ECOWATCH: Welcome to the New Year, but let’s remember the past
“There are winds of destiny that blow when we least expect them.
Sometimes they gust with the fury of a hurricane, sometimes they barely fan one’s cheek.
But the winds cannot be denied, bringing as they often do a future that is impossible to ignore.”
– Nickolas Sparks, American novelist
The Christmas holiday has its three ghosts: the past, present and future, and there is no doubt that we are dragging the problems of the past and the present into the future.
It was George Santayana, a philosopher, poet and novelist who famously said in 1905, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” People who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are going to make the same mistakes.
Santayana must have also been a clairvoyant. Today history, philosophy and ethics are no longer true subjects in schools. This is true especially when it comes to environmental history. For example, when Rachel Carson’s book, Silent Spring, was published it was a warning for the present and future health of the country. The book made clear that the use of man-made pesticides, especially DDT, was courting disaster, and if the government did not set laws to protect the environment, humans would soon experience a “Silent Spring,” unbroken by the songs of birds and the rustlings of other animal life.
According to news sources, there are now more than 300,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 5 million acres of lakes that are polluted. Over 218 million Americans live within ten miles of a polluted body of water.
In Florida, reports show that agricultural runoffs and sewage are polluting the world’s largest network of freshwater springs. The springs have been in trouble for decades. In addition, the drawing of water for use by over 90 percent of Florida’s residents has caused hazards to human and marine life.
Manatees are now dying in large numbers. Over 1,000 have been lost in 2021 due to starvation caused by the killing off of seagrass by pollution, leaving the manatees without their main source of food.
Santayana was correct. We have not learned from the warnings of Carson and other scientists through the years, and now our waterways are polluted by toxic algae blooms, pesticides, other harmful chemicals and fertilizer runoffs. The warnings from the past have been ignored for too long, and the harm to our environment has become accelerated.
Among the most pressing problems facing Florida’s habitats are the dumping of plastics, oil spills, industrial waste, climate change, overpopulation and deforestation due to the development of new residences and new businesses to serve the climbing population of the state. All these activities are allowed for the sake of profit, while guidelines to a healthy environment are forsaken.
Right now the handwriting is on the wall. According to the words of poet Eva Morales, “Sooner or later we will have to recognize that the earth has rights too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that humans cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.”
What can we do in this coming year to ensure a safe and healthy future for humans and animals alike? Below are some suggestions:
· Grow your own organic herbs and vegetables. This can be tied into eating healthier. If you grow your own herbs and vegetables you don’t have to worry about chemicals being sprayed on them, you know what you are getting, and you couldn’t ask for fresher produce.
· Be more aware of your water usage. Just resolving to be more aware will probably help you cut down on your water usage. Many areas are running out of water or will be in the near future.
· Use natural cleaning products instead of chemicals to clean your home. Natural cleaners are better for you, your home and the environment. They are a smart solution all around.
· Plant a tree. President Franklin Roosevelt said, “A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our planet, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” Our animals and plants benefit, too. Birds need the shelter and nesting sites of trees. Other animals need them for protection, and all wildlife need the oxygen that trees generate.
Right now, there are many bird populations whose numbers are in decline. Manatees, panthers, whales, fish, gopher tortoises and many more creatures are in decline, mainly due to loss of habitat. If we were to study the cause of decline in each of these species, we would see that humans have ignored their own warnings in the pursuit of comfort and profit rather than for the benefit of this planet and its other inhabitants, past and present.
The question is, will the New Year see that those who care will turn things around to protect this planet for all its future inhabitants?
Wishing all a Happy New Year.
