With granddaughters beckoning and a shed to be built, Karen and I found ourselves in the states of Washington and Oregon for a lovely two-week retreat. Environmental concerns and pondering were to be put aside while these more hands-on interactions and projects focused our attention. But certain sustainability related events and news that were too interesting to ignore beckoned. Their message? The future is at our doorstep.
#1 – Perfectly Practical. For those of us concerned about reducing fossil fuel use passenger trains are clear winners over air travel and private vehicles. But we Americans (this author included) often prefer the speed of air travel and the independence passenger vehicles afford. But this time, because of previous experiences, Karen and I knew that taking the train up and down the coast would trump battling freeway traffic. And it did. We arrived relaxed, refreshed and having had time for reading and correspondence. Reducing our carbon-footprints only sweetened the deal!
#2 – Astonishingly Announced. OK, OK I’ll admit the crossword puzzle is the main attraction of the complimentary USA Today newspaper at the motel coffee bar. But an article, seemingly from some alternate universe, grabbed my attention. CEOs from ten of the world’s largest oil companies made a joint announcement stating that their industry must address climate change and that they support the United Nations goals to limit global warming. (Yes folks, large OIL companies made this statement!) One executive was quoted as saying that carbon pricing was the only way to achieve a reasonable energy mix to limit excessive atmospheric warming. (Subsequent cross-referencing confirmed that I had not been transported to an alternative reality. This actually did take place on Earth!)
#3 – Mightily Motivational. Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, arrived. The oceans and atmosphere are warming as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. As predicted, more severe weather events like Patricia are being created. The oil execs have it right; now’s the time to move beyond fossil fuels.
And the “Plus”? Just blocks from our son’s home a salmon stream that has been inaccessible to fish since the 1890s is being restored. That’s the kind of gentle treatment of the Earth’s ecology that’s critical to a healthy world because this is the only home we’ll ever know. We’re here forever…Earthbound.
#1 – Perfectly Practical. For those of us concerned about reducing fossil fuel use passenger trains are clear winners over air travel and private vehicles. But we Americans (this author included) often prefer the speed of air travel and the independence passenger vehicles afford. But this time, because of previous experiences, Karen and I knew that taking the train up and down the coast would trump battling freeway traffic. And it did. We arrived relaxed, refreshed and having had time for reading and correspondence. Reducing our carbon-footprints only sweetened the deal!
#2 – Astonishingly Announced. OK, OK I’ll admit the crossword puzzle is the main attraction of the complimentary USA Today newspaper at the motel coffee bar. But an article, seemingly from some alternate universe, grabbed my attention. CEOs from ten of the world’s largest oil companies made a joint announcement stating that their industry must address climate change and that they support the United Nations goals to limit global warming. (Yes folks, large OIL companies made this statement!) One executive was quoted as saying that carbon pricing was the only way to achieve a reasonable energy mix to limit excessive atmospheric warming. (Subsequent cross-referencing confirmed that I had not been transported to an alternative reality. This actually did take place on Earth!)
#3 – Mightily Motivational. Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful tropical cyclone ever measured in the Western Hemisphere, arrived. The oceans and atmosphere are warming as a result of the accumulation of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. As predicted, more severe weather events like Patricia are being created. The oil execs have it right; now’s the time to move beyond fossil fuels.
And the “Plus”? Just blocks from our son’s home a salmon stream that has been inaccessible to fish since the 1890s is being restored. That’s the kind of gentle treatment of the Earth’s ecology that’s critical to a healthy world because this is the only home we’ll ever know. We’re here forever…Earthbound.
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