The people who live in the Park City community have lots of worries at the end of the ski season.
There is too much development, many say. The traffic is awful and what of the degradation of the sensitive mountain environment, they also note.
Then how on earth should people in the Park City area mark Earth Day on Friday? One important step should be pledging to be better stewards of the planet.
Earth Day is not a national holiday marked with a day off, parades and barbecues. It is, though, an opportunity for self-reflection about one’s impact on the environment as well as a day when lots can be learned about the human dangers to the planet.
In Park City and elsewhere in the West, particularly in the mountain resorts, the threat of a changing climate has for years been a key concern of leaders. The ski industry, of course, is reliant on cold temperatures and snowfall. Water availability is driven by similar variables. The wildfire danger is another aspect of living in the West that is closely linked to the environment.
The government of Park City over time has been a leader in the efforts to combat climate change and protect the environment through numerous measures, like protecting lands from development and tapping alternative energies. Those sorts of accomplishments, stretching across years, too often are overlooked amid the controversy of the day. The Summit County government has made strides, too.
But governments can only accomplish so much. The people of a community must also be dedicated to an effort that is so important. Earth Day offers a chance for even small steps by the populace. Taking a bus or riding a bicycle on Friday instead of driving a personal vehicle, eventually recycling the newspaper many of you are reading or bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store are all simple but meaningful ways to help the environment on Earth Day.
Another possibility is heading to the Park City Library, where a Sustainability Resource Center has debuted with a range of information sources. Hopefully via a mode of transportation other than a personal vehicle.