I was recently interviewed by Jennie Christensen on KVNU radio in Logan, Utah, concerning the Oneida Dam proposal on the Bear River in Idaho. During the interview, I didn't have time to respond to a caller who stated that if a person can afford to use brighter, less energy-efficient light bulbs, it was that person's right to do so.
I agree, it is our right. It is also our responsibility to understand the impacts that our actions have on our community.
In this arid desert, we have the right to wash our sidewalks with precious (tax-subsidized) water as our neighbor's fields turn to dust.
We have the right to drive gas-guzzling SUVs that create ozone gases and contribute to global warming.
Yes, we have the right to consume as much electricity as we desire during peak hours even though it increases the community's power bill and creates demand for more dams that destroy river habitat. Then the birds leave the area which increases insects in the fields and causes farmers to use more pesticides that leach into the groundwater which eventually is drawn into the public's water supply and consumed by children, causing cancer and increasing the cost of health care.
The web of life has intricate strands braided throughout our community. What each of us does tugs on those strands and affects other lives in invisible and sometimes inconceivable ways.
Once we all realize the cause and effect each one of us has on our community, the sooner viable solutions for a better world will be realized.
I believe we can have prosperity without plundering this incredible planet we live on. It begins with us.
Dan Miller
vice chairman,
Bear River Watershed Council
Logan