Balance and NIMBY

These days, there’s been a lot of focus on the earth changes, nuclear crises, environmental disasters and the like. I have heard a lot of people saying things like, “relax, it won’t happen here”
Well, not to burst those folks’ bubble, but it can, it has and it will again.
Consider if you will:
October 16,1954, Hurricane Hazel floods the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
81 people died and 1,868 families were left homeless
October 4, 1995, Hurricane Opal kills at least 59 people, knocks out power to over 2 million customers across eastern and southern North America
On July 18, and continuing for over one week, upwards of 50,000 people in Queens, and New York lost power due to excessive heat and dilapidated infrastructure. On July 21st, the Mayor of New York estimates that the number of people affected is actually closer to 100,000. an estimated 10,000 are still without power on July 24th.
June 23rd, 2010, a 5.0 strength earthquake hits Buckingham, Quebec, approximately 56 kilometers from Ottawa (the nation’s capital), lasts for 30 seconds and is felt as far away as Baltimore, Charleston and Halifax. Near the epicenter, telephone lines are knocked out, making Twitter, Facebook and other forms of social media, the best way to communicate. Immediately afterwards, cellphone service is disrupted.
March 16th, 2011 an aftershock ranging anywhere from 3.7 to 4.3 hits Hawkesbury, Ontario (on the Ottawa river Valley) southwest of the initial magnitude 5.0 epicenter

Now, this is just a small section of a list of events that should make people sit up and take notice. The big power failure of Aug 14, 2003 was enough to make me take notice. The devastation in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina was enough for me.
My local news has begun to report a shard of the truth when they run stories on food preservation and wastage, and local government greed and lies.
I try not to be extreme. I try to be balanced. But it’s difficult when I see local stories about a school board choosing not to spend an ear-marked fund as it was intended, but instead use it so they can have sick days.
I try to be balanced when I bring extra tinned goods home, but the rising cost of food almost prevents the very act!
I try to be balanced by shutting lights off if I don’t need them, going out foraging for wild food sources; but the urge to bolt for the hills is growing stronger.

This balance thing is a tricky dance!