Saturday May 17th, 2008
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Enjoying Nature - At A Price
Posted by Su Avasthi on July 17, 2007 - 8:57pm.
A few weeks ago, a friend and I went on a hike in the mountains near Albuquerque. We hopped in the car, gassed up, and headed out for the trailhead that's about an hour's drive away.
During our hike, we let the forest work its quiet, revitalizing magic. We gawked at the sweeping views and examined tiny, blooming wildflowers. We caught an impromptu bird symphony and marveled at massive spiderwebs. We also talked about the many other trails we hoped to explore this summer, some of which are a couple hundred miles away.
And that's the awful paradox that most of us face as we set out to spend time in the outdoors. Unfortunately, just getting there inadvertently takes a toll on it.
Exploring nature typically requires driving long distances -- and that's a problem in the face of global warming. This is especially true for urbanites and those who live far from the parks, beaches, lakes, and landmarks that they seek to visit.
I thought about this as I read Grist.org's feature about the impact that climate change is having on our national parks. The eco-magazine features an interview with Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association.
The group has just released a comprehensive report and action plan for saving our national parks. The 48-page report, called Unnatural Disaster: Global Warming and Our National Parks, offers an appalling reality check using case studies from national parks around the country. The news is bleak, but the group spotlights what we can do, such as the National Parks Centennial Initiative, a Congressional bill that seeks to greatly increase park funding.
It didn't surprise me to learn that our national parks rank as the most appreciated service of the federal government. So I'm glad to hear that there are ways to get involved and take action on behalf of our parks.
If nothing else, it helps alleviate the guilt that I feel for ultimately harming the forests, wildlife, and eco-systems that give people so much pleasure. At the same time, I'd hate for a nagging sense of guilt to grow out of bounds and limit my enjoyment of the outdoors -- or prevent me from checking out trails, mountains, rivers, and national parks.
I'm curious about whether anyone else has felt the same twinge of guilt -- and how you manage this particular dilemma.
Topics:
- Planet
- automobiles
- cars
- climate change
- driving
- gas
- gasoline
- global warming
- green driving
- national parks
- nature
- outdoors
- planet
This whole driving-to-nature thing drives me crazy!
Since I arrived in San Francisco, I've visited several "nearby" places (in West Coast terms, that could mean up to 5 hours away), and all I can think about the whole way there is the gas I'm using, the pollution I'm adding to the air, and the fact that I can't sleep or read along the way. I hate it! I'm from Connecticut, where going 60 miles means you took a trip! Still, I go, because I'm not ready yet to give up either Lake Tahoe or Big Sur.
I don't have a solution, at least not a good one, other than to drive the most fuel-efficient car you can, and travel in groups to share the carbon impact. Also, do your research--often you can take a bus, regional rail, or Amtrak all or most of the way. For example, did you know that Big Sur, one of the least developed places I've ever been, has its own bus line? I didn't, until after I drove there and saw it go by. It hadn't dawned on me to look into it.
It's funny that you say, "This is especially true for urbanites." In New York City, I had no car for 8 years and loved it. I took a $10 train ride and in under 90 minutes I was swimming in the Atlantic on national parkland. I knew people who took early morning buses to go skiing, early morning subways to go surfing, and buses to NY state parks for hiking. I once took a ferry a few blocks from my place to a beach in New Jersey. You can even kayak (for free!) in the cleaned-up Hudson River. On the other hand, while life in San Francisco looks more "nature-y" because of the hills, views, and surrounding countryside, and while I can take our (embarassingly poor) public transit to some pretty amazing beaches, woods, and parks if I plan it pretty well, the reality is that it just doesn't have the kind of infrastructure that exists on the East Coast. It's less dense, so trains aren't leaving every 30 minutes for Point Reyes; and if someone tried to make that happen, there would be an uproar. So people just get in their cars.
I think the solution is getting in place the required mass transit infrastructure and overcoming the mindset of having to drive everywhere instead of choosing to. Look at all those senior citizens' tour buses pulling up in places like Yosemite. You think they know something we don't?