We really only get one chance at this life and what we do will affect generations to come. There are a lot of things that my forefathers have done that I wish they’d done differently because now I feel as if I’m cleaning up their mess.
And if you were to ask me to be honest, I’d say, “I’m done! You suck at taking care of this planet.”
But then, after I was done venting, I would admit that the problem isn’t going to go away and that I have to do something to fix the problem.
Remember the commercial with the Indian who saw all the trash floating down the rivers and along the highways and the last clips were of a single tear coursing down his cheek? Did that impact you the way it did for me?
If so, then the commercial worked. And while it was a little bit of emotional blackmail, in this case I don’t mind.
Seriously folks, we get one chance with Mother Earth here and we have to take care of her. We have threats of global warming echoing across the news-waves every five minutes, and threats of radiation and radioactive weapons being created daily. There are the reports of polar ice-cap reductions, Antarctica glaciers melting. One species is now off the extinction list, but another one now will be no more.
This feels a little overwhelming, and yet, we can’t stop because we feel overwhelmed. Our ancestors didn’t have the knowledge we have. Using plastic bags and plastic rings to hold six-packs of beer and soda together sounded like a good idea in the lab but no one ever considered that wildlife might suffer because we needed convenience.
What do we do?
As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
How, exactly do we do this? Obviously many of the things that have been done were due to the sincere belief that it was good for the world…and it wasn’t. How do we know what we’re doing is good?
Start at home. Remember that sign from last summer at the National Park? It said, “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures.”
Can you do the same thing at home?
Maybe not. But we can try. Look at what is thrown away at your home. Can you reduce this? Can you reuse anything? Can you recycle what you can’t use? If so, do so.
Fix what needs fixing rather than throwing it away and buying something new. Eliminate clutter by giving away things you no longer use, but someone else can. Make your home look like a place you want to return to. It seems like common sense, and yet many of us leave our homes in a state of chaos and turmoil.
Is it any wonder we’re stressed and looking for a way out?
Photo Credit :
Mother Earth Dancing – Betty Newman-Maguire from William Murphy viaFlickr