'It's the Environment Stupid'
My beliefs about our Natural Environment were fairly entrenched already when I was driving one day in Tampa and happened to hear a program on Alternative Radio that caught my attention. The program was rebroadcasting a recording done by David Foreman, an environmentalist, and was called In Defense of the Wild. He talked about how for the first time in the history of the world that there was a negative gain in terms of Species Creation. Throughout the history of the Earth, species have been killed or died off, but that always more species advanced or were created than died, thus a net sum gain. Today is different. Today, almost entirely due to Mankind's inefficient use of raw materials and lack of understanding about sustainable development, more species are dying than are created. He projects, and he is not alone, that by 2100 there will be half as many species of plants and animals than exist today! He talks about how in the mid 1800's Carrier Pigeons would cover the sky in migrating North South and today Carrier Pigeons are extinct due to over hunting. He talks about how close we came in 1890, the year the Census Bureau declared that there was no more Frontier, to extinguishing forever the Bison, when less than 30 took refuge in Yellowstone. Less than 30 existed on this Planet!! Today thanks to the planning and management of our forefathers hundreds of thousands exist today.

I may never go to a Rainforest, the Arctic National Preserve (Thank Jimmy Carter for preserving this pristine area), see a cougar, elephant or understand the complex interplay between species large and small up and down the foodchain, but I do know that there is something miraculous in life. As it is truly a miracle to witness the birth of human life, it is equally impressive when we see the miracle of non-human life. You don't have to be an artist to appreciate a David, Michangelo or Monet and you don't have to be an environmentalist to see the natural miracle of nature. I don't have any children, but would like to think that the legacy that I can leave to my nieces and nephews, is a better planet. I'd like to think that the higher virtue is the selflessness that comes with stewardship of the Environment and the ability to pass on a legacy of environmental awareness so that future generations can view our generation with the same reverence with which we view the 'Greatest Generation' because of the sacrifices that they made for humanity and democracy.

We are not asked to sacrifice anything in America today. We can send 500,000 troops to the Gulf, during the Gulf war, to insure our economic oil interests and yet we did not sacrifice by conserving one gallon of oil.

Self sacrifice is one of humanities highest virtues and the humility that it can bring gives us a greater empathy with which to understand the world and the suffering in it. We are all truly blessed to be living in this country. Most of us living in East Rock are without want. We should appreciate that and understand that we can do more to make this planet more hospitable to our children and others who are less fortunate.