Yesterday I read the article that by2050 the WWF suspects that the Earth will run out of many resources that provide our comfortable lives. And that we will need two planet Earth's to sustain our current way of living. Our means Americans and our way of living would need five planet Earth's if everyone in the world were to live as we do. This scares me.
I fear the repercussions of our actions today. And yet I don't know what to do. Oh, sure I recycle, reuse, reduce, by second hand, I finally turned the heat on yesterday which is a feat in this northern cold country, I try to remember to turn the water off when I brush my teeth, but how much does all that really help? I'm just one person and I know together we make a difference, but the real help would have to come in the form of new laws, stricter pollution limits, and lifestyle changes that Americans wouldn't like. Life wouldn't be so nice for everyone. One way in which I know I can help more is to drive less, but that seems difficult some days. It's cold here nine months out of the year and I work over a mile from work. That may not seem very far, but it adds up when it's twenty below zero without the windchill not to mention the fact that I would be very scared walking home alone in the dark around midnight.
So, when is our government going to enforce laws and rules that help our planet? Why can't anyone see that we have to do much more than we do now? Mandatory recycling, stricter pollution controls, better fuel efficiency in cars and that would also mean taking off the market things like Hummers and giant SUV's, alternative fuel sources such as solar energy, wind power, hell put a big wheel on a waterfall and watch it spin and collect some energy. We have had it too easy for too long and it's time to start caring. People don't know how much energy it takes to make their lives as comfortable as it is and it's time that they knew.
We are strip mining away our planet, killing plants and animal species by the hundreds, not just individual animals but entire species all in the name of comfort, ease, of convenience. I know I have too much stuff and I could deal with a little less of it in life. But what more can I do?
How can I help? I tried volunteering with the Democrats, but that wasn't satisfying my need to help. Any ideas?
2 comments:
The little things will eventually add up. Have you switched to compact flourescent lightbulbs? That makes a huge difference. Volunteer for an environmental place, I am going to when I get to Minnesota. I want to join Greenpeace. I have always wanted too, now I want to do more, I want drastic and they do drastic. The government needs to do more, Connecticut and California have teamed up for the environment, hopefully the rest of our country will follow their lead. It will happen, it just might be too late. But we can only hope and do the little things. One step at a time.
Oh, and writing this entry helps. It brings awareness, and awareness provokes change.
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