Blog Action Day: Climate Change
Today is Blog Action Day. All around the world, people with a web page and something to say have pledged to devote their little piece of the internet to a common cause: climate change.
Two years ago, all I did was write about the environment. The steady rise of carbon dioxide seemed an insidious threat in urban areas, and an early-stage disaster in rural ones. I spoke with Native Americans who whose traditional plants and game were migrating steadily northward - off their reservations - in search of cooler temperatures. When I got to Cambodia, villagers in Ratanakiri complained that the seasons weren't as regular as they used to be, throwing off their planting cycles. It was heartbreaking to realize that the communities feeling these effects most acutely weren't the ones with any power to do anything about it. Those who had that power weren't ready to act. Immersed in data and stories about impending environmental collapse, I swapped out my incandescent bulbs and biked wherever I could. I needled my landlord about her recycling habits. I was an evangelist. Also probably kind of annoying.
I'm embarrassed by how easily climate change slipped to the back of my mind now that its news no longer fills my inbox all day. I still grab those quick fixes - it's just as easy to toss the newspaper in the recycling bin as in the trash can next to it - but I can't kid myself that I'm making any meaningful changes to turn the climate tide. I live in New York, a city whose residents purportedly have a smaller carbon footprint than the average American. But have I written my Congresswoman to ask for climate change legislation? Have I made an effort to reduce my energy use as much as possible, to make substantial changes in my life? The answer is a big fat no.
Today is my reminder that it's time to revisit that enthusiasm. It's silly on the surface - plug in your computer, and blog about how people need to use less energy! - but I hope its worthwhile. I promise to be less a pain in the butt about it this time around.
Posted on Thursday, Oct 15, 2009
