I am by no account a tree hugger. I enjoy the outdoors, but I've only gone on a handful of clean-the-trails outings. I'm trying to cut my electricity use, but that's mostly an effort to save money. And while I don't litter and I like to recycle, I won't go far out of the way to hand over newspapers and plastic bottles.
Still, articles like this New York Times piece, about the Sundarbans -- a group of river delta islands in India -- get me thinking: Will my (eventual) children ever see the world I see now?
The story shows how sinking islands have impacted local residents, including a man who's had to move his home and lost his livelihood because of rising waters. A recent study found that 31 square miles of the islands have disappeared.
I've already missed out on visiting a pre-Katrina New Orleans. Do I need to hurry to see the Everglades or the coast of Kerala?
I'm hoping the answer is no. But as more stories about sinking islands and disappearing coastline creep up, so do my worries.
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