Earth Day - SchmEarth Day...
Yepper, another marvelously-contrived word from "Bob's Lexicon" (schmearth, that is) which sort of sums up my feelings about Earth Day.
It's bad enough that the government can't see past it's own billfold to allow a NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, for God's sake (no pun intended), but here we are "cajoled" (read all but forced) to acknowledge our very own planet Earth.
I'm sure the tree-huggers out there are smoking their HEMP clothing in celebration, which will no doubt lead to MORE than a few arrests for public indecency. But face it, friends...do we REALLY need an Earth Day?
Couldn't we just take a page from the native American Indians, and just show a bit more caring when it comes to our planet.
I mean those people knew (and still know) that the Earth is the place we all come from and the place to which we'll all eventually return.
(ashes to ashes, dust to dust...remember that ditty?)
Sounds like THEY got their act together in that regard...a LONG time ago.
The rest of us...not so much.
Having been born and raised in a much larger city than Fort Wayne (that would be the home of the cheese steak...and Tastykakes - Philly), I've come to live in the Midwest with a much better appreciation for the LAND.
Wifey and I have had a garden ever since we moved here, and I do all I can to keep the land AS IT IS...without further human "intervention". And I admire the fact that so much land out HERE is used for purposes OTHER than new housing developments, strip malls, and other assorted human influences. It's the whole "Amber Waves of Grain" thing, as far as I'm concerned.
So maybe it's more about those OTHER people that have little if NO regard for our Earth...you know the ones.
The people who carelessly toss trash from their passing car window...the neighborhood drunk that just happened to finish his bottle of cheap-ass brandy along YOUR property line, and drops the bottle on YOUR freshly-mown grass...the child who was never taught to respect other people and THEIR property and throws the ice cream wrapper on the sidewalk....all of these morons (and more) are the REAL reason for today.
It just has to be.
Add to this the idiot whose car is burning more oil (per minute) than an Alaskan furnace in January, as is evidenced by the clouds of blue-white smoke left in it's wake. Or how about those that find other ways to pollute our Earth...with NOISE (good for you in guessing I might be going there). The sounds of MAN are often akin to cacophony...nature is quite another story.
The sounds of the Earth are plentiful and meant to be relaxing...(well, except for those tornadic winds, and the occasional volcanic eruptions and earthquake rumbles). Anyone who has ever seen a waterfall up close, or been out in some forest knows exactly what I mean.
The indigenous sounds can be truly remarkable...and it's all FREE (that's the best part - Obama hasn't figured a way to tax THEM yet).
And they're available to everyone...all you have to do is get your butt out and find them to enjoy them.
I know all this to be true, and I'm certainly NO tree-hugging hippy!
To me, every day is "earth day". I don't need someone , or something to remind me.
I do the recycling gig...it's good for the earth...AND us.
I don't mind having new carpet made from recycled plastic polymer beads.
I don't mind buying something made from recycled cans or other metals.
And I certainly don't mind using paper towels made from recycled papers...same goes for books, or toilet tissue.
Hell, most ALL our calendars are made from recycled paper...and they JUST as good as those made from NEW paper materials.
I've seen paper being made...(if any of you ever get the chance to see it being done...by ALL means go for it. It will amaze you), and I've got no problem with reusing whatever CAN be reused.
Be nice if we could find a "better" way to REUSE all the oil we drain from our crankcases (every 2000 miles).
I'd be on board with a home-filtering and cleaning system that would allow me to reuse my motor oil.
But I do have to draw the line with all this "greening" of America.
I really don't "need", nor want those fluorescent bulbs in my lamps about the house. I like my old-style incandescents just FINE, thank you very much. I'm not comfortable with ALL those TOXIC substances in those "green" bulbs.
CAUTION: SCIENCE ALERT - YOU MIGHT LEARN SOMETHING
Every fluorescent bulb operates on the "excitation" (or ionizing) of gases within the bulb.
And it's the coatings on the inside OF these bulbs that become reflective, thereby producing LIGHT when the "inert" (argon, for example) gas inside become ionized due to electrical current passing through it, got it so far?
These bulbs contain mercury and phosphor, both of which you really don't want to mess around with, because of toxicity.
But all those "environmentalists" didn't really want to TELL you about that. Better to have all this crap in every lamp and fixture in YOUR home.
Now, if you REALLY want the skinny on all the technical stuff, here's a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp
Just don't burn out your brain trying to figure it all out. Let's just say that the ONLY risk incandescent lights pose are the "potential" for fire (you don't use them to dry clothing, kapeesh?), or breakage (I hate glass in my feet...how about you?), while fluorescent bulbs also have the breakage issue as well as the toxic substances that make them function.
There is a whole SECTION of the EPA site devoted to "cleaning up" after a "green" bulb breaks, so here 'ya go:
http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/
Now, if THAT doesn't scare the bejesus out of you, probably not much else ever will.
Imagine, the EPA can't (or won't) do a damn thing about NOISE, but they can sure warn the hell out of us when it comes to bulbs that THEY encourage us to use...another real "WTF?" moment to be sure.
Naturally, Earth day has it's useful functions, but anyone with a half a brain can figure out that trashing the whole damn planet is NOT going to be in anyone's best interest, right?
Again, it all comes down to practicing COMMON SENSE.
(all year, and not just today)
We don't have to handcuff ourselves to some dolphin at the aquarium, or spray paint harp seal babies (although that does keep the poachers away), or even try to go up against Japanese whaling vessels in a dinghy.
There are better ways to dissuade those who would deplete the planet of all it's natural resources and treasures.
Eventually, we will reach a balance with the planet, and perhaps enjoy a long life together.
Then again, this planet could slough us all off without batting an eye...that's not for us to decide.
This planet will ALWAYS have the final say in whether or not we are "voted off the island".
My stance, is I try NOT to piss off Mother Earth along the way.
And I think in that, there are a few lessons to learn for all of us.
Appreciate the planet, knowing you have to SHARE it. It's not ALL for "you".
It's for everyone, and every species.
Doesn't matter if you've got wings, gills, or feet.
We're ALL part of this vast "circle of life" thing, and being able to enjoy this planet is something we'd be keen on doing.
Earth might have it's share of idiots, despots, tyrants...whatever, but they are all creations of MAN...not nature.
We can do the best we can to "wise up" all those who can't or won't get it together...and even work together.
After all, this IS the ONLY planet we have at the moment...let's try and keep it, and relatively INTACT, shall we?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.