travel polllution

Leo Hickman, in an extract from his book in the Guardian, complains about aircraft and tourists in general polluting up the few remaining natural phenomenon of the planet. I agree that stag parties should not be allowed in historical areas, especially small historical areas with limited resources. I also agree that delicate ecosystems involving coral and tropical beaches should be treated with respect. He does not mention the cultural damage that comes with tourism. While I really enjoyed my stay in Cancun, there were places I went where I could have been anywhere. Senor Frogs, for instance. Except for the bill produced in pesos I could have been right here in lovely downtown Richmond VA. If you want to experience real travel pollution that has been going on unchecked for ages, you don't have to go to Phuket (Thailand) or Tallinn (Estonia). Simply spend the night in my guest room.

I live three blocks from the railroad tracks. I've noticed that quite a few trains pass through between 2 and 4 a.m. Some of those drivers really like to blow their whistles. There used to be one train at 4 a.m. with a particularly annoying, off-key whistle that brayed and brayed and brayed. If you weren't awake, it would wake you up. If you were awake, there was no chance of getting back to sleep. And yet no one writes much about train pollution, or how much trash they dispense into the air from spent fuel, or the many things that spill from them and how they disrupt our sleep (lack of which, we all know, can make us very unhealthy). I often think about talking to the city's environmental concerns office and wonder exactly what decibel level is allowed at 4 a.m. Judging by the train whistles, it seems excessive. If my stereo were that loud at 4 a.m. the entire neigborhood would rise up and expel me, just like they did that drug dealer seven years ago.

To balance this out (well, that's my excuse anyway), is Ode which claims to publish "Stories that bridge the gap between thinking and doing, between rage and hope, and the painful gap between the rich and poor – and thus build peace and sustainability. " Very noble. If only I could be so good. Worth a trip, anyway. Maybe if I read the stories I'll be motivated to actually complain about the trains.