America’s Best Idea

After watching the second installment of Ken Burns’ National Parks on PBS, my seven-year-old daughter sorrowfully said that she didn’t understand why anyone would want to “cut down those beautiful old trees in the national parks.”  As I looked around her room at the furniture and pile of papers on her desk, I replied that people then, as now, saw using those great natural resources as a way to meet the needs of others while providing for themselves and their families.  For many it was – and is – a way out of poverty.

The question for us all today – in all of our abundance – is how do we balance consumption and conservation, prosperity and preservation?  I believe that “National Parks” is a call to all of us to explore our own relationship with nature, to scrutinize our use of natural resources and to critically examine our needs versus our wants.   The documentary also presents a perfect opportunity to discuss these issues with our children and to teach them about sustainability.

My children have been fortunate to hike in two of nation’s greatest parks, Yosemite and Sequoia, both of which have been featured in the documentary.  Despite their young ages, they both have felt that connection with nature and appreciated the awe-inspiring beauty they have beheld.  But we must realize that we don’t have to be in a national park to appreciate nature.  In our daily lives, we have the opportunity to see the beauty in a storm, savor the richness of a sunset, or experience the buoyancy of heart and soul that results from a frolic in the autumn leaves.  In these moments, children learn and adults are reminded that abundance doesn’t just come from a store.

Some steps on the path of going green are easy, but others take dedication, discipline and perseverance.  In watching the documentary, we can be inspired by those individuals who, as Tim Goodman of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “in the midst of a land grab and increasing development and all kinds of political ambition, were able to step back, see the beauty in various spots across the country, and devise a plan to set those areas aside for future generations.”  We should all hear that call today.  As French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said, “The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.”

Ellen Hall
Eco-Consultant
ellen.cincydayton@greenirene.com
http://www.greenirene.com/1106