Journals

      This is something I feel compelled to share.  Forgive me if you have already heard but I'm sure there are some who haven't.  Although I am hesitant to consider myself an environmentalist tree-hugger, mainly, perhaps due to the negative connotations that are thrown at those proud to wear such a label, I find myself appalled at the recent discovery of Bush's "Midnight Regulations."  No need to be an environmentalist to feel frightened at the thought of even one of these insane proposals actually getting passed.  And I am baffled by the thought of anyone, much less the President of the United States, thinking such measures are healthy, or even "what we need" for our country right now.  Here is the list, copied straight out of TIME, of what such regulations would seek in impose:  - Federal agencies to develop land without scientific oversight  - Farms to dump waste into nearby waterways  - Weaker standards for safe drinking water (And you probably think you have safe drinking water already, think again)  - Uranium mining near the Grand Canyon  - Oil drilling in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming  - Increased emissions for coal-fired stations  - Loaded, concealed firearms in national parks       Seems hard to believe, right?  These new laws, if passed, would not be easily reversed either.  It literally appears as if our sitting, supposedly lame-duck (I think not) president has absolutely no regard for the natural resources of our land.  No, not oil, but the living, breathing creatures that call it home, and I'm talking about us.  I can't fathom to think what a world we will live in if such total disregard for this earth, which directly correlates to the quality of human life, would god-forbid be copied and practiced by a quarter of our population.  And thank God for the news today that The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (yes I am a member) has filed a federal lawsuit against the EPA for unequivocally abandoning any reasonable semblance of the job they were created to do.  And that job is simple: protect the environment.        The lawsuit is about one thing: asking the federal court to require EPA to do its job, to force the EPA to stand behind the promise it made to reduce pollution flowing into the Bay.  For too long, EPA has ignored the science and defied the rule of law. Instead, it has followed a policy of deregulation.       Well, wishing is just not enough these days.  I am only now beginning to see the need for action.  Sure, witnessing the illegal logging rampant in the Brazilian Amazon was a life-changing experience, but somehow I came back and settled into a comfortable lethargy towards actual involvement.  And sure I donate to organizations such as Greenpeace, CBF, and The Sierra Club, but I don't see it making a bit of difference if Mr. Bush's last minute regulations are allowed to pass.  I guess I'm just writing to say that I don't think I could live with myself if I did not somehow attempt to make a difference.         Working to preserve the environment and the life within it is not work at all, but a calling.  I can not imagine receiving any more satisfaction than knowing I have contributed to a sustainable future for generations to come.