In light of Hurricane Sandy and the devastation this storm has wrought upon many people’s lives, I cannot help but ponder the role that humans have played in this climate change. If it stands that humans have not contributed to the change, then I ponder the consequences that the storm will have on the environment, especially because many people are still without power and constantly need gas for their generators. I know this first-hand because, as of today, Friday, there is still no power in Far Rockaway, my hometown.
With the long gas lines and the need to restore many people’s lives back to normalcy, I am apprehensive that many people will forget or dismiss the environmental aspect of the storm and ultimately rebuild stably yet unsustainably. On a broader scale, if many industries and communities genuinely adhered to stricter environmental policies that make sustainability the norm, especially in New York State at this time, rebuilding sustainably would be easier and possibly cheaper. Perhaps we may even be able to prevent many of the climatic and environmental changes that are occurring at an extremely rapid pace.
I do not wish to sound unconcerned or insensitive to the situation at hand. I know that survival is the goal for many people at this time. Many people just want to restore their homes to normalcy. In fact, some people do not even have a home to go to and must start anew. The circumstances that many people are in now are utterly unacceptable and frustrating. I understand this completely and my sentiments go to all of those enduring the impacts of the storm, including much of my family. The point I bring to light is that we may be able to avoid such damage and loss if we take into account on a daily basis the environmental impact of our actions. If companies took the time to invest in green engineering and promoted sustainability policies, many of the products and processes used that alter the Earth’s equilibrium will be eliminated or, at least, reduced. I am certainly not saying that we can control nature. Rather, we can favorably work with nature and ultimately prevent having to clean up larger messes.
One example of preventing the disruption of Earth’s equilibrium is to eliminate fracking, or fracturing rocks for natural gas and oil. Fracking is possibly the cause for earthquakes that recently occurred in some places. We cannot choose to deny this apparent relationship in the face of our want for natural gas to fuel our cars that contribute to the imbalance, due to their carbon emissions. These carbon emissions adversely impact the air quality of many cities and contribute to global warming, which is, in essence, a climatic change. If the government, either at the local, state, or national level, restricts fracking, we can fix many problems with a comprehensive legislation. Sure, this legislation may be expensive initially, but once we make environmental sustainability the norm, the environmental sustainability option may become cheaper.
We see that natural gas is significant in our times, given the long gas lines of both cars and people that emerged due to the limited gas shipment after Hurricane Sandy. The prices of gas also affect society because much of the people’s money contributes to gas for their cars. We have the technology and the ability to use others means of energy, such as solar or biological energy, but we do not put such means into practice. We are not making the effort to create a paradigm shift for society in general; that is, companies and citizens are not making alternative energy sources the norm, and so we continue to use what is familiar and destructive.
Hurricane Sandy, much in its aftermath, brought to light the reality of the environmental impacts of humans. If we do not make a change, be it the smallest of them now, we will not be able to easily rectify greater issues in the near future. Although we may not have caused the storm, our energy needs and insensitive actions have contributed to the aftermath of the storm. To speak of people in such a way after the storm may be troubling for those affected directly by the storm. I do no mean to offend them; the main point I intend to highlight is that we must implement policies that will help us care for the Earth and maintain its balance, such as the implementation of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating scale in the construction and maintenance of government edifices and constructs. By putting into place regulations for promoting sustainability, people generally feel obligated to comply with the rules. Even if individuals are reluctant, at first, to the laws, I hypothesize that they will come to appreciate them once they see the environmental, societal, and, especially, economic benefits.
Another such policy to help avoid added devastation is the Clean Air/Clean Water Bond Act of 1996, which protects a major portion of New York City’s water supply in three watersheds, or the Catskills, Croton, and Delaware systems. By promoting the quality of our water, we reduce waste within the water, prevent extensive human activity from occurring around bodies of water, and protect other species. As of such, we can preserve biodiversity and reduce physical and emotional damage of humans when storms involving water occur.
After expounding on humans, their environmental impact, and the importance of environmental policies, I am left to say that we should all take example from Rachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring. She is a role model because she took a step that catalyzed a paradigm shift for many people. Her messianic moment induced emotional engagement in others towards the environment. Like Carson, we should all spread our awareness and knowledge about the environment; in doing such, we can increase support for sustainability policies. In addition, it is only until we all practice limits and care about the environment that we can truly commit to a sustainable, balanced Earth.
