TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, TOO BAD

Today's the day after Christmas, and I've taken all the Santas off my tree; gone is everything made of plastic or a similar fake product; banished all made in China from the tree limbs. However, I've left "on" my natural ornaments and old Christmas glass balls my beloved grandmother bought at Oak Cliff's Cannon's Drugstore back in the 40s-50s. I did also add a few ornaments celebrating the great natural state of Texas.
The tree looks better than ever, and after everyone else in the family has forgotten it now that presents have been opened and put away, I enjoy it-bubble lights and all. My vintage Oak Cliff, Texas, tree from the 60s with pine cones, berries, and a personal collection of meaningful life symbols. (Sounding a little hippie, earth mother, I know. Can't help it.)
But, I can see why some people ponder and celebrate nature, the land, the good earth..its origin from God, its endurance through the ages, its promise for the future.
In winter, the outdoors sleeps under ice and snow hiding from the howling wind; and we humans stay inside by our fires to plan for the endeavors of spring-travel, outdoor exercise like paddling the lakes and sea, prosperity with food, fiber, forests, flowers... This humankind kind of ritual is deeply bred within our bodies and collective psyche - a key to our survival and joy in living.
New Years' winter break is a perfect time to think great thoughts about our nation's future and plan laws for the protection of the earth. If you love the open, undeveloped land of Texas-heck, if you care about the green space in your urban paradise, wake up to the fact we are living on top of the Barnett Shale. The USA needs our natural gas to solve an energy crisis, and while we North Texans are patriotic, giving, and desirous of prosperity-our homeland is at stake-not to mention our lungs and bodies which depend on clean air and pure drinking water.
Now is a classroom moment-time to grasp simple science or Boy Scout first aid: POISONOUS CHEMICALS SHOULD NOT GO IN THE GROUND BECAUSE THEY GET IN OUR DRINKING WATER. Though I learned that back in Rosemont Elementary in 1963, corporations tell us we don't understand. They say, "Trust us. We know what we're doing." (Though facts prove otherwise.)
Better to trust our common sense and trust the natural order at this point, don't you think? A stack of evidence proves drilling corporations have wrought damage neither we nor they can undo.
Oh, remember President Reagan...TRUST THEN VERIFY! Trouble is now I'm worried that the verification process will be too little, too late, too bad because the practice being "verified" is very ill-conceived for the great state of Texas-or any inhabited
place on God's green earth.

Postscript: I learned from TX Sharon that one half of Texas depends on groundwater/well water for drinking!