This early blossoming should not be a surprise; the maple sugaring was earlier than usual as well. We do whatever is necessary to adapt. Right? Well, I ask and hopefully others ask the same question. Why is this happening?
It is so obvious. Just here in New Hampshire with temperatures reaching the high eighties in mid March and yesterday’s heat wave, we are witnessing climate change. One does not need to be a scientist to see what is happening. It’s clear. It isn’t as if we have not been warned.
Of course there are folks who say that climate change is a hoax. Hmmm. Well, I can understand why some would think so in response to individuals like Al Gore who produced a brilliant documentary – ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ – while living the life of a true energy glutton, raking in the big bucks. Yes. Some are making money off of the concept of climate change, which does not mean that it isn’t happening. Also, the earth does undergo natural changes with or without our help. Our practices are clearly damaging to the environment. There must be accountability.
I was inspired and impressed when I watched his documentary at movie night while in graduate school. I thought that everyone should view it to comprehend the urgency of changing our ways to prevent the planetary emergency that is already underway. Awareness is key.
Then I became aware of Al Gore’s lifestyle. Ugh. It shouldn’t have been a bombshell; after all, he is a politician. Their truth and the genuine truth are often worlds apart, depending upon the money in the background. I mean how can you stand there and wag your finger at the world about global warming while you rack up astronomical electric bills at home and fly around in your private jet promoting a book about reducing your carbon footprint. Does the word hypocrisy fit?
It’s all about corporate greed, recklessness and the refusal of accountability. If individuals amped up their dedication to living a greener way of life, we could begin to make a difference. There are many simple and immediate solutions. For starters, I will mention one simple change:
Say no to plastic.
Eliminate as much plastic from your life as possible ranging from shopping bags (remember to bring your canvas bags into the store) to using glass containers for storage in your kitchen.
http://www.linktv.org/video/6871/the-down-side-of-plastics
Stop buying water in individual plastic bottles. Most of it is just tap water bottled at the source anyways. You are simply lining the pockets of Coca Cola, Pepsi and Nestle*, which is an entirely different aspect of abuse regarding water, plastics and our basic rights.
Get your hands on a BPA free water bottle and if your water is unsafe, consider buying it in large quantities or treating it. Seriously, stop buying drinking water in individual plastic bottles. It’s an epidemic.
Better yet, perhaps you can get to the root cause of why your water isn’t safe and work together with your community to change that. Don’t accept the devastation of our precious water sources.
No one or corporation should be allowed to contaminate and/or steal your water only to turn around and sell it back to you. We aren’t even addressing the adverse affect that the water bottling process and a multitude of other harmful practices have on plants and animals in their natural habitat.
Plus as far as the addiction of toting around a plastic water bottle at all times; consuming from plastic containers is a health hazard in itself, linked to various cancers and related diseases.
Don’t forget the waste part of this equation. There are literal islands of plastic floating around in our beautiful bodies of water.
http://www.linktv.org/water
http://www.linktv.org/video/7044/water-wars-with-rhett-turner-jonathan-wickham
http://www.linktv.org/video/7532/carbon-for-water
Earth Day is April 22nd. Let it be every day.
* This video has been aired on the Documentary Channel and is for sale.
http://store.documentarychannel.com/Tapped-p/1232.htm
Photo - Beedes Falls, Sandwich NH
Journal: Bittersweet
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