Lobby of the Empire State Building, Dec 24, 2011
So what does visiting the Empire State Building in New York City have to do with saving our oceans and diving? Well, funny you should ask…
I’m not much of a city guy. Truth be known, I hate cities. I always feel liking I can’t breath, like I’m 10 years old and that big bully is sitting on my chest in the playground. But alas, I wanted to visit my folks in Connecticut this holiday season, and although my wife was happy to go East for the holidays, the suggestion of visiting New York City for a few days made it an easy sell.
So there I was on the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. In every direction, as far as you could see, more and more city. The view filled me with both awe and disgust (sorry NY). Awe when you consider the engineering required to build this structure, as well as the rest of the city below; but disgust when I thought of what stood there 200 years ago (miles and miles of pristine forest). Even more disgust when I looked down into the East River and the Hudson River. Any one interested in diving the Hudson? Sure, just help me with my Hazmat suit!
Then it occurred to me…if mankind can build so many amazing engineering marvels, can’t mankind slow, and in some cases undo, all the damage we are doing to this planet? Can’t we turn away from ecological disaster? Can’t they clean up the Hudson? The East River? I think yes, but only if we collectively decide to ‘engineer‘ a different future, a cleaner future. But again, maybe that’s just me being silly. Maybe I should just go diving, but just not in the East River or the Hudson.
Empire State Building Observation Deck, Looking South