Blog Action Day 2009
To be honest...
15/10/09 21:38 Filed in: Climate
Change
To be honest, there isn't a single day I don't think
about it. It's almost like I'm obsessed. Going to
work, I think about it. Sitting at work, I find
myself thinking about it. Planning vacations
necessarily brings up thoughts about it. And sitting
at home in the evening, reading makes me think about
it as well.
When I first learned that we would have a baby soon, I couldn't help but think about it, and it suddenly takes on a whole new relevance. In 50 years' time, when my children ask me about this critical time, ask me why I didn't do more than I'm doing, I won't have an answer for them. I could find excuses, say it wasn't up to me, or I did all I could, but it won't help the fact that I have to explain to them what Spring felt like. That, when I was a child, we could see the leaves turn before the first snow fell. That there were two seasons - almost half a year - when the temperatures were bearable.
I read about it, maybe too much, because most reading about it makes me depressed. The news isn't very good. People aren't getting off their asses and changing their habits. Mostly, we all pretend nothing is going on. Snow in October, we suck it up and get in the car on our way to the traffic jam and then work. Turn up the heating. The bill will come later.
But then, there are shimmers of hope as well. Like going to a meeting of environmental groups, seeing other like-minded people, and seeing the light in their eyes when you tell them about Earthships, about another life possible. Seeing people who spent all of their spare time creating eco villages, lobbying politicians. Listening to podcasts about environmental issues talking about what the new guy in the White House is doing for the environment. Trying to undo 8 years of disastrous legislation, make the ocean an ecosystem again, attempt to convince people that this is important, dammit. And suddenly, the Chinese talk about cuts. And the Japanese. India is talking renewables. Not enough, mind you, but this is lightyears from what the situation was like only a year ago. Enough for hope, anyways.
Enough hope to keep me going. Enough to make me think that maybe, 50 years from now, I don't have to defend my generation and find excuses why we didn't do more.
To be honest, there isn't a single day I don't think about Climate Change.
www.blogactionday.org
When I first learned that we would have a baby soon, I couldn't help but think about it, and it suddenly takes on a whole new relevance. In 50 years' time, when my children ask me about this critical time, ask me why I didn't do more than I'm doing, I won't have an answer for them. I could find excuses, say it wasn't up to me, or I did all I could, but it won't help the fact that I have to explain to them what Spring felt like. That, when I was a child, we could see the leaves turn before the first snow fell. That there were two seasons - almost half a year - when the temperatures were bearable.
I read about it, maybe too much, because most reading about it makes me depressed. The news isn't very good. People aren't getting off their asses and changing their habits. Mostly, we all pretend nothing is going on. Snow in October, we suck it up and get in the car on our way to the traffic jam and then work. Turn up the heating. The bill will come later.
But then, there are shimmers of hope as well. Like going to a meeting of environmental groups, seeing other like-minded people, and seeing the light in their eyes when you tell them about Earthships, about another life possible. Seeing people who spent all of their spare time creating eco villages, lobbying politicians. Listening to podcasts about environmental issues talking about what the new guy in the White House is doing for the environment. Trying to undo 8 years of disastrous legislation, make the ocean an ecosystem again, attempt to convince people that this is important, dammit. And suddenly, the Chinese talk about cuts. And the Japanese. India is talking renewables. Not enough, mind you, but this is lightyears from what the situation was like only a year ago. Enough for hope, anyways.
Enough hope to keep me going. Enough to make me think that maybe, 50 years from now, I don't have to defend my generation and find excuses why we didn't do more.
To be honest, there isn't a single day I don't think about Climate Change.
www.blogactionday.org
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