Today is a day for recognition; for conservation; for awareness; for preservation; for remorse. Today is a day upon which we look back and critique the actions we have taken and question the avenues that we will take in the future. Today is a day that we look around and take in the beauty of nature. Today is a day that we stop and realize that we are not superior and that we all come from the same place and can be taken by our creator. Today is a day that we give back to the environment from which we have so selfishly taken. Today is a day that we educate others - whether it be our children, family, friends or strangers - in order to maintain some sort of hope for generations to come. Today is Earth Day.
Can we honestly say to ourselves that we have done enough to preserve and protect the environment and create a world that is not only sustainable, but healthy, safe, and promising?
The answer is no.
Look back at the actions and events that took place in the United States over the past 10 years. Legislation that promotes fossil fuel production (not to mention gives billions of dollars per year to the industry) and deters alternative energy production. Deregulation of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act due to their negative impact on "jobs". Hunting endangered species. Un-ratified international treaties that are one of the first steps towards multi-national environmental actions. Increased asthma rates. The opening of the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration. Big Oil politics. Coal Ash disaster in Tennessee. Record temperatures (high and low). Record snowfall. Record droughts. Record ice melt. Record flooding. Record carbon-dioxide levels. Record sea-level rise. BP Horizon oil spill. Amazonian deforestation. Off-shore drilling. Hydraulic Fracturing. Arkansas Crude Oil Pipeline Spill. Keystone XL Pipeline? We will soon find out.
These are just a few of the environmental issues that we have brought upon ourselves in the past 10 years. We should be ashamed.
Are we prepared to say that the world we live in now is acceptable for our children to come into? For our grandchildren? Do you want your children coming into a world that is ridden with unprecedented climatic changes, global warming, scarce water, future energy shortages, tainted food, where a government that can be bought by Fortune 500 companies, topographic changes that will come with sea-level rise?
Any sane person would say no.
If that is the case, then why in the world are we treating the Earth as we do? Two words: Common Practice.
We have a history, especially here in the United States, of thinking we can have our cake and eat it too. We think that we can literally take the natural resources of any nation, if we don't have it, and make money off of it - and we have done it and continue to do so. We believe that any problems we cause today can be solved tomorrow, or by the next administration, or in the next generation -- how has that turned out with economic issues, carbon-dioxide levels, health issues? We live on the idea that we are the superior nation and can do whatever we want to this Earth without any repercussions.
Some may think that they are environmentally conscious, I sure do. But I am nowhere near the level of environmentally conscious that the human race needs to be in order to sustain life for the future.
Our nation has been controlled, when it comes to environmental issues and sustainability, by partisan politics, interest groups and money for far too long. A clean and safe environment, clean water, clean air, healthy foods, and renewable and sustainable energy is not a Democrat/Republican issue - it is a requirement for the future security of our nation, of our people and of our world.
At this point, I see a future that goes two ways:
Future One.
We continue on the path that we are on. President Obama has done a respectable job when it comes to environmental and energy issues. We are starting to heavily invest in alternative energy usage, but still produce and consume massive levels of oil and natural gas. But this is not sustainable; at some point in our lifetime, we may live in a world that has depleted oil reserves and are close to depleting natural gas reserves. A world where carbon-dioxide levels are skyrocketing. A world where sea level has risen 4 feet, or more, resulting in one billion environmental refugees that have no where to go. Where nations are literally swallowed by the seas - nations such as the Maldives, Kiribati's and many of the Pacific island nations. A world where food levels cannot feed everyone and famine ensues because rich nations can buy more food than is necessary for their people - oh wait, that already happens. A world where we in the US have caused most of the self-inflicted wounds that we will receive. We will look back and say, "I wish we had handled this earlier when it was economically feasible." It will be too late, too many lives will have been lost and we will suffer from irreversible environmental changes.
Pretty dismal - not something that is too pleasant to think about.
Future Two.
We change, as a nation, right now. Forget special interests. Forget Big Oil. Forget partisan politics. We need to start thinking about the future and what will happen. We will live in a world much different than today - almost futuristic (obviously), in the sense that there will be new agricultural technologies, fossil fuel technology is obsolete and environmental priorities. We may invest in vertical farming to support population growth; vertical farming is when farms are created in skyscrapers - a feasible option considering our love for creating massive structures. We will have transitioned to 100% alternative energies, primarily wind and solar energy. Studies have shown that we can sustain ourselves on these technologies and an addition of secondary alternative energy sources, such as tidal, hydroelectric, biomass and geothermal, will only add to our reserves. Our air will be cleaner as a result, we will be healthier as a result and life will be more pleasant as a result. Our cars will look different - there may no longer be large pickup trucks or gas guzzlers - and some may say, "That Ain't American!". I say, "Oh well." Cars will most likely run on hydrogen, biomass, or solely on electricity. Finally, our people and government will have dropped all worries about interest groups running certain aspects of the government. They will place high priority on environmental issues to the point where all legislation will be checked to ensure it does not place harm on the environment and the people. Sustainability will be what our nation is driven on. Everyone should be healthier, rich nations will have the capacity to help developing nations transition towards our cultural changes and we may actually live in a world that is able to support life, protect the environment and promote economic growth.
An ideal world by an environmentalist's standards.
Unfortunately, it is too good to be true - probably.
The future will most likely be a mixture of the two. It depends on us to decide which points from each path will be included in our future society, though. We can live in a world that leans more towards Future Two than Future One, or vise-versa. I truly believe that we are capable of transitioning into a world like Future Two, and I hope that we do. It will take strong-handing by the government, education and cultural and societal changes, but it is possible.
We currently have a handful of politicians leading the way in our federal government to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices. Among them is Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). As a proponent of the environmental movement, Senator Sanders has advocated for environmental awareness, alternative energy production and climate change action during his 20 year tenure on Capitol Hill. He states, "Unless we take bold action to reverse climate change, our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are going to look back on this period in history and ask a very simple question: 'Where were they? Why didn't the United States of America lead the international community in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and preventing the devastating damage that the scientific community was sure would come?'"
This thought can be applied, not just to climate change, but sustainability as a whole. The coming generations will look back, if no action is taken, as blame us for leaving them with a deteriorated and dead environment, scarce water, scarce natural resources, polluted air, and a struggling economy as a result of all of this. It is not what I want and it is not what you should want, either.
WE can be the difference that the future depends on. WE can lead the way if our government refuses to or is influenced by special interest groups. It is OUR future to shape. One person can create the idea, but it will take the effort of millions to make the changes that are necessary. This is not a new idea, our nations leaders have been promoting environmental consciousness since the creation of our nation. This is an idea that will determine our future.
To look back, today is a day for recognition; for conservation; for awareness; for preservation; for remorse. Today is a day upon which we look back and critique our actions and question the avenues that we will take in the future. Today is a day that we look around and take in the beauty of nature. Today is a day that we stop and realize that we are not superior and that we all come from the same place and can be taken by our creator. Today is a day that we give back to our environment from which we have so selfishly taken. Today is a day that we educate others - whether it be our children, family, friends or strangers - in order to maintain some sort of hope for generations to come. Today is Earth Day.
"I look forward to an America which will not be afraid of grace and beauty, which will protect the beauty of our natural environment, which will preserve the great old American houses and squares and parks of our national past and which will build handsome and balanced cities for our future."
- President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
