A Walk in the Park: Why the Environment is Valuable
I opened my eyes. A brown thrasher, a rich golden-brown with a two-feathered tail, perched on a tree branch and sang sweetly. Rising tall above the ground, the ancient pines, and oaks towered over the dirt trail stretching forth. Silently and swiftly, a robin flitted about the trees and bushes, and a deer hovered shyly in the trees. The wind whispered to the trees, and the air was saturated with the smells of sticky pine and freshly fallen rain. The dirt trail winded through the trees and disappeared in the mystical mottled murkiness of the forest. I started off into the trail.
I found myself soon after in a grove of oak trees. After walking for a while, it was nice to be able to sit down for a minute. I was lucky enough to find a tree stump to sit on. I closed my eyes, and all of my stress melted away. I could feel myself loosen and sink into the stump. Being in nature has numerous psychological and physical effects such as lowering stress and blood pressure and boosting the immune system (Robbins). I decided to stay in that grove for a bit, just enjoying the view (the light shown through the trees creating a mystical glow), listening to the multitude of beasts move on the forest floor, and smelling the sweet scent of honeysuckle as it floated through the air. There were wildflowers, red, blue, yellow, scampering through the trees. Since it was quiet and calm in the grove, a squirrel chattered while cautiously bouncing along the ground. I couldn’t tell if time had passed at all. I decided to continue onwards into the forest. I was feeling much more relaxed after sitting in the grove. The forest was peaceful with dappled light falling through the trees, mottling the ground.
I came across a long dirt ditch, a ragged ugly scar in the earth, a little while after. A lifeless area of brown. This is unsightly, I wonder why nothing has covered it up. There was a tall ugly “Mining Zone” sign that jarred me from my meditation. Around the world, strip mines account for 40% of all coal mines; these destroy the land after cutting down trees, increase erosion which poison rivers, as well as contaminate the land and waterways with chemicals (Enviro Editor); I sincerely hoped that this coal mine — it was small — would not cause too much harm to the forest. Coal is one of the main fossil fuels we use today. To mine coal is to pose a serious environmental risk, not to mention that they take up a good deal of land. I thought: It’s good that the city decided to build a new nuclear plant. Now we won’t need to build more of these hideous mines. Nuclear power plants are a viable option for this issue; a 1000MW facility would only take 1 square mile lessening environmental impact. They also do not produce carbon dioxide. I took a breath of fresh air which had been cleaned by the recent rain, and with the sun on my back, I hiked on through the woods.
After about thirty minutes, I came across a meadow. It was off to the side, where no one would have seen it if they were not looking carefully. A small side trail (if you could even call it that) ran through some brush, and in the distance, you could hear the gurgling, pulsing, gushing of a brook. I investigated and emerged in a shaded meadow, with a brook running at the far edge. It had just rained, so the brook was flowing fast and quick with clear, cold, freshwater. I sat down beside it and dipped my feet in. On my back, I felt the sunshine, warming me, surrounding me like a blanket right out of the dryer. As I sat there, I contemplated on the power of our nearest star. An amazing feat of nature, throwing off tons of natural fusion power a minute, some of which was providing the comforting heat. One of the cleanest alternative resources, solar power is unique in that it can be stored in batteries, applied to regular households, and there is research into solar-powered cars. Solar power is an attractive option economically because people’s power bills decrease and they receive tax benefits (Holowka). I continued to ponder sol. I must have fallen asleep. I remember closing my eyes, then…. I got up and continued on the path. This is a long trail. As I walked along, a wind rose up, whistling through the trees; it was a windy day today. When I left my house, the pinwheel in the front yard was spinning violently producing an almost perfect circular rainbow. If only it was bigger, it might be able to power something. Wind power is a very cheap alternative resource, which provides jobs for people (Wind Energy Technologies Office). It is attractive for the economy although they do take up space and ruin a view. Though, for conserving the world, that is a small price to pay. That thought floated through my mind as I walked past giant pine trees with scaly bark that rose straight up like skyscrapers. Soon, the main attraction appeared, a colossal waterfall, gushing forth with a dull roar. I sat at the foot of the falls. The river had a rocky and mossy bank. The rocky outcroppings around the falls were covered with a vibrant green moss. I decided to rest underneath a large weeping willow with its long sweeping ropes of leaves, its comforting shade, and its fairy-like aura. I was lucky enough to see a swan float along. I also noticed, nestled among the mist from the falls, the remains of an old windmill, and I thought, What smart people. They used the falls to grind their flour. In modern times, hydroelectricity is a very common alternative resource. The Three Gorges Dam and Hoover Dam are famous for their energy output and architectural ingenuity. The Three Gorges Dam by itself has the capacity to produce 22,500 MW (Encyclopædia Britannica). Dams have the capacity for large energy output as well as recreational use (Lake Lanier). However, dams have a large impact on the environment, causing flooding and preventing natural species from moving about. Not one alternative energy source is the answer, but a combination of all of them can be used to minimize global carbon dioxide emissions and take out the cause of global warming: fossil fuels.
As the sun rounded the sky, I started off on the park trail and emerged from the woods back to where I started. The trees started to space out, letting in more light. The dirt trail smoothed out, stomped by the many people who had walked here previously. The birds quietly chirped in their roosts. It was late afternoon, and the trees swayed in the warm wind. I could hear ducks quacking in a small pond hidden among the bushes. Overhead a large cloud slowly flew across the sky, a large behemoth that was silently gliding on its belly heading back to its mountain cave. I really hope that no neighborhood or some other city project will come and take away the park. I really love this place. It is one of the best places to relax and get away from everything. The world is sitting at a crossroads. We must take advantage of the raw energy around us. We have the capacity to ease off the use of fossil fuels and we must. We must take care of the planet to continue living on it. Everywhere, nature has given us all kinds of options from water and solar, even fossil fuels, and even more experimental resources like waves. The world has taken steps with wind and solar farms and hydroelectric dams. We must continue. For now, I emerged from the woods, grateful that these pockets of nature exist. I breathed in deeply and the air was scented with sticky pines. I closed my eyes and smiled.
Works Cited
Enviro Editor. “Effects Of Mining on the Environment and Human Health.” Environment.Co.Za, 22 Aug. 2018, www.environment.co.za/mining/effects-of-mining.html.
Holowka, Taryn. “Top Four Benefits of Installing Solar Panels on Your Home.” U.S. Green Building Council, 5 Apr. 2017, www.usgbc.org/articles/top-four-benefits-installing-solar-panels-your-home.
NEI. “Land Needs for Wind, Solar Dwarf Nuclear Plant’s Footprint.” Nuclear Energy Institute, 9 July 2015, www.nei.org/news/2015/land-needs-for-wind-solar-dwarf-nuclear-plants.
Robbins, Jim. “Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health.” Yale E360, 9 Jan. 2020, e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Three Gorges Dam.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 27 June 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Three-Gorges-Dam.
Wind Energy Technologies Office. “Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy.” Energy.gov, www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy.
