In the Wake of the Storm

Storms like the one many of us experienced yesterday serve to remind us of the sometimes-volatile disposition of Mother Nature. We do well in times like these, which include the heat wave of last summer, to appreciate the little things in life that we all-too-often take for granted: electricity, water, and a temperate climate.

Natural inconveniences like these serve another purpose as well: reminding secluded central-Eastern-seaboarders like us of those less fortunate who know all too intimately the primal terror of a true natural disaster, whether that be a wildfire in Colorado, tornados in Oklahoma, a tropical storm in Manhattan, an earthquake in Haiti or Chile, or a typhoon in Singapore.

And while we can accept the inevitability of the occasional disaster, we would be failing ourselves, our fellow man, and future generations if we were to idly sit back and allow the rising frequency of nature’s fury.

The Situation We Must Face

The gradual warming of the Earth’s atmosphere is a monumental problem that looms before the whole of mankind. We can submit to it and let it slowly destroy civilization as we know it (a grim thought, I know, but an unfortunately realistic one) or we can do our part to stabilize and, ideally, reverse the harm we’ve done.

While facing the aforementioned monumental problem that lies before us, it is all too easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed. How can one person make a tangible difference? Well, first understand that it wasn’t one person who was responsible for all the damage that’s been done. We worked together to do that. Why can’t we work together to be more responsible?

What You Can Do

For starters, take care to mind your footprints – your carbon, water, and nitrogen footprints, that is. You can lower the impact of your carbon footprint by driving less (or not at all), driving a more fuel-efficient car, carpooling more effectively, and being more conservative with the electricity you use in general. You can lessen your water footprint by buying less clothes (it takes gallons upon gallons of water to produce textiles) and of course being more mindful of your water habits at home – taking shorter showers, not letting the water run excessively when your brushing your teeth or doing dishes, and being efficient and smart when doing laundry. And lastly, you can lower your nitrogen footprint by doing all of the above as well as eating more organically grown fruits, vegetables, and whole foods in general while also eating less pork, poultry, and beef.

You alone can do a world of a difference in the long run by practicing more sustainable habits now. Imagine that multiplied a few times over, by getting your friends and family to do the same. Then, imagine that a hundred, or a thousand, or a million, or even a billion times over. It’s a ripple effect, and it’s already started. Your job is to simply keep it going.