The past four days we have had record-high temperature in California. It was 103 even in the Peninsula. Given that the majority of the homes in the Bay Area do not have, and usually never need air conditioner, the heat was a real test of everyone's patience and endurance. While the heat didn't bother me too much personally, the effect of global warming and our consumption of energy concern and scare me. What does this climate change mean for our children and grandchildren? What will it take for us to wake up and think twice before consuming nature's resources?
Coincidentally, during the same weekend, I had a meeting at the local Tzu-chi Foundation office (for more information, please visit their site at http://www.tzuchi.org/GLOBAL/). While enjoying a nice vegetarian lunch, we were shown a DVD about the foundation's philosophy, spirituality and welfare services. Putting aside the amazing charity work they have done worldwide, their environmental activism really impressed and touched me. I was struck by the compassionate attitude and revence they hold towards the earth and all of its living beings, including plants, soil, and water. In practice, they put a lot of effort in doing recycling, avoiding disposable goods and waste, vegetarianism, and ecological architecture. (The gift we all received was a plastic cup with a lid, something they encourage us to carry with us to avoid using paper cups and water bottles.)
I was thinking, if some of us are reminded of this sense of compassion towards the earth, and reflect upon our daily lives in relation to global issue of nature's supply and demand, we should be able to slow down the energy consumption, global warming, and do a little less harm to the earth.
On the same weekend, the topic of air condition use came up a few times in family conversations. I was reminded why they say Americans consume some outrageously high percentage of the world's energy (greenhouse gases, chemical wastes.. I am not an environmal expert but I am sure we all would be dismayed by the statistics). Comparing my upbringing (or most people around the world) and the most of the suburban US, you can see how much more Americans seem to need and acquire. There's an idea that if you can afford it, you should be entitled to it. This sense of entitlement is perhaps one of the main driving forces to this endless consumption. If I am more comfortable at 68 degrees, that's going to be the temperature in my house as long as I can pay for it. If I can save 20 minutes by driving to work rather than taking public transportation, why wouldn't I drive? If buying another water bottle saves me from having to watch the old bottle and refill the water, why not spend just $1 on another bottle of water?
I am definitely guilty of this need for comfort and convenience, but these few days of unusual heat is clearly alarming: is it time for us to stop and re-evaluate our life style and think of a few small ways we can leave a little more for our children and for our earth?
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