People have been enjoying this week’s balmy weather. A local beekeeper reports that his bees have even been buzzing about in the sunshine. January temperatures in the 50s and 60s have us longing for spring and a chance to plant our gardens. But our enjoyment of the here-and-now can keep us from seeing the forest for the trees. We write off the high temperatures as part of the normal January thaw. However, forecasters have reported that this week’s mild temperatures are about 25 degrees above normal for this time of year. We are witnessing climate change in our own backyards.

And, speaking of trees, some have recently been clear-cut from property on Bare Hill Pond. The owners said they were unaware of Harvard’s rules, being accustomed to the “less stringent” regulations in their home state of North Carolina. Do we really need regulations to tell us there might be something wrong with cutting down the vegetation along a pond so we can improve our view of the water? This is not to single out these particular homeowners. People new to town shouldn’t be expected to instinctively know what a town’s regulations are. But it seems to us we should all be able to use more common sense when it comes to the environment. Trying to mold the world around us to suit our fancy is one of the things that has led to our environmental problems in the first place.

The environmental threats reported on the nightly news are not just “out there” in TV-land somewhere. They are here, now. Each one of us needs to reflect on how we impact the natural world with every action we take. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.