I really have to be inspired or moved by something in order to write about it, especially with an impending deadline.
So, this blog is a little different from my usual, but I think it addresses something that many of us deal with, but don’t talk much about.
“Why can’t we all just get along?” How many times have we heard or said that line? I imagine that some of you, like myself, have been referred to a time or two as a “Tree Hugger”, or something of that nature. I think I have heard them all: “Nature Cookie”, “Granola”, “Hippie”, etc. Generally it isn’t meant as a compliment, but an insult. Personally, I take no offense to it, but why the ill feelings toward “tree huggers” in general?
Living up to my label
It was a friend’s comment on Facebook that got me thinking about it. Someone stated that they “hated” an individual for driving a hybrid, and called them a “tree hugging hippie” for doing so. Really? I fail to see the logic there. What is there to hate about someone making a conscious decision to reduce their carbon imprint and conserve resources?
I think that those of us that are environmentally conscious are getting a bad rap, in general, for those few that take things to the extreme. The radical extremists are not the majority, although they are the ones that usually get the most press. Most of us want to do what we can as individuals to lessen our personal impact on the environment, and to protect it for future generations. We recycle. We conserve water. We dispose of electronics, chemicals, used oil and prescriptions in a proper manner. We drive vehicles that get good gas mileage. We care about our wildlife, rivers and streams. I fail to see the harm in that, or why that should bring about insults and scorn from some folks. We are all sharing the same space on this one inhabitable planet.
I fail to see the harm in trying to preserve this beautiful stand of Cypress trees
No, we don’t have to be radical, but I can’t ignore the negative attitude and connotation that has been attached to the “tree hugger” label. Extinction and declining populations are reality. Overflowing landfills are reality. Human impact, water shortage and water quality are all realities. Caring for the environment doesn’t mean that we ignore our human plights, like famine, disease, natural disasters and economic issues. They are also realities. We can seek to find a balance within ourselves and our priorities.
There is nothing wrong with doing our best to protect what we haven’t yet destroyed, and to do what we can to restore what we have already ruined. If caring for wildlife, for nature and for the environment earns me the label of “tree hugger”, that’s fine by me. Admittedly, I have hugged trees. But the greatest reward for me is having the opportunity to work with the wildlife that inhabits those trees, and that makes me want to do what I can to help save both. Have you hugged a tree today?
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