Thursday, April 22, 2010

Earth Day


I barely remember the first Earth Day. Who though about pollution or anything like that back then. We did after all have no control over what was being pumped out of smoke stacks and dumped in rivers. There were some naturalists like Rachael Carson who had tried to bring light to our situation. I think there was a turning point or at least a beginning when eagles started to disappear from DDT and a certain river in Cleveland caught fire. Cities like Pittsbugh had put in scrubbers in their smoke stacks but that only filtered out the visable materials leaving microscopic bits of airborne metal and of course the sulfur leading to acid rain.
We didn't think about the lead in our gas that was leaving behind a toxic mess or the garbage barge being dumped in the ocean off the coast of New York. There were no catalitic converters on cars slowing emissions. Nobody back then thought twice about dumping waste in any out of the way place. Out of sight out of mind was the mantra of the day. We buried radioactive equipment at Hanford. Created ponds of toxic soup at Love Canal and burned coal for heating and indusrty. All of this polluted our land, water, and air. Nothing like peeing where you get your drinking water. And as the population continues to grow the problems of polution will continue to get worse. That is until we realize that everyting comes back at us. Whatever you put into nature or simply put what ever goes around comes around. Mother nature is very forgiving but if you cross the line she will take you out behind the wood shed and beat you to death. It doesn't really take a lot to change things either. It only takes many people doing small things to make a giant difference. It's all a matter of balance.

6 comments:

The Blog Fodder said...

You have very nicely outlined the real pollution problems we continue to face. However the polluters must be thrilled that the non-pollutant CO2 has taken the heat off them.

BBC said...

I barely remember the first Earth Day.

I damn sure don't recall it, back then I was an offender, for the most part, other than my recycling.

Now I try to make a lighter foot print. Every year at this time we have a ten dollar day at the landfill, all you can put on a truck for ten bucks.

I'm putting a load together now, most of it stuff that will go to the recycle pile. I make very little actual garbage anymore.

BBC said...

Oh, and I won't be starting my truck and driving today, you can thank me later. Ten dollar dump day is on Sunday and I may not drive again until then.

Randal Graves said...

I'm sure the slaps on the wrist that the big polluters get will have them on the right path in no time.

DILLIGAF said...

Earth Day? Anyone told the Amazon River Dolphin? I reckon they'd have some'at to say on this!

(You receive your prize ok?)

Demeur said...

BF and I guess that radioactive waste that Russia dumps in the ocean doesn't hurt anything either. Out of sight out of mind.

Billy I'm sure your footprint is just above an Amazon native. An inspiration to all.

Randal I say we use the Chinese method - execute the bastards.

4D we'll just let the pirannas take care of the dolphins. I'll pass the music on to the resident music/electronic/computer geek.