The other day there was an article in the Washington Post which
referred to a course at the University of Maryland that caught my attention.
The seminar actually spent some time on analyzing and comparing my generation
to the classic cartoon in which Wile E. Coyote is constantly trying to
catch the Roadrunner, but to no avail.
When adults were asked which character they identified with most they tended to say the roadrunner. Whereas young adults about my age see themselves more like the coyote. We are no longer impressed with a roadrunner that denies the laws of physics, and accomplishes the impossible, for we are growing up in an age where any dream can come true, and where we use technology as a second language.
As the coyote, we see ourselves as victims of this society, constantly trying to catch up with our fast paced world. Yet, it is time to use that agility and technology to our advantage. It is time to stop making the same mistakes over and over again, take responsibility and be smart-and put smart growth and smart transportation into practice.
In the future I do not see newer and bigger highways, more bridges, Inter County Connectors, or ways to buy HOV privileges as the answers for congestion.
In the future I do not see the state of Maryland's name in the headlines associated with the largest and most grandiose development projects in our history or that of the United States.
Rather I see the State of Maryland affiliated with the largest conservation and public transportation projects in history - which to me are far greater accomplishments. I see metromalls--shopping places accessible by public transportation, without the 4,000 car garage to match. I see a Purple Line which spans the length of the beltway, allowing easier access to more commuters, reducing the amount of traffic rather than accommodating it.
We have been down this road before, where another lane only means more sprawl, with about five years till that one becomes congested again, and the cycle continues.
Just like the coyote, we continue to buy into the same solutions, the same products from the Acme Company, because they are familiar. Once again with only a moments notice to prepare for the anvil which comes crashing down.
Most importantly, in the future I see the present. I see the year 2000, a new beginning, a chance for change. Rather than spending three billion dollars to prepare for another Y3K disaster, it is time to learn from the past, and listen to the little person who raises their hand and says "I see a glitch." For once we must take the long-term into account and ignore the quick fix. Future legislation must focus on developing new ideas and not the land. For it is not just time to take responsibility, but action as well. q
It is an honor to be here with so many people who have done so much
for the state we love. One of the most important things in my own life
has been Maryland's natural environment. Even before I could walk, my mother
would strap me in a life-vest and let me float down riffles in the Potomac
River. Just last weekend, my dad and I spent the day tramping around the
marshes in Somerset County.
For me, being active in environmental issues comes naturally. I've had hands-on contact with the natural world all my life: summer, winter, rain or shine. Let me tell you about one experience.
A couple of years ago, I went sea kayaking with my family off Colton's Point in Saint Mary's County. The water was flat, and we were having a great time exploring the shoreline and fishing for white perch.
Suddenly, the wind picked up, and a wall of blue-gray clouds blotted out the sun. Whitecaps started to form, and strong gusts flattened the marsh grasses. A terrific thunderstorm was headed towards us and we paddled to shore as fast as we could. On the beach, I crouched in my life vest, cringing with every flash. Sometimes the lightning struck so close that I could hear the air sizzle and splinter an instant before the thunderclap, and the boom went right to the bone.
This experience taught me something. It taught me that you can't really understand a thunderstorm just seeing it through a window or on television. You can only really understand it when it is all around you and you are wet, cold, and scared.
Most kids don't have many opportunities to experience the outdoors firsthand. Instead, they spend much of their free time in front of a television set or a computer. For them, nature is mostly something they get secondhand. Virtual nature.
And this is a problem. We're counting on these kids to become the next generation of environmental leaders, young people who will fight for what they believe in. But can kids get passionate about something that's never been a real part of their lives? Will they work to preserve the environment if it doesn't mean that much to them?
Eminent biologist Edward O. Wilson believes that humans are intrinsically attracted to nature. He calls it "biophilia." I hope he's right, but I see a lot of what I would call "bioapathy."
First, let's recognize some of the ways we can get young people personally involved in nature and the environment. I see a future Maryland environmentalist by a stream bank, kneeling over a net, picking out aquatic insects that she will use to assess the stream's health.
I see a youth, up to his waist in the Potomac River, casting for smallmouth bass. I see a young birdwatcher focus her binoculars on a bluebird perched on a cornstalk and exclaim "How beautiful!" I see a kid carefully pulling in his crab line, net at the ready. I see a girl, with identification book in hand, greeting the first spring wildflowers. I see canoers, campers, hikers, and hunters, all with strong personal commitments to the environment, all motivated to do something for it.
Maryland has lost a lot of its natural treasures, but it still has wonderful and diverse ecosystems, from the vast Appalachian forests to the endless salt marshes. We owe a great deal of what remains to people who have come before us, and to many of the people in this room.
We can thank former Governor Hughes for his vision and determination to restore the Chesapeake Bay. We owe a great debt to Governor Glendening for all that he has done to preserve wild areas and stop sprawl.
Our youth must get behind these efforts and keep the momentum going. How will we do it? How will we get more kids personally involved in nature and committed to protecting the environment? Here are some ideas.
Let's start with the schools. The community service program created by Lt. Governor Townsend has been a great success. Let's build on that. Let's set aside a part of the program where kids must get their service hours for environmental activities such as trail restoration, trash pick ups and participation in programs. I can think of no better way to serve a community than by improving its environment.
Second, environmental education. Students need to get out of the classroom and into nature. From kindergarten on, kids must get their boots dirty and hands wet, making collections, doing experiments, observing and recording. Changing how we teach and what we teach won't be easy. But it can be done.
Look at the commitment our schools have made to computer education. Does our environment deserve less? Do we pay less attention to environmental education because there are no multi billion dollar industries behind it? If this is the case, we must thoroughly examine our educational and civic priorities.
Environmental education cannot just be "infused" into existing courses. Students must take specific courses on the environment. All too often, infusion means dilution.
Another idea is internships. I bet kids would jump at the chance to serve alongside staff of government and private groups working to restore the Chesapeake Bay, maintain parks, collect data, and carry out educational programs.
The result of such initiatives will be more youth participation and involvement. Students with a real understanding of nature will join the fight to protect it. They will work together in groups such as the one I created at my high school, called Wild Things. They will feel the rush of adrenaline as they testify at a public hearing. These same kids will be handing out leaflets at metro stations early in the morning when they would much rather be sleeping.
And someday soon, they will be the young adults who will lead their generation to save our trees, wetlands and open space, and plan for a sustainable future. Thank you. q