Environmental awareness has recently spread to other, less aware generations. With recent environmental disasters such as polar icecaps melting and the extinction of some species, the 20th century American is becoming aware of the dangers of tampering with the earth’s equilibrium. On a recent visit in Palm Springs, I met with my ninety-two year old great grandfather, whom I love to share witty banter with. With tears dripping down the wrinkles of his crow’s feet, he had no words for the happiness he felt in seeing the family. Every once in awhile we drop him a line, but lately, we have rarely spoken to the isolated Rowland Foster. Of all the people in the family, I feel I have a particularly stellar bond with my grandfather because he encourages my writing and studies; he loves to enlighten me with nostalgic memories of his childhood and teenage years.
As we began to talk, my grandfather mentioned my unique educational opportunity that came to me when I joined a private school. Teeming with gratitude towards my parents, I know the true gift that they have given me; without them, it’s not sure I would have the appropriate resources to further my advanced studies in academics. My grandfather loved to remind me of this frequently.
He told me, “You better reciprocate what you learn back to the world. Education is no use if you don’t share it with someone! You ol' whippersnapper!”
Hm. I’ve never really pondered that before. Instead of creating change myself, I can begin a tidal wave of knowledge to kick start others’ creative, world-changing spirit. I could teach others the environmental knowledge I’ve learned in school to create awareness of the Earth’s current trembling state. My Grandfather and I talked fervently about my favorite subject in school—environmental science. Though he knew very little about the topic, he knew I had a vested interest in conservation, naturalism, and sustainability. That’s when he told me how I had to take on the burden of another generation.
Curiously, I couldn’t fathom how the Earth’s problems were mine to change, because I hadn’t lived but sixteen years on the planet! How could I be responsible for the issues? Perhaps I had an outsider’s perspective of the world because I had lived so short on the planet. Had I the perspective to change society’s view of the Earth? Currently, we’re studying aquatic biodiversity and the harms of human interaction with some aquatic animals. Plums of oil from the British Petroleum Oil Spill of 2010, for example, have shown a direct reaction to our own detrimental actions. We could see the dangerous impact on our economy, our wildlife, and our lifestyles. No longer can we safely fish in the Gulf of Mexico, without checking for levels of chemical poisoning. No longer can we rely on our animals to survive in our world, without conserving them in captivity such as zoos or wildlife preserves. No longer can we live the way our grandparents and parents have lived. We are the generation that must change the world, because the world has changed so much for us. We are living in a world unlike anyone else’s world. The burden is ours, because we must show the older generations how to nurse our deathly Earth.
