A Heavy Footprint

This comment is spurred by something written a while ago at the ever excellent primordial blog. I was described there as someone "from the UK who seems to enjoy writing about the physics of football (soccer) goons breaking opponents kneecaps. That and lots of cricket analogies." Close enough, and I'll respond to his specific request later.

Usually that blog provides an entertaining original commentary upon the madness of the world from the perspective of someone who lives very far away from most of it. But one post there dropped in a casual observation about how some people tread lightly and some clomp loudly.

I'll just throw in my viewpoint - after all that's why this blog exists. I think that we should all tread lightly, we each have a duty to leave as light a footprint as possible.

But that was not a serious point about long-term global warming, neither was it a vague philosophical observation. It was a practical reflection on daily life in a noisy city. Those who clomp loudly, without a care in the world, are disturbing the neighbours, particularly if those neighbours happen to be in the apartment below. Treading lightly in the city also means not having our headphones spill tinny buzzing to those next to us on the train, it means not leaving litter and it means allowing other people space. We should aim for a light footprint from our cars too, not just with low emissions, but also by not letting the stereo or engine blast those we pass by.

So be quiet. Respect.