We just celebrated Earth Day. It’s a day when more people are conscious of the Earth’s state of the union on a worldwide scale. The Natural world celebrated 26 years of being in the limelight through global chatter on a variety of eco-topics. Environmentalists came to the forefront with reports of successes as well as failures they’ve had since the last Earth Day celebration.
My buddy Dave who celebrated his 34th birthday on Earth day wanted to do something in acknowledgement of the two events falling on the same day. Because he is an aware individual and felt like a little celebration of both was in order, he hired a limo party bus (similar to a larger luxury vehicle you would use for your wedding transportation) and called 5 of his best mates.
He told us to park our cars, round up our spouses or dates and he’d swing by in a chauffeured limousine for a night on the town – on him. His reasoning was there would be one car instead of 5-10 on the road that day – and they’d all have a great time being pampered a bit riding in a shiny black limo.
It was a little thing, but what if we all parked our cars for just one day a week, or made other little gestures to support the health of the planet on a regular basis. Before I go further I’d like to briefly address the articles that suggest parking your car is far more harmful to the environment than driving it. It’s a matter of opinion, but this author thinks that the cost of the environment over the cost of parking congestion is a no brainer. Parking solutions are of a mechanical and local nature while the environment is a global inescapable issue that affects every aspect of life. Our air, our soil, our water, food and general well-being are all at stake.
For the majority of us driving means the combustion of fossil fuels which results in the emission of gasses which affect the environment and the ozone layer. Carbon dioxide has been linked to global warming and the depletion of the protective layer around the earth that guards us against the harsh UV radiation of the sun. The list of consequences is horribly long and there are studies upon studies documenting the causes and effects of the millions of vehicles that pollute every hour of every day.
Looking on the Bright Side
On the up side we are becoming more aware of the critical part we play in the environmental drama and we are making progress to right the wrongs. The balance in our eco-system is a tricky one. It won’t simply take care of itself as long as humans are a part of the equation. We must, and are making strides in aiding Mother Earth back into balance.
In 1970 the Clean Air Act was passed in the US. Since then a revised version was passed in 1980 and amendments added in 1990 with continual oversights and updates over the past 2+ decades. The CAA requires oversight by the US Federal Government of industrial and mobile emissions.
What about the rest of the world – the US can’t do it alone?
The European Commission has several directives in place. CAFÉ, Clean Air For Europe, actively pursues action towards cleaner, healthier air quality. They have a framework of programs that include ongoing research and technological development to keep up with the changing times.
While Asia’s participation isn’t what it needs to be, as a whole the awareness is growing.
Developing nations are slow to respond, but as the critical thinking tips the balance in favor of more active clean-ups the entire planet benefits. It may be a little by little effort, but the environmental movement is not going unnoticed.
We can all do our part – no matter how small it might be. Like automating vehicles and carpooling to conserve energy just like Dave did when he hired a limo might sound like an insignificant gesture, but a gesture that if multiplied my thousands would surely make a difference.