My Friend, Hernando

The earth is precious, like disco balls.

I learned a new word!

Bombogenesis. Sounds scary, right? When I looked at its root words, as we did on our SAT vocabulary tests, I thought it meant “bomb beginning.” Thankfully I’m wrong. Bombogenesis a meteorological term for a significant drop in atmospheric pressure.

  I came across this word when I was researching this winter’s biggest blizzard. Named Hernando by The Weather Channel, it dumped record amounts of snow on us – because of bombogenesis.

Not to get all meteorological but Hernando’s atmospheric pressure dropped by 40 millibars in twelve hours when a northern cold front collided with extremely warm, moist air from the south. That drop heightened the intensity of the storm.

A less weather-y way to describe Hernando is with the ABBA song “Fernando.” Feel free to sing along:

There was moisture in the air that night, the wind was high, Hernando. The pressure dropped; the snow didn’t stop, Hernando. Did we think it would ever end? We didn’t. So, we started shoveling, for liberty, Hernando.

I’ve taken some poetic license, but you get my snowdrift.

Why am I talking about Hernando now? “Take a Chance on Me,” and I’ll tell you.

Wait, do I want to put as many ABBA song titles as I can into this piece? Yes, I do, “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do.”

“Mamma Mia,” that storm was big! Was it just a typical blizzard, or was Hernando’s strength an “SOS,” warning us about warming seas and climate change? Have we met our “Waterloo”?

With Earth Day approaching, the idea that Hernando might be a climate change warning made me think about what we can be doing to reduce our carbon footprint.

Here I go again – how can I resist this topic? My very first column was about tube-free toilet paper. I’m continually looking for environmental products and habits because being eco-friendly is “The Name of the Game.”

  Mr. Hockey and I try to do our eco-best, but we don’t always succeed.

For instance, we use rags instead of paper towels. Well, I use rags. Mr. Hockey still uses paper towels. And I don’t complain to him. I’d rather passive-aggressively call him on it in my column.

Some eco-products are just mediocre. Our current bamboo cotton swabs are flimsy. Mr. Hockey uses them anyway. And he doesn’t even have his own column to passive-aggressively gripe. He’s such a “Super Trouper.”

There are some eco-habits we couldn’t comprehend. Our half-full, untouched composting bin is now a lawn sculpture. So, to reduce food waste, I’m planning to try a new food scrap drop-off program in East Hampton. I hope they’ll take our “Chiquitita” banana peels.

Primarily, our eco-changes are good but can’t solve every problem. Our non-toxic laundry sheets work for day-to-day clothes, but not on the hockey gear. To fight that battle, you’ll need to “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” a fully toxic detergent.

Are these individual acts making a difference? Honestly, finding ways to be greener is like grasping at paper straws.

We need more buy-in from our governments and institutions. Before the current administration, the Federal government was on the right track. I drive an electric car, and our roof has solar panels because we were able to use tax incentives.

Those tax incentives are gone. Last year’s so called Big Beautiful Bill – voted for by our U.S. Representative Nick LaLota – removed all the electric vehicle and solar panel “Money, Money, Money.”

Our former Congressman, Lee Zeldin, is now head of the Environmental Protection Agency, which recently overruled the legal finding that greenhouse gasses are a threat to the environment. This allows businesses to pollute again. Even worse, President Trump has offered a billion dollars to a French energy company to discontinue its offshore wind projects off North Carolina and New York.

These guys make any of our progress on climate change feel like it’s “Slipping Through My Fingers.”

There is good news. New York and 24 other states are suing to reverse the EPA’s pollution decision. Also, Trump was unable to thwart the South Fork Wind Farm, which powers 70,000 East End households. And in the U.S., electricity from renewable energy sources is up 11% from last year and provides about a quarter of this country’s energy.

Locally, the Town of East Hampton has pledged to have 100% of its energy consumption come from renewable resources by 2030. “I Have a Dream” they can get it done.

It’s not “The Winner Takes It All,” but I feel a tiny bit optimistic. First because our states and municipalities are moving to be greener despite the Feds. Also, I never thought I’d write the words “good news” and “President Trump” in the same vicinity.

You ask, “Honey, Honey,” what can we do to help? Thanks for calling me Honey, Honey!

States and municipalities must continue to enact and enforce green laws and policies. We need to vote like the planet depends on it. And we need to incorporate more eco-friendly habits and products into our lives.

I’ll start by finding better bamboo cotton swabs.

We should also give ourselves grace. “We’ve Only Just Begun” our green journey (Oops! That’s a Carpenters song). Not all our eco-changes will work, but we can’t stop trying.

  Speaking of giving grace, I really tried to get “Dancing Queen” into this essay but couldn’t.

Yet there’s no regret. If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Hernando.

Published in The East Hampton Press on April 2, 2026.

https://www.27east.com/east-hampton-press/opinion/columns/article_3f123c59-4523-4241-b94c-28e998afe3dc.html

Photo By Matthew Le June for Unsplash!