Climate Corner: Slow down: Finding balance in a fast-paced world - Aspen Daily News

Climate Corner: Slow down: Finding balance in a fast-paced world | Opinion | aspendailynews.com

"Slow down, you move too fast. You got to make the morning last," the Simon & Garfunkel song ran through my head as I pedaled up Owl Creek hill. The peaceful melody was abruptly interrupted by an Audi whizzing past me at over 60 mph. I wondered why the driver was in such a hurry on the provincial route from Snowmass to Aspen. Were they rushing to get back into cell service range?

As I eventually caught up to and passed the Audi, now stuck in traffic, it hit me that we all need to examine our speed — including me. Imagine if everyone in our community just slowed down a bit. Not to stop enjoying life or feel deprived, but to pause and consider the pace of our constant rushing. Could slowing down make us more patient with each other and more aware of our impacts on the world?

This isn’t a new conversation, but it’s a crucial one. We all have "bucket lists" and value "doing" over "being" — having more, instead of finding balance. Even relaxation is sold to us as a package requiring money and travel to distant places to find something we might be missing. Almost every day, business news highlights the gross domestic product and other economic numbers, but who tracks the value of slowing down?

Recently, Singapore credited Taylor Swift for a 2.7% increase in GDP in the first quarter. Airlines saw a 25% passenger increase to European cities where she’s performing. The argument is that flying to Europe or Singapore and buying concert tickets is cheaper than seeing her in Los Angeles or Denver.

From a climate perspective, this is significant. It’s not just the airplanes — it’s the hotels, the driving, the swag and the energy used at every step. It feels like humanity is gorging on carbon at a time when our Earth can’t take it anymore. I admit, I’ve been guilty of this mindset myself. I’ve already flown to the West Coast and Costa Rica this year alone — something I’m not proud of. To deal with the guilt of my own hypocrisy, I’m currently preparing to ride my bike 300 miles from Salt Lake City to Idaho instead of flying. I hope this inspires others to find their own ways to balance their impact.

It’s all about balance. Humanity often values money over life — both humans and all living creatures. For millions of years, our world has had a carbon balance. Decomposing releases carbon and growth absorbs it. We won’t slow down to geological speeds, but maybe we could find a pace that values life over excessive carbon emissions. We can enjoy life without destroying it.

Maybe if the Audi driver slowed down, they would appreciate the groups of elk grazing in the distance and the perfect spring green leaves waking up to the morning sun.

As Paul Simon says, "Let the morning time drop all its petals on me. Life, I love you, all is groovy." Let's support, invest in and acknowledge climate solutions and maybe, just maybe, slow our roll a bit to decarbonize our planet.