The environment demands attention-Letter to Editor

Letter to the Editor
Fence Post
Daily Herald
Arlington Hts., Illinois
Published April 19, 2008


The environment demands attention

Despite all the recent press about global warming, the environment does not seem a pressing issue as long as we can see blue sky and trees and grass around us.

However, nature's peaceful beauty is deceptive; it masks a series of increasingly serious environmental issues that will likely intrude more and more onto our natural scenes.

Jared Diamond, in his startling book, "Collapse -- How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed," says our shrinking world has 12 types of environmental problems that will increasingly impact all citizens of the world:

1. Rapid destruction of natural habitats, including deforestation.

2. Depletion of fish stocks on a worldwide basis.

3. Extinction of species.

4. Soil erosion.

5. Depletion of fossil fuels.

6. Deterioration of freshwater supplies.

7. Diminished photosynthetic capacity -- sunlight being absorbed by manmade structures rather than absorbed by plants.

8. Toxic chemical build-up.

9. Introduction of alien species into new environments.

10. Release of manmade gases into the environment

11. Population growth.

12. High environmental impact of population in developing countries.

Diamond argues that all these problems are interlinked. We cannot solve just one. We must solve them all. And if we don't, nature will solve them for us -- in a very unpleasant way.

There are many environmental groups already working on these problems, but we desperately need political leadership -- and your involvement.

Jeff Kressmann

Palatine. Illinois
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Two Daily Herald blog comments are listed below:

posted by Richard Sustich on Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:32 AM

While many probably don't want to hear this, you are correct Jeff in that we need the personal involvement of every American, nay, every human, to protect our precious planet.

So much of the recent debate appearing in the Daily Herald, particularly on climate change, suggests many of us still believe we somehow stand separate (read "above") from the rest of nature, and that we have a divine imperative that justifies our domination of the planet, rather than our stewardship. Yet, at a more much more instinctual level, we all know that Mr. Diamond is indeed correct.

For my professional part, my focus has been clean and safe water. To that end, the Clean Water America Alliance, a not-for-profit educational institution, was recently created to bring much-needed attention to the coming water crisis in this country, to find innovative and responsible solutions to the issues, and to recognize the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations in delivering clean water and protecting our water environment. Visit www.cleanwateramerica.org for more information.

Maybe others will join this discussion with opportunities for all to get involved.

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posted by Dion F Kendrick on Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:06 AM

The Divine imperative of Man's "dominon" over the earth and all that's in it does not mean "domination". It does mean stewardship. Which means we are charged by our Creator to husband all His gifts; the planet is but one of those gifts.

Not only should we not spoil our "nest" we should also keep holy our societies, our families and life itself. It is the "how" of our husbanding that gives rise to contentious debate and (sometimes) invective behavior.

If the initial orientation is that which flows from the Giver of all gifts the solutions would be easily discernible and readily attainable.
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Note. The Breathe Healthy Air Coalition is trying its best to help save the environment, our quality of life, and lives.