Today I’m happily back to work in the New Year and enjoying the delightful Seattle weather!

I just dashed out to the mailbox to send a package off to one of our supporting organizations, and was greeted as I walked out the door with the torrential downpour that has (off and on) been today’s Seattle weather.

I normally don’t think anything of it, but since I’ve been working on this year’s Environmental Priorities Lobby Day, I now find myself looking for storm drains, to see what the water pouring into them looks like.

You can see the sheen of oil and petroleum products as it pours down drains. It creates a multi-hued rainbow pattern in the water, which may be visually pretty, but is actually deadly and toxic to our natural water supplies and the wildlife they maintain. Occasionally, I see a discarded cigarette butt, discarded trash or other debris as it floats off to the storm drain system and ultimately into the sound.

It’s distressing to think that humans – supposedly the highest and most intelligent life form - have such little regard for our ecosystem.  It makes me wonder if people just don’t think, or if they just don’t understand that merely going through the everyday motions of daily life - going to work, taking the kids to school, driving to the grocery store has so much impact on our environment – from the effects of carbon emissions, to the residue our vehicles leave behind, to the casual toss of a cigarette into the road.

If we only would plan our car trips, use public transportation, be ever mindful of how we dispose of trash and recycle whatever and whenever we can…

Pete Seeger had it right when he asked, “When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?”