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Global warming
is the hot topic of the latest news story on network news. Humans are the
cause of it all. I didn’t even once think it might be the polar bears’
fault!
Not only are humans the cause, but you can bet that greed is probably
lurking around in the equation somewhere.
In the short span of time I’ve been on this earth, it seems to me that every
time humans try to play God, things don’t turn out the best. Back when God
created this planet, air was pure and clean. So were the waters. The
earth’s cycles worked the way they were designed to work.
This morning I awoke with the need to “solve the world’s problems”...or at
least address this issue. I don’t profess to be a rocket scientist or even
a rock scientist, but I do know that it will take a concerted effort from
every person living on this planet to turn this situation around, if in fact
it can be done. We can’t wait for someone else to do it. Like Big Brother
or Big Industries. Though they need to do their share and quickly.
I am not advocating doing away with all cars, roads, buildings, and other
so-called modern
conveniences.
However, the time for sticking our collective necks in the sand is over or
maintaining the status quo in a state of denial.
The Christmas carol “Let there be Peace on Earth” (and Let it begin with me)
should also be sung: Let there be Global Cooling on Earth and let it begin
with me.
This early spring gas prices soared again. We complained like crazy, same
as every other Mainer. It was a respite from the otherwise mundane
discussion of the weather in
Maine.
It’s hard for some of us Mainers to comprehend global warming...one day it
could be 90 in the shade and humid and the next a person needs a fleece
jacket. As the saying goes, if you don’t like the weather in Maine, wait a
minute.
To make our statement about our thoughts on the excessive gas prices, my
husband and I bought a paddleboat. Each summer, we’ve enjoyed taking our
powerboat out on the nearby lakes. We were fed up and weren’t about to
allow the gas giants to take us as gas guzzling
hostages.
Paddle boating will allow us to have fun on the water while not harming the
environment. We won’t mention the badly needed exercise. I can’t wait to
try fighting back by biking, kayaking, hiking, or just plain old walking to
enjoying the sounds of nature while I still can.
High gas prices are probably overall a good thing. As people become more
conscious of unnecessary trips in their cars and using car pools and
transits, it will help cut back some of the pollutants from our air.
When I awoke this morning, this thought was emblazoned on my mind: “We need
to plant more trees!” Though I’ve never seen them, I mourn for the loss of
the rain forests. My fingers couldn’t wait to get to the keyboard.
When I checked a world population counter to see just how many humans are
causing the warming of the planet...it was mind-boggling. 200 people were
born during the short period of time it took to write down the number
6,534,933,700. I couldn’t do a copy/paste as the
population number was changing too quickly to allow it. Check it out for
yourself: www.webtemplateszone.com/freestuff/scripts/poptick.htm In the
time it has taken me to write this piece, another 50,000 people have been
added to earth.
If each person on earth planted at least one tree, we could plant over
6,000,000,000 trees this year. Not only would all those new trees convert
carbon dioxide into badly needed oxygen, but by the looks of the exploding
population, we’ll need all the oxygen we can get.
What if you don’t own several acres of land to plant trees? How about a
rooftop or part of a deck to hold a tree or two?
I also realize the improbability of economically deprived people around the
globe buying and planting trees; their biggest concern is where to get their
next meal and lay their head at night. Therefore, those of us who can, need
to stand in the gap for those who can’t, by planting
more than one....plant as many trees as possible. Cities and towns should
make arbor day plantings more than just a symbolic gesture. I am proud of
the next town to us. Farmington is a registered “tree city.”
A ten-year-old tree can store thirteen pounds of carbon a year. Think what
six billion trees could do! Check out: www.treelink.org/docs/29_reasons.phtml
for 29 reasons to plant trees.
Plant a tree in memory or in honor of a loved one. Or, donate to
organizations that plant and maintain trees in your local area or join The
National Arbor Day Foundation and receive free trees....See:
www.arborday.org
“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets. To plant a
pine, one needs only a shovel.” Aldo Leopold (Quote was found on the
National Arbor Day Foundation home page.)
The third thing we can do is pray and asks God’s forgiveness for practically
destroying His creation. The next time the earth is destroyed won’t be by
flood. His rainbow promised that.
The last stanza of “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer says it perfectly: Poems are
made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.
Reforestation may well be a viable solution to the catastrophe of global
warming before it turns into global burning.
For my daughter's birthday, her gift will be a tree... maybe two or three.
© Kay Seefeldt (6/23/06, my daughter’s birthday)
birdnest@megalink.net
Kay recently retired, on June 14th, after a twenty-eight year
challenge of being a middle school teacher. This date was also the
anniversary of her high school graduation. Now that she has "more time,"
she hopes to be able to do more writing in poetry and prose, and of course
travel across America to marvel at a portion of God's creation and chronicle
her travels in watercolor. |
