Earth Day? Why Bother?

Earth Day? Why Bother?

By Henry Dynia, Director of Design and Construction

We have been hearing about Earth Day since it was initiated in 1970 as part of the environmental awakening during the second half of the 20th century. Although the history of the environmental movement runs much further back in our history, by the 1960s our industrial prosperity had created a legacy of environmental degradation: choking air, filthy water, waste washing up on beaches, burgeoning landfills, acid rain, rampant sprawl, and all the related health problems. We addressed these visible aspects of the environmental problem but were largely unaware that an invisible, odorless menace was a part of the emerging threat to our planet.

Way back from the early days of the modern environmental movement, a small community of scientists was concerned about the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Over the years the levels have risen far above historic levels. Pre-industrial levels of CO2 were around 280 PPM (parts per million), and now they are headed for 400 PPM, higher than anytime in the last 650,000 years. CO2 levels continue to rise more rapidly than anyone has predicted.

Why is CO2 a problem? Although CO2 will not kill you like other pollutants, its global effect on the planet is extremely damaging because of its impact on the earth’s climate. CO2 traps the sun’s heat in our atmosphere and raises the earth’s temperature. This drastically affects the habitats of all forms of life while also causing disruption and extinction. It has, and will, influence agriculture, food supplies, transportation, industry, the economy, and even where we choose to live.

You may ask: What does this have to do with me? It has everything to do with each one of us, since, in addition to being the victims of this problem, we are also the cause. Almost everything we do has what is called a “Carbon Footprint.” What we eat, wear, drive, purchase, discard, live in, work in, and do (including breathing) releases carbon into the atmosphere. Therefore, the goal is to reduce, as much as possible, the amount of carbon that results from our choices and lifestyles.

Remember, each of us is one of 7 billion people on the globe. Although the impact of our choices may be tiny in relation to the problems, it is important to take advantage of the choices that are available to us to reduce our personal impacts. One by one, those impacts and better choices will add up to make a difference. It will take an increased awareness by people around the world to pull us back from the brink of what could be potentially life-threatening.

Almost everything we do involves choices. We don’t have to sit in the dark to make a difference in energy usage, either. Use more efficient lighting, of which there are now many more products available. Purchase smaller vehicles, walk, ride bicycles, and use public transportation options if possible. To save money while also reducing your carbon footprint, use composted leaves and garden “waste” instead of plastic bags of peat moss. There is always more that we can do to our homes to make them less energy-consumptive. But there are also lots of good choices to make that can have an immediate benefit; sometimes it is as simple as turning off an un-needed light or appliance, or opening a window instead of running the AC. Each individual needs to begin to understand his or her own impact and how carbon footprints can be reduced with minimal impact, and, most importantly, how to have fun doing it! – Henry Dynia