Earth day this year is strange and different... Yet these are the times we need to be extremely vigilant. Though some good has resulted in our being quarantined inside our homes such as lower car emissons (fewer cars on the road) and cleaner air due to many shuttered plants, the picture is not all rosy. Legislation is slipping by unnoticed while we are focused on our own survival. Recently, pollution laws have been relaxed to allow coal ash to be poured into rivers and creeks, killing fish and polluting the watershed.https://www.npr.org/2019/11/04/776174139/trump-administration-proposes-relaxing-rules-on-waste-from-coal-plants Now, with a wink and a nod, companies have been invited to disregard air pollution limits (such as limiting the dangerous release of methane and benzene). A March 27, 2020 article in the Guardian reported, " the Trump administration said it will not expect compliance with the routine monitoring and reporting of pollution and won’t pursue penalties for breaking these rules." The worst in my mind have been changes to the Endangered Species Act, allowing for easier destruction of critical habitat for endangered animals. Please do your own research on the current administration and then VOTE this fall for the candidates who will protect our earth and its creatures. This year, every single vote will count! https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/24/5-major-trump-climate-rollbacks-you-might-have-missed-in-2019.html
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We are struggling through an unprecedented time with this world-wide pandemic. One positive change I have seen personally nearly every day is this - people are outside hiking, biking, running and enjoying nature. This is so awesome to see! Today as I jogged around our lake I saw ducks skittering along the shoreline...I heard a loon calling with its beautiful tremolo. I heard tiny chickadees flitting from tree to tree, and I watched sandhill cranes flying overhead. It is so important for our mental health that we get outside (still practicing social distancing) and LISTEN to the earth's creatures, NOTICE the emerging beauty around us, and smell the leaves and damp soil beneath our feet. I know I tend to get "busy" and need to remember to slow down, meditate and be more present in the moment. I am deeply grateful for the beauty of our earth!
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AuthorThis is our ongoing blog with articles on the environment, local news and events, and issues related to land conservation. Archives
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