Learning about NYC ecology has reminded me not to take anything at face value. I remember how amazed I was during biology class, learning about our bodies’ intricate process and how all the systems work together to maintain homeostasis. Up until now, I have failed to recognize that the same applies to our environment. Just as we wouldn’t want to remove a kidney or play around with any other part of our body out of fear of disrupting our health, we should not destroy parts of the environment out of fear of disrupting our world. We live in a beautiful world, where we all depend on each other! We exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with trees and even seemingly annoying bird feces fertilizes our yard. Everything has a purpose or mission and we are all meant to help each other out. The ecological system provides us with a powerful outlook on life and a way to conduct society.
In fact, the environment provided me with even another beneficial type of exchange. While I was reading this book on the train, the man sitting on my right interrupted me to ask what I thought of the book. He began to explain to me that he is an engineer and recently read a book for pleasure called Liquid Assets, which he highly recommended. I seized the opportunity to learn as much as I could and he shared some incredible facts about NY’s water system. First off, NY uses more than 8.9 billion gallons of water a day! Once again, I realized that I have been taking water at face value. There is an extensive process from upstate NY water source till my bathroom sink that I never gave thought to. The city would collapse if we were not to have water! In the 1800s, a large portion of lower Manhattan was burned down because of lack of water (the hydrants and East River were frozen) to extinguish the fire. Also, Alexander Hamilton was killed in a dispute over the city’s water system. Just by studying water one can learn a ton of history. This friendly stranger also mentioned that this book is written in a way an average person can understand, without too many technical terms, because it is written by a journalist. I chuckled and told him our class book is written by an English professor-where are the scientists? This recognition made me realize that science is accessible to all. It is our essence and everything that surrounds us. We all do not need to be scientists to appreciate, learn, and protect our environment.
Just a little thought can go a long way. I have seen women wearing feather hats, and even my grandmother owns a couple. I started thinking about the statement that makes. By society deeming that the norm, we are saying that bird lives don’t matter. Even if they are artificial feathers, it still seems like a strange practice. They are meant to be ornaments and are only as good as the benefits they provide us with. This seems to be a popular trend with nature in general. We care about water, trees, flowers, and birds…for our own use, as evident by our exploitation of them.
It was encouraging to hear in this chapter that individual efforts by people such as Carson and Grinnell, and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation have gone a long way in improving our environment. Some of the birds like the bald eagle and red tailed hawk adaptive abilities have also helped the cause. I thought McCully ‘s dramatic ending, “What has been destroyed can never be created again,” is unproductive. Such a statement does not call for any action. Clearly, we cannot return to past, but we have the power to create a healthier future, despite imperfections. I was, therefore, happy to discover that Governor Cuomo announced at the end of April that together with Audubon Society state-owned buildings will turn off their non-essential outdoor lighting, which disorients birds, from 11:00 p.m. to dawn during peak migration periods. The Governor also created I Love NY Birding website that will inform visitors about NY bird watching and provide more information on this Lights Out initiative. Such programs created at government or corporate levels are a great start, but it is up to us constituents and consumers to carry through with them and show our support!
