Thought for Today
“Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies,
insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain’s majesty
above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs,
from sea to oily sea.”
As we struggle with the cost of gas I am reminded of the gas shortage of the seventies. I remember we all learned to conserve, not only gas but also electricity. There were not night lights in everyones back yards. We did not leave lights on in a room if we were not in that room. We reduced the amount of hot water we consumed during showers and other daily activities. Many of us learned that if we truly did not need it, we did without it.
We have since become a society of want it now instant gratification. No deposit no return, throw it away when you are done has become a way of life. When we see a lovely tree, we see not the 30, 40, 50, or 100 years that it grew to become so lovely and majestic. Instead we see the amount of dollars that tree can put in our pockets.
We have made many mistakes, and we are likely to make many more. It’s not important the mistakes we have made, rather it is important the lessons we have learned from the mistakes we have made.
My personal view of the rising price of gas is not so alarming that we need to open up new oil wells, or even to search for alternative sources of energy, although it is important that we do just that. However, what is even more important is that we as a society again learn to conserve, to consume only what we truly need.
Until we learn that it is our responsibility to effect change, to learn from our children, to do the right thing, we will continue to see devastation afflicted on our world and environment. We cannot expect our politicians to change if we ourselves are not willing to change.
It all begins with one small step, start recycling, reduce consumption, buy more locally grown organic foods, walk or ride a bicycle, and turn off the lights. If each of us takes one small step each day then together we have made a big difference.
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