DylanT.

Williamson
EnergyandPlace

Abstract:

Myenvironmentalethicandsenseofplacearenotnecessarilyasingleconcept.Mysenseof
placehasalottodowithtravelingandfindingahomewhereverIgo,whichisalsoalargepart
ofmypersonality.Ialwayswanttobemovingandrelocatingthingsseemfresher.My
environmentalethicisamixofvariousethics.Itakethepartofsustainabilitywhichsayswe
needtopreserveforfuturegenerations,thepartofpreservationismwhereweneedtopreserve
wilderness,andthepartofconservatismthatsaysweneedtousebutalsorespectourresources.
IaddressallofthisinmypaperwhenIsay,Sentimentwithoutactionistheruinofthesoul,
becausethemoreIactthelessIdo.Ibegintofeelthisintolerableresistanceforminsideofme.I
needtoact,tochange,todosomethingthatisntnothing.Iwanttokeeptheselushforests,the
deepgreenhorizontouchingthebabybluesky,here.Forallfuturepeople,becausewehave
failedifitallendswithus.Iwanttogiftmychildreneverycornerofthisglobeandsaytothem.
Lookatthisbigandbeautifulworld,thisisyourhome,youmustloveherunconditionally,andI
promiseshewilldothesame.Ibelievethateveryonedeservesaccesstotheenvironment,and
beautifulplaces.Weshouldrespectthemall,regardlessofthefactthatitsnotyourhome,orthat
youdontthinkitsaestheticallypleasing.Allofitisapartoftheplanet,andwhenyoulookat
thebigpicture,thisglobeisourhome,andsheissobeautiful.

Idontfeelanxious.
Walkingthroughtheslidingglassdoorstothesmall
Durangoairporthas
becomeroutinetome,almostasroutineashoppingonmymountainbikeforabriskrideat
sunset.Iwalkintosecurityandbegintotakeoffmyshoes,eachfallingtothefloorwith
significantstruggle.Ihobbleawkwardlythroughsecurity,mymismatchedsocks,onelayeredin
stripes,theotherpatternedwithfish,pushtheirwayamongcrowdsofolder,smarterfeet,until
reunitedwithmyfriendlytatteredblackvans.

Gatheringmythings,Iheadintothesmallterminal,lookingaroundforafamiliarlocalface,no
suchluck.InafewstridesIreachacomfortableseatfacingthewindowandsitstaringatthe
risingsun.Oneofmyfavoritethingsisknowingyouarestartingatripasthesunstartshis,as
he'sbeenmysolecompaniononpastjourneys.Welookateachotherforawhile,ormaybeIjust
hopeheslooking,asitseemsthathisbrightsmilerisingovertheColoradomountainsisa
personalblessing.

Ihearmyboardinggroupcalledpullmyheavybackpackup,sothatitscomfortablyperchedon
myshoulders,andbeginmysauntertowardtheplane.DuckingmyheadasItripdownthe

narrowairplanealley,Ieventuallyencountermyseat.Itrytotellmyselfitscharmingthatmy
legsdon'tfit,but,asIstareoutontotherunway,Iforgetaboutmycrampingknees.

Theplanetakesoffandmybraindriftstothejourneyahead,anaephemeralfeelingtranscends
thepitofmystomach.Itmakesmesmile,knowingthejourneyaheadliescompletelyopento
opportunity,newpeople,newsightsandasubsequentdrinkingage.

Myeyeswanderdownwards,towardtheobviouseruptionofColoradoagriculture.Situated
alongoneofthefarms,Iseeapowerplant.Itssmallincomparisontomyheight,butstillthe
perspectivedisruptsmytrainofthought,andIbecomefuriousknowingthatsomeoneis
pollutingthecrispairthathaskissedmylungforyears.BysomeoneImeanpeople.BypeopleI
meanme.IforgetthatImsittingonaplanethatsfulloflitersofgas,andmytreehugging,
vegetablepicking,mountainclimbing,wildernesscrazedbrainkicksin,furiousthatourworldis
becomingsopolluted.

Ipausemyinnerranttothinkaboutthehypocrisyofthesituation.Soaringabovetheskyona
gasguzzlingplanewasoneoftheonlywaystoinitiatethisepiphanyofpollution.Ithastaken
meuntilnowtorealizehowpatheticthatis.

Asamiddleclassmillennial,whomostlygrewupinthe21stcentury,thequestionof,Where
doestheenergyIconsumecomefrom?IsntthefirstthingthatcomestomindwhenIhavetime
tothink.Iusuallyworryaboutcollege,orgrades,orhowmanylikesIgotonmylastInstagram
post.IdontgenerallycontemplatehowmuchenergyIuseonthesetripsacrosstheworld.

Letsmakeclearwhataplanetripacrosstheworldreallymeans.Flyingonceperyearovera
significantdistancehasanenergycostslightlybiggerthanleavinga1kWelectricfireon,
nonstop,24hours,allday,allyear.That'stheequivalentofkeepingablowdryeronfor24
hoursaday,sevendaysaweek,365daysperyear.

Sentimentwithoutactionistheruinofthesoul.

Thepilotsgroggyvoiceeruptsovertheintercom,manyofthetiredpassengersgroanasthe
voicecorruptstheirpassivesleep.Isilentlylaugh,humansaresointolerable.Heannouncesour
descentintoArequipa,Peru,population784,65,elevation7,638ft.Isquirminmyseatand
silentlywaitforthewheelstohittheground.Watchingthelargevolcanoesemergethroughthe
seaofwhiteclouds,sunkenshipsrisingfromthedepths.Theirstern'sguidemetosafetyaswe

landsharplyonthedarkrunway.Iexittheplane,thehumidairlickingatmyfaceasIstrut
towardbaggageclaim,ahintofnewfoundconfidenceperkingmystep.

IwakethenextmorningtoseemysmallPeruvianAirBNBapartmentarrangedkindlyinfrontof
me.Igotohopintothelongawaitedshower,andseeapieceofpapersituatedonthetoiletseat.
Itreads:

Welcome to our home! Feel free to use any of our utilities, but please be aware, as our city
is in a water crisis, that the more water you use, the more others cant
Thanks, and enjoy your stay.
Inudgethesignwiththebackofmyhand,anditcascadestotheorangetiledflooritsoriginal
presenceseeminglyforgotten.Istepintotheshowerandwithoutheedingthepaperswarning,
andtakemytime.Ieventuallyturnoffthewater,anddrymyselfbeforedressingandwalking
casuallytowardsthelowcoffeetableinthelivingroom.Ibegintoregretmyshowerdecisionas
Iwatchmywethaircausecolddropletstofallsadlytothefloorarainthatwillnevernurture.

Isnapoutofthetrance,andforceasmile,pullonmytiredshoesandwanderdowncrowded
streetssearchingforcoffeeandmaybeanempanadaortwo.Laughterfillstheconcretecorridors
aspeopleheadoutfortheirearlymorningstroll,spanishgracefullyslidingfromtherewell
manicuredlips,theirlanguagebeingoneofthemostsexythingsaboutthem,butcertainlynot
theonly.

Icontentlysitaloneatasmallcoffeebar,casuallysippingonajuicycupofjoe.Istareatmy
journal,asIcontemplatewritingasmallsnipitaboutpeoplewatching,butrejectthethoughtas
theearlierenergycrisisstillpollutesmythoughts.Idontwanttoregretmyjourney,asIstill
havemuchtodo,butIstillfeelthesenseofremorseinmystomach,ormaybeitsregret.Ipush
thethoughtaside,knowingthattheresnothingIcandoaboutthewaterIjustwasted,right?

Sentimentwithoutactionistheruinofthesoul.

Thepilotsgroggyvoiceeruptsovertheintercom,manyofthetiredpassengersgroanasthe
voicecorruptstheirpassivesleep.Isilentlylaugh,humansaresointolerable.Heannouncesour
descentintoMadrid,Spain,population3.165million,elevation2,188ft.Myheartbeginsto
flutteraswecoasttowardstheground,thenerveshavingbeensuspendedinmystomachseemto
droptothegroundasthehugemetalbodyoftheplanecascadestowardsthepavement.

Wedisembark,andmytiredblackvanstaketheirfirststepsontoanoddlyfamiliarland,likea
ducktowater,Iimmediatelyfeelcomfortovertakemybody.Nosenseoffear,nosenseof
misplacement.AsIwalkamongbrickancestors,theirglasspanesglintinginthewarmsunlight
seemtobesecretlywinking.Icontinuestompingalongcrowdedstreetsandcoldalleywaysuntil
Ifinallyreachaquaintpark.

Howodd.

IfeelmyselfrelapsingintomynaturalhabitatasIstepintothishiddenforestsurroundedby
brickancestors.Theeyeofthestormcallstome.Walkingthroughtherecentlypaintedconorting
autumnfiguresremindsmeofsomethingeversofamiliar.Maybeitsthefatigueoftheday,or
thecallofthewild,butIfalltothegroundandlaybeneaththeleavesofafriendlyoak,his
brancheswrappingtowardsthedark,cloudysky.Therainiscoming.Iclosemyeyesandallow
thescenearoundmytodisappear,asIfeelmyselfsinkingintothewarmbarkoftheoak,and
realizewhyIfeelsoathomehere.

Thisfeeling,thisthoughtofhomebeingatransientconcept,pushesme.Acrosscontinents,
acrossoceans,mymetalwingsneverfaltering.Iamnothappyinoneplaceandoneplaceonly,
nordoIcareaboutoneplace,andoneplaceonly.Myrootswraptheworld,eachpiercinga
homeIhavepassedthroughorahometocome.Neverfalteringintheirdistance.SoIguessyou
couldsayIcare,Icareawholelotaboutallofit.Everycornerandcanyonandcaveandcrackof
thiscaringplanet.Itsallmyhome,itsallworthprotecting.

Sentimentwithoutactionistheruinofthesoul,becausethemoreIactthelessIdo.Ibeginto
feelthisintolerableresistanceforminsideofme.Ineedtoact,tochange,todosomethingthat
isntnothing.Iwanttokeeptheselushforests,thedeepgreenhorizontouchingthebabyblue
sky,here,forallfuturepeople.Becausewefailifitendswithus.Iwanttogiftmychildren
everycornerofthisglobeandsaytothem,

Lookatthisbigandbeautifulworld,thisisyourhome,youmustloveherunconditionally,andI
promiseshewilldothesame.

Thepilotsgroggyvoiceeruptsovertheintercom,manyofthetiredpassengersgroanasthe
voicecorruptstheirpassivesleep.Isilentlylaugh,humansaresointolerable.Ihearhimmouth
thenameofourdestination,butIshutmyselftohisdroningwords,allIcanhearis.Welcome
toanewhome.