Forever Earthbound
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

You Buy These Birds?

6/2/2019

0 Comments

 
         Lyndell and Tamika timed their visit perfectly.  Our friends from Mississippi arrived just as a riot of migrating song birds put on a show outside our windows.  Over thirty varieties performed in a springtime circus of color and chatter so delightful, it almost made us giggle to watch.

         Because Lyndell and Tamika come from extremely modest financial circumstances, I often think that these Mississippi folk imagine we middle-class white folks in Wisconsin are rich enough to buy just about anything we want.  Tamika reinforced that thought at breakfast the next morning.   She was so enthralled by the almost unbelievable variety and quantity of birds on display that she only half-jokingly asked, “Did you buy these birds?”  Well, of course we didn’t.  They come as a cost-free blessing courtesy of Mother Nature. 

         Our guests headed back home, but her question tickled my curiosity.  Just what would I be willing to pay to assure the continued health of our avian feathered friends?  It’s an especially pertinent question in light of two recent reports on environmental stability.

         The first is a United Nations report that found 1 million animal and plant species may become extinct because of shifts in the use of land and ocean resources, over harvesting, climate change, pollution, and invasive species (in that order).  The second comes from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.  It found that the current atmospheric CO2 level is 415 ppm (parts per million), way beyond the centuries-long average of about 275 ppm and higher than any time in human history.  Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a major contributor to climate change.

         Given these huge environmental challenges, perhaps each of us should ask ourselves what costs we’d be willing to shoulder to “buy” a level of assurance that the bird populations we enjoy today will also delight our great grandchildren.

         Are we willing to minimize single-use conveniences of paper and plastic products?  Would it be too much to ask us to reduce our release of toxic pesticides and harsh cleaning and personal care products into the waste stream?  Can we lean toward eating lower on the food chain - more fruits, veggies, and whole grains?  Do we have the resolve to transition our fossil-fuel-based transportation, heating/cooling and electrical generation infrastructure to a clean renewable energy model? 

         Hard questions.  But what choice do we have?  Because this is our only home where we’re forever… Earthbound.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    I'm interested in the topics of sustainability and climate change especially in regards to our local area in southwest Wisconsin.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013

    Categories

    All
    Carbon Fee And Dividend
    Carbon Sequestration
    Climate Change
    Extreme Weather
    Health
    Local Food
    Lymes Disease
    Mercury Pollution
    Renewable Energy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.