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So, today is denoted as Earth Day. While I prefer to think of everyday is Earth Day, it is a day to reflect on our relationship to the environment. I’m not a hardcore environmentalist, and I agree with the Exurban kids that I think we are far from understanding changes to the environment and our role in it all (though I’m not about to agree with Newt).

But I’m also not a denier when it comes to what we are doing and how it might be affecting the planet. I’m simply not smart enough to make the determination that we are/are not messing with the planet’s climate. While we are far from understanding how we affect the environment, I still think we are doing some incredibly stupid things that could and should be changed just in case we are doing irreversible harm to the planet.  Just because I can’t prove that the carbon from the coal fired plant isn’t going to FUBAR the planet doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be working towards replacing it with something that is move environmentally friendly.

But, I’ll have to agree with a lot of people on the Right when I laugh at liberal environmentalists that jet from place to place, but they drive their Priuii (Priuses?) to the private airport. I couldn’t care less what [insert random Hollywood celeb] thinks about anything really, whether they are on the right or left. I pay you to entertain me, not condescend to me on issues that I likely know more than you do (and I know very little).

It reminds of somebody I know. They have one of those cute little tags on their e-mail that says “consider the environment before printing this e-mail”. That’s great and all, but I think when they leave work in their GMC Yukon puffing away on a cigarette driving towards their 4,000 sq ft home on the edge of town they are doing far more damage to the environment than anyone is doing by printing a silly e-mail. It’s easy to put a trendy tag on your e-mail, it’s a lot more to actually change your habits to become more Earth friendly.

I’ve admitted I don’t do everything I should. We recycle a heck of a lot more now than we did five years ago. My wife and I live in a town that is centrally located from our places of employment so that we minimize our driving. I’ve considered public transportation, but it would take me more than 2 hours to get to work when it takes only 20 minutes to drive (I’m not joking, that is what the trip planner for the local transportation district estimated). I’d love to live in a city where I don’t have a car, but we simply don’t have the options in St. Louis that people in NY, London, or Chicago have.

On this Earth Day, we should reflect on our impact. There are some amazing places on Earth and I don’t want to be the reason that my grandchildren can’t enjoy them. Whether it’s acid rain eating at the treasures of the ancients (and that’s definitely our fault) or glaciers melting that may inundate coastal areas (whether that’s us is up for debate) we should simply be kind to future generations and leave the planet at least as well as we found it. I wouldn’t trash my friend’s house, why should it be any different with the Earth?

Maybe I’m editorializing about something I know little about and I’m just as bad as the Hollywood types angling for face time talking about the latest fad campaign. But at least I can be turned off.