Blog Action Day: Climate Change

Reading a few blogs as I do most evenings before I settle in for my serious reading, I came across a blog saying this is "Blog Action Day, Climate Change." I have not logged into some master website but it seems an easy enough call to action. Unlike the blog that I read, I do not believe that I can personally make much difference with the few small things I can do. I will do them anyway because I think not doing them is self-indulgent and dumb. I will recycle what I can, I will walk when I can instead of using gas to drive, I will not buy bottled water because I think it's a stupid waste of my money and encouragement of a needless exploitation plus use of plastic. Be frugal and aware of the environmental impact, at the same time not believing all the crazies who would have us feeling guilty about nearly everything we do.

Climate change came about because of mass beliefs, because of the way human greed ignores the natural world. This is why the forests are still being cut down, why many industries continue to pollute our water and air, many manufacturers continue to overpackage causing vast waste, why agriculture ignores the health of the land and of the animals that are raised in order to get fast {and vast] profits -- these are not things that aware individuals can change although we do not have to eat factory raised chicken or beef, or purchased endangered food fish. These are small things; they could become large things if enough people were education about them and took action.

We can talk to friends and families and neighbore who do not realize climate change is real. When glaciers all over the world are disappearing, when the tundra is melting, when square miles of ice shelf break off near the poles, something is happening to the climate. It's not a matter of a random drought, a summer of heat waves, a winter of blizzards; it's a matter of change everywhere in the world. The world is a vast interlocked organism -- yes the whole thing! We are but tiny parts of it; don't assume you understand it with your bare minimum education -- and how much attention did you pay? -- and your narrow life experience, no matter how old you are. It's bigger than you are and big things are happening -- always have been happening. We've caused some of them, maybe we can reverse some of them. Yes, recycle that newspaper and don't buy those styrofoam cups, that's your token, forego the SUV and don't run the dishwasher after every meal. Look at the big picture as best you can. Teach your kids to do the same. Be aware and look around and see a magnificent world and treasure it. In short don't be complacent, give a damn.