Saturday, October 27, 2007

Thoughts of Water Shortage and Drought While Walking to Dyer Pond

There has been a flurry of Internet searches for the Body Burden test of late, leading folks to the guest blog September 10 by fellow green innkeeper Sheri Gibbs. It is good news that people are realizing the impact of chemicals on our bodies. In the New York Times last Sunday there was a short piece by Jascha Hoffman about a possible link between lead and criminal behavior. Also of note, a l-o-o-ong article, reproduced at Truthout Environment, The Future is Drying Up, by Jon Gertner, which Sven insisted I read. I recommend it. We could not help but think about water resources on our way to Dyer Pond today. Water is something we all take for granted. Those times have changed. As Sven and I walked along, we discussed the courage needed by politicians who hope to effect change: no one in California, Arizona, or Nevada wants to be advised to give up a lawn, yet lawns really make no sense, since they require water. How much more sensible to choose indigenous plants and landscape with pebbles? The situation in the West is not simply drought. It is climate change. When you move into the desert, you should not have East-Coast-lifestyle expectations. Here in the woods of Wellfleet, we were able to admire the seasonal falling leaves and emerging mushrooms, and note the low level of both Great and Dyer, kettle ponds which are replenished with rainwater. This past year the National Seashore put up new signs urging visitors to respect the ponds and refrain from using soaps, detrimental to the environment.