Some days it seems like everything we human beings do has a harmful impact on our environment.
Take the Children's Festival for instance. Riding my bike home from work the other evening I couldn't help but notice all the spilled soda and other sugary confectioneries staining the asphalt paths along the river. And the new grass on the riverside of city hall looks like it has suffered from far too many tiny feet treading upon it.
Fortunately, nature can handle those types of minor impacts. A rain will come and wash the sugar stains away (hopefully not into the river) and the same rain might sprout some seeds that the sun will turn into brand new blades of grass. Really, how much harm can a passel of kids having fun do to our environment?
The adults who organize the event could be a different story though. I noticed that every one of the portable fossil fuel-powered lighting units stationed along the river and throughout Kinsmen park were running full tilt so I stopped a woman driving a security vehicle and asked her why. Vandals she said. Apparently we have to burn non-renewable fossil fuels that spew carbon dioxide into our atmosphere all night to keep vandals at bay.
It really doesn't need to be that way. The sun is a powerful ally when it comes to security and there are some really forward thinking entrepreneurs out there these days who have discovered a way to harness the sun during the day and use it at night. Mankind now has portable, solar powered, lighting units that look almost identical to the petroleum burning versions and they even perform better with brilliant white LED lights. With the solar version we would no longer need to have dangerous flammable fuel in the vicinity of all those tents, nor would we have to worry about all those youngsters breathing in toxic fumes. Not to mention the savings in carbon emissions.
I think replacing the old polluting lighting units next year is worth serious consideration. In fact I would be willing to help the festival organizers (no charge) find a supplier of the slick new lighting machines. I'm in the book. Give me a call when it's time to organize next year's event.
Dave Burkhart, St. Albert
