Remembering the first Earth Day

The first Earth Day was the result of profound change in the hearts and minds of a growing number of people. On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million people took to the streets that day seeking protection of our ecology.

There have always been environmental champions, including Henry David Thoreau and John Muir but they did not capture the popular imagination in the way that Rachel Carson’s 1962 book “Silent Spring” did. A gifted writer, nature lover, and scientist, she eloquently exposed the dangers of pesticides to humans and wildlife. At the same time the use of the drug Thalidomide by pregnant women led to more than 10,000 children born with severe birth defects around the world. In 1969, more than three million gallons of oil were spilled off the coast of California and a river in Ohio caught fire. People were losing confidence in chemistry, industry, and the government regulators.

The federal government responded to the growing outcry by creating the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) before the end of 1970. A wave of legislation followed designed to clean up the air and water, and eliminate such toxins as CFC (Chlorofluorocarbons), DDT, and leaded gasoline. The impact on the environment was significant and positive.

I was eleven years old in 1970, part of a generation that was raised to be ecologically aware. Over the following decades environmental consciousness captured the imaginations of average Americans. Our cars are more fuel efficient, we recycle, we install solar panels, and more. We are better than we were but much more work is needed. 

The 1968 photo “Earthrise” (taken from Apollo 8) provided inspiration, scientists provided information, activists organized the masses, elected officials responded, and the marketplace invented and adjusted. Today’s environmental crisis requires faster action at all levels. The key to change is mobilizing the masses who have power in their votes and their spending. We need leaders with words of urgency, hope, and clear calls to action.

The day the NFL stood still

   The author, Rico Eagles 1973    

I lie on the field as people gather around me. It’s raining. The school principal steps on my hand as he tries to hold an umbrella over me. I just went helmet to helmet with a player from my own team trying to tackle a speedy running back. The nimble athlete eluded our strike, and I am on my back, instructed not to move. An ambulance had been called.

It was the fourth of quarter of a losing effort against our arch-rivals, Northwest Christian Academy. The coaches agreed not to continue the game. I had always thought it was because of the emotion surrounding my possible paralysis but now I realize that the game delay had been long, it was getting dark, it was raining, and the score was lop-sided. Football games are not stopped for injuries.

On the other hand, the NFL stood still on Monday, January 2nd, 2023, when Buffalo Bill’s Damar Hamlin’s heart stopped following a hard hit. He received CPR and defibrillation on the field and was rushed to the hospital. The game was canceled. This is a first in NFL. Football games are not stopped for injuries.

On five previous occasions in the NFL, paralyzed players were carried off the field and play continued. When Chuck Hughes died from a heart attack in the fourth quarter of a 1971 game between Detroit and Chicago, the teams returned to finish the game. Football games are not stopped for injuries.

This Monday Night Football Game was cancelled. There was a lot of confusion on the field. The announcers and referees understood the protocol: Football games are not stopped for injuries. The NFL officially said that there was never any intent to continue the game. Really?

The NFL decided to take the high ground. It’s about players’ safety and not about money. Yet, this is the same group that had denied the link between concussions and the long-term effect of brain injuries. Even after settling a class-action lawsuit, they denied culpability.

Fans said it’s only a game and supported the cancellation of this contest with important playoff implications. The following Sunday there was overwhelming support and well-wishes for Damar Hamlin. As he watched football from his hospital bed, football stadiums across America were filled with people honoring him by wearing his number.

Upon regaining consciousness in his hospital bed, Hamlin asked. “Who won?”

Overwhelmingly, NFL players who were paralyzed by game injuries expressed their continued love for the game. It’s much more than a game. It is a blood sport where injuries are expected at every game. Every player has a backup and as soon as the back up quarterback enters a game, the announcers let us know who is next on the list.

The NFL works to make the game safer, but it will never be safe. That seems to be the way we like it. The Superbowl is among the most watched television events in America. In 2022 a 30-second Superbowl ad cost $6.5 million. It’s much more than a game. It is a cash cow.

During a spring football rally at my high school, following my injury, I was in the crowd cheering as the football team was introduced. Two younger players pulled me out of the crowd and the quarterback presented me with a new jersey bearing my number. My old one had been cut off from me. I put it on and stood with the team.

I decided to play my senior year. I did not need a lot of encouragement. I loved the game, and the social position it granted me in school. It’s much more than a game. It is an obsession.

Lisa Marie dead at 54

I learned today that Lisa Marie Presley died at age 54. She was Elvis Presley's only child. I remember when I learned that Elvis had died. I was on the way home from work, listening to Y100 (WHYI) on the radio. I was stopped at a red light at the intersection of 12th Avenue and 7th Street in Miami when the DJ announced that Elvis was dead. On August 16, 1977, at age 42, he was found dead on the bathroom floor. He had suffered a heart attack, the same cause of death that would take his daughter. Elvis’ mother also died young of a heart attack. She was 46.

The nation mourned Elvis. Songs and poems were written. He was laid to rest at Graceland next to his mother. Lisa Marie was nine years old at the time.

A year later, I was stationed at the Naval Air Station in Memphis and went to visit Elvis’ grave on a muggy day in August. There was a long line waiting to pay their respects. Peddlers were selling souvenirs and iced down Cokes. At a coffee shop that morning, I had witnessed a waitress being presented with a 12” ceramic statue of Elvis. She was tearfully appreciative of this little treasure. Such was the impact that the “King” had on American women of a certain age.

I returned to Graceland 30 years later and was surprised at the transformation. What was once a wealthy neighborhood was now a tacky tourist attraction. The houses across the street were razed to make room for static displays of Elvis’ jets and cars. What was once a shrine, became a theme park. The changes were needed to preserve the monument that Elvis fans demanded.

The nation’s love for Elvis spilled over to Lisa Marie. She had recorded three albums and had two celebrity marriages (Michael Jackson and Nicholas Cage) but she would always be Elvis and Priscilla's little girl. Tonight, people are, once again, lining up at Graceland to pay tribute to a beloved idol. Lisa Marie will be buried there next to her father, grandparents, great grandmother and her son.

A Visit to the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

It was going to be an easy 2.5 miles led by a botanist. We were warned to bring water and wear hats. The desert can be brutal and unforgiving. Also, look out for rattlesnakes. Other than that, have a good time. Ahh, nature.

The morning temperature was on the cool side as we reached the parking lot of the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area in Cave Creek, Arizona. Once we gathered and made sure everyone was accounted for, we set off. I snapped a few pictures along the path and realized the we had walked half a mile before reaching the trail head. The short hike, I realized, was going to require more than 3 miles of walking. I wish I had set my Fitbit to record this epic trek.

Nevertheless, we were surrounded by natural beauty. There was an expansive view of hills dotted with Saguaro. This tree-like cactus can grow to 40 feet and live 150 years. Many of the specimens I got close to towered over me.

Then there were the smaller details of the desert flowers, birds, lizards and insects that make up this magnificent ecosystem. I am amazed not only by the majestic Saguaro but, also by the Desert Iguana hiding in its shade. More amazing is how everything works together to sustain life. The Saguaro is a keystone species upon which the flora and fauna of this region depend on and thrive.

Humans are part of this area as well. The Spaniards called the area Apacheria because it was controlled by the Apache. This hunter-gatherer tribe, after learning to capture and ride horses, became efficient raiders. Before them were the Hohokam, who date back to around 450 AD and left behind petroglyphs, corn-grinding rocks and remnants of their buildings.

The old Apache trail we're following became a stage coach trail, patrolled by the U.S. Cavalry to protect the miners that arrived in the 1860's looking for gold and other minerals. There were clashes and bloodshed until 1877, when the Apache were forced to move. Today, the miners, soldiers and Apache are gone but the rugged beauty remains. The trail remains, too. It is now used by hikers, horseback riders and mountain cyclists speeding downhill.

We meandered slowly fore a couple of hours listening to the botanist teach, taking pictures and drinking water; the birders in our group identifying birds by sight and sound. Each of us enjoyed creation in a different way in this tiny window into the vast Sonoran Desert; a part of the myriad of ecosystems that make up our planet.

Battleship Texas (BB-35)

I recently stopped to visit the Battleship Texas. It helped break up a long drive, giving me an opportunity to stretch my legs while I indulged myself in connecting military history. The USS Texas is currently housed at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, near Houston, but will soon go into dry dock for needed repairs.

The 107 year old ship saw action in both WWI and WWII, serving in the invasions of North Africa and Normandy and the battles of Iwo Jima

and Okinawa. In 1947 it became the first permanent museum and remains the last surviving World War I era dreadnought battleship.

The ship has been closed for tours since 2019, which allowed me time clean shots of the ship.

 

 

 

Volunteer Park Conservatory

Seattle's Volunteer Park Conservatory is an historic landmark on Capitol Hill. Established in 1912, this Victorian glasshouse has been called a jewel in the crown of Seattle parks. With five distinct houses (Palm, Seasonal, Cactus, Fern, and Bromeliad), the Conservatory displays a beautiful variety of tropical and subtropical plant life. It has 3,426 panes of glass, which are covered by a chalky paint in early summer. The paint is washed off in the fall, when solar heat is less intense.

I was impressed by the photo opportunities provided by the beauty of the flowers and foliage in the diffuse natural light from the windows. My favorites were the carnivorous plants which included Venus Fly Traps, Sundews, and Pitcher Plants. What can be more interesting than a vegetable that eats meat.

The Conservatory costs adults $4, kids $2, under 12 FREE.

It is set in Volunteer Park, which dates back to 1876 and features 48 acres of beautiful trees and gardens. The Seattle Asian Art Museum and an observation deck atop a water tower are other impressive structures in this park near downtown Seattle. An amphitheater, wading pool and play areas make this a park for all ages and most interests.

Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon are buried in the adjacent Lake View Cemetery but I did not visit. It seemed to long a walk on a day when my Fitbit logged more than 8 miles of walking up and down hills. It was fenced in and the entry was about a mile in the wrong direction, uphill. It will make my to do list for another visit.

Click here for photos of my visit to the Conservatory.

Planes, Trains and Ubers

Transportation was a prominent feature of my recent visit to Seattle. It began with a surprisingly comfortable non-stop flight on Alaska Airlines across the country. Big city life is all about public transportation and Seattle excels in this area. The light rail train zipped us through the neighborhoods and buses filled the gaps. I love the the convenience of jumping on a train and jumping off at your destination. The round trip is cheaper than downtown parking.

I took my first three Lyft trips in Seattle, as well. It did not cost much more than a train ride when you divide it by a few riders. Plus there is no need to walk. They come to you.

We did a lot of walking. Usually, in short trips to the the train station or bus stop but sometimes to a park or restaurant. My Fitbit recorded an average of five miles per day with a high day of eight miles. Much of the walking involved hills; some steep. With all that walking I was surprised to see so many small gyms with treadmills throughout the neighborhood. I suppose it was because of all that rain. I walked in some of that, too.

My favorite public transportation event was the water taxi. It moved fast over Elliot Bay with no discernible rocking motion, dropping us into the suburban paradise of West Seattle.

Everywhere in the city I saw Lime scooters, motorized bicycles and other such app accessible devices. I did not take advantage of this particular convenience. I didn't ride an ambulance, either. Perhaps, the direct result of passing on the scooters.

I didn't add up the cost but I'm pretty sure our transportation costs were less than renting a car, especially if you calculate parking costs; assuming you can find a space. Even if it costs a little more, there is the hard to calculate convenience of not driving and the time spent getting and returning the rental car.

And the walking? My doctors want me to do more.