Pollution

Searching For Green Among the Gray

Walking and sniffing in a poisoned world

This story was written by Keke, author, editor, and potentate of Keke’s Guide to Training Your Human.

Daddy and I were walking in a small city, not so far from home but far enough that the smells of our neighborhood were undetectable. Trotting down the sidewalk, I wagged my tail in anticipation of all the new sights, sounds, and smells I’d meet on our walk today. Daddy held my leash tightly, guiding me through the urban jungle.

But as we ventured further, my excitement waned. My nose twitched with the acrid scent of exhaust fumes in the morning air. Cars whizzed by, leaving behind a trail of noxious smoke that stung my nostrils and made me sneeze.

We turned a corner and entered a park, where I expected solace among the trees, grass, and bushes. Finally, a place more like home!

As we approached a pond, however, it was challenging to find smells of nature. The water was murky, its surface covered with a filmy scum and floating debris. Discarded bags and other trash clung to the reeds along the shore. Where I was used to hearing birds and seeing squirrels and ducks by the water’s edge, I found beer cans, discarded wine bottles, and small bits of detritus. I reached out to move some debris but recoiled at the foul stench. This was not the refreshing oasis I hoped for.

As we continued past the pond, the signs of human misuse and abuse were overwhelming. Everywhere, I saw signs of man but few signs of nature: smog-filled skies, litter-strewn streets, polluted waterways. Was any corner of our world immune to the ravages of human activity?

Daddy had a bag in his pocket and stooped to retrieve trash while I sniffed for signs of life. It wasn’t long before he filled his bag, and I silently applauded his efforts to make a small difference.

Walking along a nearby tree-lined street, I caught the sweet scent of flowers in bloom. I heard the rustle of a small, unseen creature foraging in the leaves under a nearby bush. I stopped to sniff, and although I could not identify its smell, my mood was lifted by the tiny bit of wildlife I sensed in the polluted city.

As we left the ravages of urban decay, I reflected on its inhabitants. Didn’t any nearby residents care enough to pick up the trash left in their park? Did they think it was someone else’s job? Or had they just given up hope?

Oh, humans. It’s not bad enough that you’re smogging up the air with your cars and factories; melting the polar ice caps with your greenhouse gases; and killing the fish and inundating our food supply with microplastics. Can’t you use those famous opposable thumbs for more than slugging down a can of Coors Light? Maybe pick them up, too?

Do you long for clean air, unspoiled nature, and a world your grandchildren can enjoy? Well so do I.

So take pride in the only home we have. Consider what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. The decisions you make today regarding global warming will affect generations to come: your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, and their dogs, too!

Be the human your dog thinks you are.

“You know, there are times when it’s a source of personal pride to not be human.” -Hobbes (from Calvin and Hobbes)

If you enjoyed this story, here is another you might like: