In celebration of Earth Day 2009 I am posting this photo from my upcoming book on Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This image was taken last November at Newfound Gap. This was an unusual day, in that it was crystal clear. The mountains in the background showed sharp edges – not just the fuzzy outline as most often seen. On this day the air was particularly clean because of the weather patterns. Most of the time there is a haze and visibility is limited. Often the mountains at the far side are not visible. Smog from the cities of Knoxville, Chattanooga and Atlanta to name a few tend to drift eastward and affect the air quality in the Smokies. So this earth day as we celebrate our earth we can be a bit more optimistic – maybe – because more and more cars are alternative fuels, natural gas and electric vehicles seem to be on the horizon (ever wonder why most cars in Argentina are LP Gas yet not here? Me too). We, as a country, are finally focusing our attention back on our natural environment as part of our national goals. And for this we can be thankful. But now comes the time we must all take part in that effort, by using our resources wisely, conserving energy, recycling better and all of the other things we can do as individuals which will collectively make a difference.
But it is not just air and water quality, there are many environmental issues. Another one in the Smokies is the Wooly Adelgid a beetle which has devoured the Douglas Firs on the tops of many mountains, most notably Clingman’s Dome. A few years ago it seemed every tree on the top of the mountain had succumbed to this beetle. Now some younger trees are growing once again, but they too will become victims of this beetle if we can not find a way to control or eradicate it at some point.
So, let’s celebrate our environment on this day, and once again pledge ourselves to making this physical world a better place, through our individual actions, which collectively do amount to big changes.
Happy Earth Day!
Richard
To see inside my new book Great Smoky Mountain National Park: Thirty Years of American Landscapes click here. See Inside the Book
Pre-Order the book: Quiet Light Publishing
