It is often difficult to judge how our actions and their impact on the environment are likely to affect others. What is clear is that we are the only species with the power to destroy the earth. Birds and insects have no such power, nor does any other mammal. And yet if we have the capacity to destroy the earth, we also have the capacity to protect it. I believe we have an urgent responsibility to do so. – Dalai Lama
I read a post this morning on the Dalai Lama’s Facebook page that really had me thinking. First, I thought, does the Dalai Lama really write his own tweets and status updates on Facebook? Then after a few minutes of pondering where the message was from I came to the conclusion…I don’t care who wrote this, it makes perfect sense and is a message I want to share with my boys.
With that being said, I want to be responsible for my carbon footprint as well as these two young men who I will set free into our world in a few years. To me, there is an urgent need to be forward thinking. I am concerned at the state of our economy, the wars that are being fought around the world, but mostly I am concerned with overpopulation and the destruction of our natural surroundings.
You would think with knowledge being so free in today’s world, there would be more action and less talk. How many of you have seen the article by USA Today about the 13 species that may be gone by the end of 2015? There are some of the most amazing animals to ever roam the earth threatened because as humans, we can’t come together. One insect that is threatened that may change the world with their absence is the honey bee. I fear the world without honey bees; I fear the decline in our food that was once thought sustainable. I fear that people will rely too heavily on science to replace the loss instead of stopping the loss. While I do not claim to be an expert on saving the bees, I believe that I can make an impact and so can my boys.
The last few months I have been organizing myself to create less waste. I have been up-cycling old coffee canisters to store bulk goods and we have been recycling our dryer lint and toilet paper rolls to make fire starters (ask my mom how well they work). Those are just a few of the projects we have done so far. I plan to research which stores in the area will allow me to bring my own containers. It will be a slow change I am sure, but if I can at least start with these little things we will be on the right track. I have made a pact with the boys that as we eat the last of the processed foods in the house, we will only be bringing in the good. The only thing I am concerned with is purchasing meat, I still have not figured out how to transport that without packaging. I will dive more into this topic again as I learn where and what to look for.
With that being said, I want to be responsible for my carbon footprint as well as these two young men who I will set free into our world in a few years. To me, there is an urgent need to be forward thinking. I am concerned at the state of our economy, the wars that are being fought around the world, but mostly I am concerned with overpopulation and the destruction of our natural surroundings.
You would think with knowledge being so free in today’s world, there would be more action and less talk. How many of you have seen the article by USA Today about the 13 species that may be gone by the end of 2015? There are some of the most amazing animals to ever roam the earth threatened because as humans, we can’t come together. One insect that is threatened that may change the world with their absence is the honey bee. I fear the world without honey bees; I fear the decline in our food that was once thought sustainable. I fear that people will rely too heavily on science to replace the loss instead of stopping the loss. While I do not claim to be an expert on saving the bees, I believe that I can make an impact and so can my boys.
The last few months I have been organizing myself to create less waste. I have been up-cycling old coffee canisters to store bulk goods and we have been recycling our dryer lint and toilet paper rolls to make fire starters (ask my mom how well they work). Those are just a few of the projects we have done so far. I plan to research which stores in the area will allow me to bring my own containers. It will be a slow change I am sure, but if I can at least start with these little things we will be on the right track. I have made a pact with the boys that as we eat the last of the processed foods in the house, we will only be bringing in the good. The only thing I am concerned with is purchasing meat, I still have not figured out how to transport that without packaging. I will dive more into this topic again as I learn where and what to look for.