, Dr. Seuss makes a good point that we are all on this speck of dust together and there are always outside factors that could threaten us. So why not take care of what we can control? If it is likely that we will be driving gasoline powered cars for the next 20-30 years, then let’s make a pact. For every foot of new oil pipeline that is built in this country, one dollar gets set aside for forwarding the technology of renewables such as wind, solar, geo-thermal, and other clean energy sources. We need to stop draining the life from our planet. We use Earth’s fossil fuels much faster than they can ever renew. We are living on borrowed time. We need a plan. It maybe hard to believe that the world could be powered by solar and wind alone, but H.G. Wells and Jules Verne wrote of technological improbabilities that came to pass. It can and will happen. The big oil companies know it. They are invested in renewable power research as we speak. They know the future is in clean energy. And that means the money will be there, too. For now, the rest of us can do our part. Drive more fuel efficient cars. Recycle at home and the office. Reuse as much as you can. Conserve water. Don’t idle your car. Carpool. Eat sustainable foods and support local business. Use LED lights and energy efficient windows. Use public transportation whenever possible. Support your local environmental groups. Bike to work. Walk more. And don’t make climate change a political issue. Make it a human issue! We are all on this dust speck together and I am sure Horton doesn’t want to hear us cry for help. Politics being what it is, we have to continue on with our stewardship of our planet, no matter who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As the old saying goes, “The world is not given by our fathers, but borrowed from our children.” Let’s not disappoint them when we return it!
Is Anyone Listening? J.B. Lester
