Sunday, April 22, 2007

Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!

I know that people tend to get a bit dreary on this topic, fatalistic even, but it's really not necessary to. I teach in a part of the country that used to be so polluted that people would roll up their windows when they drove through it. Some sections still stink, but after the steel industry fled the region for Mexico, the environment rebounded. Actually, at least two of the great lakes, Erie and Ontario, are now clean enough to support life. I think people forget that nature comes back too.

Another reason to be positive is that it's quite possible to make these projects work. My father is a lobsterman in Maine. He is required to follow certain guidelines, the most important of which is to mark, not harvest, breeding mothers of a certain age. The end result of these laws is that the Maine lobster industry is a world model of sustainability.

So, be positive this Earth Day! In the end, I have a feeling that the nerds are going to save the planet.

Links:
End Mountaintop Removal
The Center for Ecoliteracy
Union of Concerned Scientists Clean Energy Program

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