Letter: Let’s take care of our Earth

It was great to see the various activities taking place in Dubois County to celebrate and promote Earth Day. While April 22 was officially Earth Day, did you know the entire month of April is Earth Month? And while it is nice to designate an entire month to focus on the importance of protecting our earth, its natural resources, our water, and our air, I must ask, is it enough? 

There is far too much destruction going on every day, and we continue to pay for it. Some might disagree on current climate issues, but there is scientific data that repeatedly points to the fact that the changes in our weather patterns and the severity of storms, flooding, and draughts is a direct result of the toxic emissions we continue to put into the air from a variety of sources. Then there is the continuing issue of our land and water sources being polluted every day with very little accountability. Just one example is the number of toxic coal ash pits in the state of Indiana that seep toxic chemicals into the ground and water. The Indiana Public Health study ranked Indiana at 48 out of 50 states in Natural Environmental Health which measures air and water quality and pollution. While we have evolved into a society of convenience and urgency, we are paying for it in lives lost, wildlife destroyed, and billions of taxpayer dollars to rebuild communities from floods, tornados, and droughts.

And while there are more destructive environmental activities going on every day like building unnecessary new highways (i.e., the proposed Mid-States Corridor) and improper deforestation practices dumping chemicals and burning wildlife habitat, I do have some hope that as citizens of this beautiful planet, we can and will make a difference for the better. While I am discouraged by our state legislatures not having the willingness to step up and address these issues, I see many examples of private industries continuing to embrace sustainable practices, fossil fuel energy companies embracing more renewable energy efforts, more innovative technology for carbon sequestration, and new practices to offset the damage done. Yes, I do have hope, and I am optimistic, but we can’t just focus on one day of the year or even one month. We must practice good stewardship every day and make the right decisions as a community, a county, a state, a nation, industry, and government if we are going to take care of our earth for generations to come.

Mark Nowotarski, Executive Committee Member, Sierra Club | Hoosier Chapter