Caring for Earth is important home-improvement project
I have been reflecting on the location of this column lately. Some people I've talked to consider it "tucked away" in the Home section, as if it were somehow timidly lingering in the back of the room, waiting for the occasional reader to just happen by. But it seems to me that the Home section is really the perfect spot.
After all, green living is all about home -- our ultimate home. It's where we live. This place we call Earth is our shelter and we would not exist without it. Yes, this is certainly home. And it just happens to be the only one we have.
Every topic explored here is in some way a home-improvement article. Whether the focus is on efficient use of resources, healthy products or lifestyle issues, they all contribute to making this planet a better home for us, our children and the countless other species that make up the fabric of life.
Sometimes it's good to focus on things we can do to our individual homes. People are driven to make improvements that enhance their lives. I think it is also vital to broaden our perspective on occasion, to look beyond our immediate surroundings and take in the bigger picture. This allows us to work on those large-scale home improvements that collectively form our planetary housekeeping.
Two important events took place last week that fall into the latter category. The first is a wake-up call of the utmost importance. It is time to get our house in order. The second is some excellent news that provides the means to address it.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change just issued its fourth and final assessment report. It is the firmest and most-informed statement on the climate crisis to date. CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions are undeniably affecting the Earth's climate, land base and oceans. Our house is in serious jeopardy.
You can find the IPCC report at www.ipcc.ch. In keeping with the tone of this column, here's an analogy:
Imagine we're living on the top floor of a multistory brick building. We continue to build higher and higher, believing that this is the only way we can grow (sound familiar?). The problem is that our only source of bricks is from the bottom floors of the same building. As we take bricks from the foundation that supports us all, the building is becoming increasingly unstable. The IPCC is telling us that we may soon topple the entire building if we don't alter our ways.
This is a home-improvement task of great urgency and one that each one of us must be actively involved in. Remember, this is happening now, it is serious and a choice to do nothing is still a choice with consequences. If you need some ideas on what to do, they are everywhere: books, magazines, television, the Internet -- take your pick. You can also refer to past Green Living columns on my Web site.
The second important event is really good news -- so it is naturally saved for last. Last week, a new report was released that provided a detailed analysis of the economic options for Nevada's energy future. The report, entitled "Economic Analysis of Nevada's Future Electricity-Generating Alternatives," shows that there are economically viable ways to keep the lights on while avoiding the tremendously damaging effects of building more coal plants.
Nevadans overwhelmingly favor clean energy over coal. Who in their right mind wouldn't? It is clear that a combination of energy efficiency, geothermal, wind and solar can provide all the power we could ever need, with none of the risks and harm that coal guarantees.
The report provides a vision for Nevada's economic future that is diverse, resilient and beneficial to our citizens. It seems like I say this all the time, but it is a must read. Every Nevadan should be familiar with our energy options. In a democracy, it is how we make informed decisions.
Turning to clean energy is one way we can stop pulling bricks from our foundation, begin the work of repairing the damage and add equity to our home. The full report is available at www.econw.com.
Here is some advice, issued by some 1,700 of the world's leading scientists, including the majority of Nobel laureates in the sciences: "A new ethic is required -- a new attitude toward discharging our responsibility for caring for ourselves and for the Earth. We must recognize the Earth's limited capacity to provide for us. We must recognize its fragility. We must no longer allow it to be ravaged. This ethic must motivate a great movement, convince reluctant leaders and reluctant governments and reluctant peoples themselves to effect the needed changes."
It is part of a document entitled "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity" issued by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
This timely message did not appear last week. Rather, it was published in November of 1992.
Let that sink in ... 1992 ... a full 15 years ago.
The wisdom of their words rings truer than ever. It's time for some serious home improvement.
Steve Rypka is a green living consultant and president of GreenDream Enterprises, specializing in renewable energy, green building, alternative transportation and lifestyle choices for both residential and commercial clients. The company is committed to helping people live lighter on the planet. Rypka can be reached via e-mail at steve@greendream.biz. More information relating to this column is posted at www.greendream.biz.
