Archive: Opinions

Wow!  Summer is just one month old, and we have experienced some incredible weather.  Except for a brief period of extreme heat and humidity, we have enjoyed a very pleasant summer.

Daytime temperatures have hovered in the mid to low 80’s.  At night we have slept quite comfortably with cool breezes lulling us to sleep.  On several occasions, I have added a light blanket to insulate myself from the early morning chill.

The unusually mild weather contrasts sharply with the rest of the country.  Folks out west are battling wild fires.  A heat wave hit the eastern half of the country pushing the mercury past the 100 degree mark and causing pavement to buckle.  While some states were recovering from storms that knocked down power lines and others were facing hurricanes, we have had little in the way of extreme weather. 

The secret to our good fortune might be in the physical region itself.  The series of lakes stretching from Hemlock in the west to Cazenovia in the east, known to us as the Finger Lakes, serve as a temperature regulator providing a buffer which most of the country lacks or has lost.  In times of fluctuating weather, this system of lakes absorbs extra heat, stores runoff and storm water, and releases its stored warmth when called upon.  It is our greatest defense against a changing climate.

We value our lakes and protect them against any undue use or commercialization.  Laws strictly regulate what goes in and what can be taken out.   Our lakes are our future, providing us with drinking water, ample space to relax in the numerous public parks, and opportunities to enjoy boating, fishing, and hiking. 

Other areas of the country have not been as lucky.  Industrialization and overdevelopment have taken their toll, especially in urban areas.  Forests and meadows that once surrounded cities have become housing developments and business parks.  This alteration of the landscape has upset nature’s ability to balance weather, especially in times of extreme heat or precipitation. 

On Thursday, while listening to the summer concert at Myers Park and basking in the glow of a picturesque sunset, I wondered what it might be like to hear the sound of gas drilling rigs working around the clock.  What band could ever compete with the noise created by the endless line of trucks and earth moving equipment hauling rock and fracking fluid into our region?  Could our lake recover from just one accidental spill of fracking fluid?

There is a story of a couple who lived long ago in a place called paradise.  Because of their greed and desire for power, they lost their right to live in paradise and were expelled into a desolate place.   Recent news coming from Albany indicates that our governor and the legislature are considering hydraulic fracturing in five counties bordering Pennsylvania.  Like any gamble, the stakes are high, and I hope those in Albany will resist the temptation for power and money and in the process expel all of us from paradise.  And that is to the point.

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