Environmental Responsiblity
It is fast becoming obvious that fossil fuels are more and more of a burden on today’s society. As Americans, we are particularly guilty for exacerbating the problem, making up 5% of the world’s population but causing over 25% of its pollution. The problem comes in sharp focus to me when I consider the weather over the last few years, as both I and many of the people I have spoken to have felt there have been hotter summers, more severe storms, and warmer than usual winters.
As a result, I make sure I use my car only when necessary, opting for a walk or public transportation whenever possible. Whenever it comes time to buy a new car, I try to strike a balance between the needs I have (such as a roomy interior) and good gas mileage. Every time I am tempted to forgo the environmentally sound choice, I pause for a moment to consider my 1-year-old son’s future, and the decision always tips back to the responsible, green choice.
Recently there’s been a lot of debate within both local and global governments as to how to incorporate technology into cars that will allow people to strike that balance a little more easily. Some solutions have already come to market, such as hybrid cars and others that run on ethanol, while others are still in development, such as cars that run on fuel cells. While I think that there are some great ideas out there, I don’t think the urgency of the situation has grabbed our attention in a way that it should have by now.
According to estimates, we have roughly 100 years before the damage from greenhouse gasses to our Earth become irreversible. What’s most striking to me about that number is that the line drawn in the sand is quite possibly within the lifetime of children born today, and most definitely within the lifetime of their children. Is this the legacy we hoped to leave them? I know for me, this is not what I hoped for my son.
At the risk of sounding preachy, I’m taking the opportunity to use this blog as my soapbox and implore anyone reading to simply think about the big picture as you live life. “Earth Day”, encouraging people to recycle, reduce our waste, and reduce our pollution, was an initiative championed by Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin and was first celebrated on April 22nd, 1970.(1) It seems many of us have lost sight of the spirit of that day, giving in to the needs we have first instead of considering the needs of the community. I know I am certainly guilty of it.
Consider the small things as a big help. The next time you are looking for a new car, make sure you include gas mileage as a consideration (and if you decide *not* to buy a car because its mileage isn’t good, make sure the dealer knows it!). If there is an opportunity to buy a car that has a hybrid engine, or perhaps that accepts ethanol as an option, consider it. When possible, use alternate forms of transportation. Companies in the biotechnology industry are aggressively researching ways to reduce the damage we are doing to our planet. Encourage them by buying those products that you think increase the chances that our legacy will be able to enjoy our planet tomorrow as we enjoy it today.
(1) See Wikipedia for the full article on “Earth Day” (click here to be taken there now)
