By Catherine Bell (Contributor) – Email
In this modern world, the natural world often goes unnoticed. Unless it’s a supermoon, meteor shower, or tourism promotion, the media doesn’t usually report on the natural wonders around us. It seems that a lot of people believe that observing these phenomena is a waste of time or no longer needed, but I believe that it’s important.
So many people take our city’s trees and grass and living plants for granted, when so many other places in North America have been so thoroughly constructed that there are few plants, even ones planted by humans, left in them. Even when the marvel is small, like a single daisy crawling its way up through cracks in the pavement, it is important to notice these things. For people who live in desolate places, large marvels like a supermoon can motivate them to think about a natural world they might not have any contact with in their day-to-day life.
Amazing natural phenomena don’t just start at the edge of the atmosphere, though. Beautiful forest trails, bright stars, and the smell of wet earth are something that anyone can enjoy, no matter who they are. If you have no other form of entertainment, you can walk around in the park and look at the clouds, and feel the breeze, and see the moon and the stars. If you don’t pay attention to these wonders, things like the Kinder-Morgan pipeline and the sale of provincial and federal land to corporations can happen without you noticing before it’s too late.
Natural marvels like supermoons and meteor showers often turn people’s faces skyward, but it’s important for people to look at the world around them as well. We live in a perfect area for enjoying and spending time in nature. During the summer, I spend a lot of time at the beach, and I could spend so much time listening to music and looking at the clouds. Because of the mountains that separate the Lower Mainland from the rest of the country, the weather patterns can be interesting to watch. Plus, out here in the Valley, the light pollution isn’t so bright that it outshines the stars, like it does for people who live closer to Vancouver. It’s also easier to see phenomena like eclipses and meteor showers in the Valley for the same reason. If you can, you should take advantage of our unique location and see these natural phenomena.
Something like a supermoon might just be a day when the full moon is slightly closer to Earth, but the beauty of it is worth attention. Also, just because you aren’t a nature worshipper doesn’t mean you can ignore the world we live in. Only looking forward and ignoring the natural world won’t stop the Earth from being the planet we live on. It won’t make it not matter or make the loss of nature any less devastating to us. We should embrace what we can see and enjoy it while we still can.
