I can still remember the first Earth Day. April 22, 1970. I was in, lessee, 9th grade maybe? It was a big deal. For the previous couple of years the public's consciousness had been getting raised about ecology. It probably started with Rachael Carson's 1962 book "Silent Spring." A great, and chilling, read, even today. I went to Mascoma Valley Regional High, and we had just started a 4H chapter in Dorchester. In celebration of Earth Day, we went out and picked up trash along the roads. Got quite a lot, too, and felt really good about it. To this day I never throw trash out the window of my car, but keep it in a bag and throw it in a proper receptacle. Thanks, by the way, to Wal-Mart, Dunkin Donuts and all the other places that provide trash bins for travelers to clean out their cars into, disposing of it in a more responsible manner.
In light of that, you might wonder what I think about the ongoing debate concerning global warming. Don't bother. I don't have an opinion. Not being a scientist, I have no idea whether or not global warming is actually happening, or if it's the fault of mankind. And really, that's not the issue, is it? What they're really trying to do with this scary story about melting ice caps and such is say something very simple; pollution is bad.
And it is! This isn't rocket science. And it doesn't matter if it's causing the climate to change or not, it's bad anyway. Trash, and smog, and toxic waste in the water are all bad and we should, indivually and as a society, strive to live cleaner and greener. We should make cars that pollute less for the same reason we should wash our hands before eating. And if you don't know why that is, I'm sorry, but you were raised wrong.
But it's become a political issue. One side has latched onto some sketchy and controversial science to make their point by declaring that mild winters are GM and Exxon's fault. This gives the other side free reign to question the whole idea. It leads to things like Rush Limbaugh encouraging people to buy a Humvee and fill it with high-test and drive until you can't stand it any more. They scoff at the very idea that the activities of man could possibly cause this much harm to the environment.
So . . . how would these people feel if you went up to the edge of their swimming pool, drew down your zipper, and relieved yourself? Why, they'd be horrified! The water would quickly change from blue to green, and they would be sickened by the idea of jumping in.
So why has this got to be a big Liberal-vs.-Conservative issue? Isn't cleanliness next to Godliness? Didn't your mommy teach you to wash your hands before dinner? And I'm not just jumping on the Conservatives for this, because the Liberals think we're so stupid we need scary stories to motivate us.
What I'm proposing is simply this; intelligent government. Unfortunately, this will require an intelligent electorate. One more interested in facts than slogans and helping "their side" win. Care to join?
