The Audit

        The Audit is a short story by Rachel May that details a possible future in consequence to what humans have done to the Earth. It specifically deals with the over consumption of products that humans are addicted to as well as the over consumption of fuel in the means of energy. This is a large point because many people do not understand that their energy comes at a larger price than the monetary value. Burning coal and natural gases have costed our environment irreparable damage.
      Though this short story seems to be taking place in a futuristic society, it really could just be looked at as an alternate reality. The problems we are facing are already large enough that we need some serious intervention such as this. The government forces management through a Global Climate Audit that takes the family by surprise.
      The author follows the father of the family around on his journey to cheat the system. The father, Bill, finds a man who lives off the “grid” and supposedly has a low enough carbon footprint that might be able to make up for his excessive one.

       A piece of dialogue near the end of The Audit that I found quite profound:

“Exactly. So you’ll start figuring out what you need-good bus service, wind farms, bike highways, zoning that allows you to keep chickens and grow vegetables instead of lawns…”

“Tell me about it. We’re not even allowed to hang out laundry out to dry.”

“And once there are enough of you,” Goodwin concluded, “you’ll change the whole geography of your lives.”

       If this were to truly happen there would be no squandered hope and progress would be made in the right direction. Especially when we see, at the individual level, a man changed so drastically by a new perspective and a little mountain air.