Posted: 04/04/07

Celebrating Earth Day 2007

Tara Hostnik | contributing columnist
thostnik@smcvt.edu

So in a few weeks, we will be celebrating a day that to some, like me, find almost as exciting as Christmas. That day is Earth Day, and it will be celebrated on Sunday April 22. Not only does this day signify a day of reflection and action for concerned people who really care about the future of the earth, but I feel it has a deeper meaning. Lately I have been watching this amazing BBC series, Planet Earth, that has been broadcasted Sunday nights on the Discovery Channel. The mini-series takes viewers on a close encounter with the world from the animal perspective. Viewers step foot into rainforests, watch how desert creatures such as kangaroos learn to survive the intense heat, and even encounter Emperor Penguins. Watching the show, I am reminded of the real world that exists beyond our schools, jobs, cities and suburbs. I am reminded of a world that is so ancient that it has taken millions of years to arrive at the point we are today.

Which brings me back to Earth Day. I feel this day will not only encourage humans to act in a way that will preserve our biological earth, I feel this day will remind us of all situations in the world that need attention, whether it be the unfortunate stories of child soldiers in Uganda, mistreatment of animals in factories or our continued reliance on fossil fuels every day. I would argue that most problems that we face today have environmental roots.

Think about the number one issue in Congress today: the war in Iraq. Yes, many people do argue that we are fighting a war to help the people in Iraq, but the reality to me is that we are fighting the war so we may continue to use Iraq's oil supply. It is a war for oil. Today we face a worldwide oil crisis, any minute now we may reach peak oil and once we run out, how will we run as a country and globally? Transportation remains the top contributor to carbon emissions, therefore proves to be one of the greatest contributors to global warming. America is the greatest contributor of green house gas emissions in the world and continuing to rely on oil for our cars, trucks and SUVs, increases our demand for this resource. Our dependence on oil further removes our ability to survive without it. Imagine if tomorrow we would have to revert to other forms of energy besides oil, how would we do it? Our country is not prepared for something like that to happen. How would we transport all that food from California to Vermont, drive to work or warm our northern homes?

Another threat to the world today is the increased intensity and occurrences of storms, including hurricanes and tornadoes. Remember when Katrina hit New Orleans? The death toll stands at 1,300 people but if you include all the people missing, that raises the number to over 6,000 Americans. With the warming of the world's oceans, hurricanes are able to act with more intensity and their ability to displace millions of people may be realized in the not so distant future. Global warming also leads to the drying up of valuable watersheds.

One of the most horrific examples of human genocide, in Darfur, also has environmental roots. While climate change affects all countries around the world, the area in Africa would be most affected due to widespread poverty, disease and people's daily dependence on natural resources. In Darfur, drier climates and desertification continue to take a toll on the people and environment, and the inhabitants are unable to survive on such conditions.

Shane Bauer of E-The Environmental Magazine (March/April 2007) writes "Chad's largest and northernmost camp, Ouri Cassoni, is an expanse of dusty tents and mud shacks that houses almost 30,000 Darfuri refugees, and is surrounded by nothing but sand and scant shrubbery. UNHCR's environmental officer in Chad, Daniel Roger, says the area originally supported no more than 5,000 inhabitants. He says the area's water and firewood simply cannot support both the refugees and the local population much longer." The concentration of thousands of refugees into small areas rapidly reduces the viability of the land, which was already at stake before the refugees came. This not only has environmental consequences, but creates tensions between the refugees who have to fight over the depleting resources. Some women said they have been beaten, raped and held at gunpoint, simply for firewood.

The Iraq war, Katrina and Darfur are just some of the examples of where the environment has lead to immense consequences and massive deaths. To me, everything is related! This Earth Day, I would urge people to take a step back and open their eyes to the world we live in now- not just within the safe haven here at St. Michael's College. Think about the children in Uganda who are being abducted from the bush (small villages), beaten, forced to kill, raped and murdered for the sake of the Lord's Resistance Army. Think about the more than 600,000 dead Iraqi citizens who have died so that we, Americans, may continue to comfortably take our Hummer to work everyday. Think about the woman in Darfur who is being beaten and raped by fellow refugees, simply because she was out looking for firewood. Think about the millions of people in the world who don't have the opportunity to receive an education. Think about them, not ourselves, and try to use the resources available to you to help others. In the next month, several groups around campus will be hosting activities to help raise money for global issues. If you see them urging you to give a couple dollars in Alliot, perhaps you should reach into your pocket because what you give really may go a long way.