56°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

We only have one Earth

Earth Day was celebrated in April and, while it seems obvious that we live on one very beautiful planet, we often act as if it is as disposable as the trash we throw away every day.

On July 23, 2015, NASA announced that its Kepler mission confirmed discovery of the “first near-Earth-size planet in the ‘habitable zone’ around a sunlike star.”

Wow! It seemed astounding to many that our Earth was not the only one that could sustain life, although it also seems arrogant of us to assume that our beautiful planet is the only place in the entire universe capable of doing so.

In February, NASA announced that it had discovered another seven Earth-like planets orbiting around a single star. Admittedly, they are 235 trillion miles away, but to some, this discovery opened up the possibility of having a spare if we messed up our Earth. How have we come to have such a throw-away mindset?

Put the term “save the Earth” into a Google search and it returns approximately 194,000,000 results. Save the Earth, as well as save the rain forest and other philanthropic causes, has become as ubiquitous as the slogans for the war on drugs or the fight against cancer. All worthy slogans, but can we, as individuals, deal with these challenges, or have we become overwhelmed and disillusioned by the enormity of these causes?

In the past few months our current administration has announced plans to cut funding for many environmental programs. In March, USA Today documented 62 agencies that are slated to receive funding cuts including the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior, which manages National Heritage Areas and National Wildlife Refuges. What can we do, as individuals and local groups, to offset these projected changes?

A past colleague of mine, Edgar Mitchell, following his first mission to space (and walking on the moon), was a keen photographer and took pictures as he returned to Earth. He has been quoted as becoming overcome with the beauty of the Earth saying, “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world and a compulsion to do something about it.”

Boulder City is no stranger to volunteer efforts. Our own Lend A Hand program was begun as an ecumenical effort between the local churches, and we have many other valued volunteer organizations in our small town including St. Jude’s Ranch for Children, the Senior Center of Boulder City and Emergency Aid of Boulder City. The impending financial cuts will undoubtedly affect our local environment and our efforts to remain independent and maintain our way of life.

Perhaps the time has come for citizens to become more proactive at the local and state levels to offset these deficits and ensure that hard-won gains are not lost. After all, it is our world.

Angela Smith is a Ph.D. life coach, author and educator who has been a resident of Nevada since 1992. She can be reached at catalyst78@cox.net.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Rock, Roll ’n Stroll … senior style

This Saturday, March 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Senior Center of Boulder City is hosting its annual Rock, Roll and Stroll fundraiser at Gazebo Park behind City Hall and the Rec Center.

City Talk: Start 2024 fresh with the Big Clean

As the weather warms up, we all start considering spring cleaning activities around the house.

Bumps in the road of life

Driving up to a meeting in Las Vegas, I started thinking about how life is symbolically a highway. The interstate was smooth. Then – all of a sudden, there was traffic jam – stop and go for a few miles, slowing me down.

Machines and human love

After dropping my wife off at work, since she had her car in the shop overnight, I enjoyed the beauty of Clark County’s mountains as the snow is near the valley floor.

What is the 3D Project?

Doesn’t it bug you when someone speaks in their trade-language?

Partnerships crucial to LMNRA

In September 2023, Lake Mead National Recreation Area launched the More to Mead initiative. The project aims to deepen relationships with surrounding communities and tribes.

Sometimes it’s the little things

In my office I have a small shelf near my desk where I have a few knick-knacks, a couple of coffee mugs, two funny journalism-related signs and some tea. Last week, I added something that has come to mean a lot to me, not so much for what it is but what it represents.

Hi, my name is Bill…

Having the chance to do a little column once a month is one of the most fun parts about this job. It’s something I look forward to.

Local veterans look north for assistance

During the past several years at least three separate individuals have told me that they would like to finance a building for veterans, a place where all vets could go to just hang out, have meetings, converse and feel at home.

Our road map to success needs your input

Setting and achieving goals is vital to many success stories. Whether it was NFL coaches Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan starting their seasons wanting to go to the Super Bowl, a mailroom employee working their way up to the CEO of a company, or the desire to make a community better, it helps to have a road map to measure progress. That is where a strategic plan is valuable. A strategic plan can also translate as the community’s road map.