Earth Day is all about taking care of the earth. From concern over pollution being pumped into the air and water, to concerns about pumping oil out of the ground and water back down into it (fracking). We learned about the hole in the ozone layer, and shrinking ice caps on the poles. We know about carbon footprints and biodegradable products. If the point of Earth Day is to raise awareness about the environment, then it definitely worked, in the sense that it has raised awareness about issues all around the globe.
And yet, we’re asking what the net result is. Some would say the ecological alarmists from 40 years ago were wrong about their most dire predictions, since we’re still here. At the same time, we have made lots of changes. We took lead out of gasoline, and reduced CFCs. Cars are more efficient than ever, and we’re cracked down on deforestation. We’re trying.
But what has it gotten us? Plenty of people are still sounding the alarms about impending ecological doom. But the per capita pollution emissions in the US have been dropping for the past 15 years. So are things better or worse than 40 years ago? That’s exactly what our Man on the Edge, Robert Wilder, hit the streets to find out…
