THE PEEPSHOW presents A SPRING AFFAIR, or, GREENING OF THE EARTH / Day 4

photomichaelmelford
courtesyathoughtfuleye

Peeps,


Washington, DC practically sings with joy this morning.  A light drizzle last night, and fairly cool temperatures over the weekend provided just the right touch to nudge forth azaleas, camellias, dogwoods, lilacs, irises, and creeping phlox in abundance.  Up and down suburban blocks, folks have been out raking, weeding, and setting out new plants for the season; traffic at the local garden shops has been brisk.  At one of my favorite haunts (Meadow Farms at 7 Corners), several display tables have been devoted to native(s), the evergreen selection has been greatly expanded (and the resident hotties are friendlier than ever!!). All this, combined with very decent prices makes for fun shopping and a superb garden this year.


I find today's visual image simply stunning, and have kept looking at it since I received it (courtesy of one of my favorite blogs: a thoughtful eye).  It seems so lush and tranquil and almost other-worldly, like the scenes from the Lord Of The Rings movies, which I believe were filmed on location in New Zealand.  Pushing aside thoughts of reverie, unless action is undertaken by all of us vis-a-vis environmental conservation of forests and water-ways, pristine swaths of nature may soon become only a memory.  A recent article by Mother Jones points out that ' {the} Environment America Research and Policy Center finds that industry discharged 226 million pounds of toxic chemicals into America's rivers and streams in 2010. The pollution included dead-zone producing nitrates from food processors, mercury and other heavy metals from steel plants, and toxic chemicals from various kinds of refineries. Within the overall waste, the researchers identified 1.5 million pounds of carcinogens, 626,000 pounds of chemicals linked to developmental disorders and 354,000 pounds of those associated with reproductive problems.'  We, meaning all us, can help to prevent further contamination, by lobbying public and elected officials to change policies concerning industry discharge, as well as reducing our own carbon footprint by abstaining from the addition of chemicals in our gardens, eliminating run-off to street drains (which invariably lead to the rivers and Chesapeake Bay), and donating our time or monies to reputable and credible advocacy groups who champion the cause of a greener, healthier planet.  Please consider that anything done on your part, when compounded by the efforts of thousands, and then millions of other concerned citizens, can effect positive change (and hope for the future).


Sincerely,
Shane