Poisoning The Well
Poisoning The Well
Most people are grateful for the blessings they have received and for the promise of continuing blessings in the future. We recognize that our lives are easier, richer and more enjoyable because of the good things people before us have done. We are grateful for wheels that make our moving about easier; for washing machines that make it easier to keep clean; even for ice cream cones that make it easier to enjoy cold treats.
Thoughts of gratitude bring to mind a scene is in the middle of a dry, hot desert. The dry sand extends to the horizon, without trees or grass. The one thing making the scene exciting is a well, a water well, with a pile of rope attached to a rusty pail for drawing water. A couple of yards from the well is a small wooden shipping crate with the words “FUND FOR MAINT.” lettered on it. Who can doubt that all travelers are thrilled as they approach the well and partake of its cool, clear water. And surely they gladly drop generous sums into the maintenance fund box before proceeding, refreshed on their way.
Sadly, we have to acknowledge that the facts don’t always match the expectations. There are travelers who gladly drink from the well but fail to make contributions to the maintenance fund. Even worse, they leave garbage around the well which falls into the well or seeps into the ground and down to the source of the water, introducing bacteria and odor into the well water. The garbage seepage would be difficult to clean up even if equipment and manpower were available. With the given circumstances, future travelers will be disappointed, the well will become useless and abandoned.
Reading to this point might serve as a reminder to travelers to pack extra bottles of water when traveling across a desert, but if that were the only result the writing would have been a waste of ink and paper. In order to give it a more serious tone let us move our attention from a well in the desert furnishing water to a few travelers to the big picture of the source of all the water of the earth. Better still, let us think of the well as representing our entire supply of air, water, food, forests and wildlife---and not for a trip across a desert, but for all future time.
It is not easy to draw this circle of inclusion around the idea of all the resources that makes life possible on the earth, but that is what we must do. It is even more difficult to focus on what one individual might do to assure the continuation of these life sustaining resources. Yet, each person has a responsibility to do the little things that are possible for an individual to do, and at the same time join in with other individuals of a community, state or nation to make the combined effort necessary to preserve our environment and maintain the conditions that may enable future generations to live.
The idea of protecting the well [or the environment] is not a new idea, but we are getting signals that unfavorable changes are taking place that add a new sense of urgency for increasing this protection.. The science and technology we have has not given us a date or a time limit, but are pointing to earth and climate changes that indicate that serious attention is needed at this time.
Various governmental agencies have established regulations with respect to garbage and waste disposal, sewerage treatment and landfill operations. They have set limits on emissions from automobiles and power generating plants. However, most of these regulations have been enacted to apply to limited geographical territories, permitting smokestack emissions that originate in one state to travel hundreds of miles and be deposited in water, forests and lungs in states that had nothing to do with their generation. Further, many of these regulations have been written with loopholes or other devices to favor the interests of powerful organizations who profit from the operations that produce the contaminants.
Many nations recognize the danger to the world’s environment and are working to negotiate agreements to reduce the harmful emissions on a worldwide basis. The United States has resisted as unreasonable, the levels and rates of reductions approved by most of the nations, insisting that such reductions would adversely affect the operation of our economy. Recently the United States refused to participate in a conference in Canada whose purpose was to finalize a worldwide protection agreement.
As we hesitate, the perils continue to increase and the solution to the problem becomes more difficult. Even worse, our national leaders choose to ignore reports of world scientific experts who are warning us of worldwide catastrophe if the efforts to protect the environment are not implemented.
After the deterioration of our environment reaches the tipping point there will be no safe havens. No amount of money, no degree of economic or political influence will make any difference. The people living beyond the ‘point of no return’ will only be able to stare at the dying earth, and at one another and ask, ”Why?”
Jerry 12/20/05
Most people are grateful for the blessings they have received and for the promise of continuing blessings in the future. We recognize that our lives are easier, richer and more enjoyable because of the good things people before us have done. We are grateful for wheels that make our moving about easier; for washing machines that make it easier to keep clean; even for ice cream cones that make it easier to enjoy cold treats.
Thoughts of gratitude bring to mind a scene is in the middle of a dry, hot desert. The dry sand extends to the horizon, without trees or grass. The one thing making the scene exciting is a well, a water well, with a pile of rope attached to a rusty pail for drawing water. A couple of yards from the well is a small wooden shipping crate with the words “FUND FOR MAINT.” lettered on it. Who can doubt that all travelers are thrilled as they approach the well and partake of its cool, clear water. And surely they gladly drop generous sums into the maintenance fund box before proceeding, refreshed on their way.
Sadly, we have to acknowledge that the facts don’t always match the expectations. There are travelers who gladly drink from the well but fail to make contributions to the maintenance fund. Even worse, they leave garbage around the well which falls into the well or seeps into the ground and down to the source of the water, introducing bacteria and odor into the well water. The garbage seepage would be difficult to clean up even if equipment and manpower were available. With the given circumstances, future travelers will be disappointed, the well will become useless and abandoned.
Reading to this point might serve as a reminder to travelers to pack extra bottles of water when traveling across a desert, but if that were the only result the writing would have been a waste of ink and paper. In order to give it a more serious tone let us move our attention from a well in the desert furnishing water to a few travelers to the big picture of the source of all the water of the earth. Better still, let us think of the well as representing our entire supply of air, water, food, forests and wildlife---and not for a trip across a desert, but for all future time.
It is not easy to draw this circle of inclusion around the idea of all the resources that makes life possible on the earth, but that is what we must do. It is even more difficult to focus on what one individual might do to assure the continuation of these life sustaining resources. Yet, each person has a responsibility to do the little things that are possible for an individual to do, and at the same time join in with other individuals of a community, state or nation to make the combined effort necessary to preserve our environment and maintain the conditions that may enable future generations to live.
The idea of protecting the well [or the environment] is not a new idea, but we are getting signals that unfavorable changes are taking place that add a new sense of urgency for increasing this protection.. The science and technology we have has not given us a date or a time limit, but are pointing to earth and climate changes that indicate that serious attention is needed at this time.
Various governmental agencies have established regulations with respect to garbage and waste disposal, sewerage treatment and landfill operations. They have set limits on emissions from automobiles and power generating plants. However, most of these regulations have been enacted to apply to limited geographical territories, permitting smokestack emissions that originate in one state to travel hundreds of miles and be deposited in water, forests and lungs in states that had nothing to do with their generation. Further, many of these regulations have been written with loopholes or other devices to favor the interests of powerful organizations who profit from the operations that produce the contaminants.
Many nations recognize the danger to the world’s environment and are working to negotiate agreements to reduce the harmful emissions on a worldwide basis. The United States has resisted as unreasonable, the levels and rates of reductions approved by most of the nations, insisting that such reductions would adversely affect the operation of our economy. Recently the United States refused to participate in a conference in Canada whose purpose was to finalize a worldwide protection agreement.
As we hesitate, the perils continue to increase and the solution to the problem becomes more difficult. Even worse, our national leaders choose to ignore reports of world scientific experts who are warning us of worldwide catastrophe if the efforts to protect the environment are not implemented.
After the deterioration of our environment reaches the tipping point there will be no safe havens. No amount of money, no degree of economic or political influence will make any difference. The people living beyond the ‘point of no return’ will only be able to stare at the dying earth, and at one another and ask, ”Why?”
Jerry 12/20/05
posted by Jeremiah | 11:21 AM
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