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by Barry Zevan Green. The word used to conjure thoughts like, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green,” courtesy of Kermit, The Frog, or, perhaps, Jim Lowe’s popular song of the late 1950s, “The Green Door.” It also used to be slang to describe U.S. currency, as in “greenbacks.” Green identified (and still does) a young, raw recruit in the military, or even a smooth lawn upon which retired ladies and gents bowled at the southernmost tip of the island of Manhattan. It’s still a subway stop, named, of course, Bowling Green. Fast-forward to the first decade of the 21st century, now only less than two years from becoming history, and the word “green” permeates almost everyone’s psyche, not for the reasons stated in the first paragraph, above, but because we’re all being made more aware, every day, of this planet’s fragile and finite characteristics providing the ability to sustain life as “we’ve” known it. “We’ve” would include all of us who are at least 65, and those, as I, who are in their 70s (which is now considered to be the new “50s,” I’ve been told. I hope my body’s aware of that!). “We’ve” been very blessed, in my opinion, to have lived through the many metamorphoses of human caprice, progress and, unfortunately, evil, in two very disparate centuries. The 20th century was certainly the most life-and-status-changing in history, from its beginnings with more horses and buggies in use than automobiles, to its conclusion, when knowing men had walked on the moon was viewed as an almost commonplace and boring fact-of-life, to some. The advent of all creature comforts, especially here in this country after World War II, changed paradigms and states-of-the-art almost monthly. Bigger, better, faster and more were all buzzwords that motivated and dictated our ever-increasing lifestyles of excess. That was then, this is now. Filled with more hope than despair, and possibly a tinge of naivete, I always thought the 21st century would be light-years ahead of the 20th in every respect, including global human interaction and progress toward a better world in general. 9/11/01, in my opinion, changed that thinking, almost inexorably, for me, at least. The horror of that day replays in my brain at least a couple times a week. Coupled with knowing about the proven hole in the ozone in Antarctica, and also active proof that the Arctic has lost enough ice to allow passage from Europe to Asia via newly-opened almost-year-’round shipping lanes there, thanks to what’s been labeled “global warming,” and which could eventually result in devastation of many of our coastal cities, it sometimes makes this scribe want to hide under the covers, permanently. I’m certain many of my peers occasionally feel similarly, and we just shake our collective heads back and forth, asking how this could have happened, and what we can really do to help reverse so many courses, especially involving being more responsible stewards of the only home in the Universe we have. Far from being a “tree-hugger,” I’m nonetheless concerned about “doing my part” to help preserve healthful and productive lives for our progeny, and theirs, and countless generations thereafter. Without presumption, I think my generic thinking in this regard may be shared with many in our “senior” age bracket. What can we do? In my opinion, there’s the obvious, when we’re able and when the technology will allow on a mass scale, i.e., choosing to drive hybrid or all-electric vehicles, paying better attention to basics involving improvement of our home heating and cooling mechanisms, converting, when possible, to solar energy, and so on. Creating and using the means for “Earthlings” to survive isn’t science fiction any more. The paradigm shift has begun and has been acknowledged by every responsible world leader, including those whose countries produce most of our fossil fuels. With enough of us thinking “green,” perhaps the new technologies will become the reality of a new American and global work force, and create a permanent, positive shift in our thinking. Whether or not the new administration in Washington is visionary remains to be seen, but one thing, to me at least, is eminently clear: Their vision to create new jobs to activate and accelerate the use of new technology should get the “green” light from each of us.
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As Barry “Zees” It!