How about a break from pointing out problems? We get it- there are problems a plenty. What are some solutions putting aside all the barriers for a moment? What can be done by you and me?
Raise Awareness. A lack of knowledge, willful or otherwise, allows problems to not only linger but grow exponentially. That's what I hope I'm doing here. Few people are aware of all the things our two leading parties agree on; limitless spending on the military, keeping money IN politics, maintaining the American Empire and status quo. We need more political parties with different views, ideas and goals. Two similar parties is not enough for a country of 320+ million. None of us know as much as we think we know. There is so much more we don't know. That's the cool part, there is always so much more to learn! So be both a student and a teacher.
1. Climate change.
Plant stuff. Almost anyone can do this one. Plants / trees absorb co2. Make a garden in your yard. It's better than grass for the environment and you can get healthy food. People have created entire forests. I don't want to give a lecture on driving, consuming and throwing away less but yeah, these help as well. Don't vote for the batshit party of climate change denial. Vote for people who understand science. You also vote with your dollars! Pay close attention to what you buy and who you buy it from. This is the one thing that our corporate overlords understand- dollars. How you spend matters. It is not too late to start taking a more sustainable path. Just remember the longer we wait, the worse it will be.
2. Bug / ocean die off.
This one is related to number one. Buy less plastic crap that winds up in landfills and waterways. Grow a cool natural garden to reduce nasty chemicals in your life. By growing your own stuff, you can know more about what's in it. If you still have to have a yard, learn organic ways to make your grass and plants grow. Fertilizers find their way into waterways and kill bugs along the way. Further down, these chemicals wind up in streams, rivers and our oceans. Dead zones anyone?
Be proactive about how you vote both in elections and with your dollars.
3. On-going Mass Extinction Event.
It is never too late to start making better decisions about protecting habitats, pollution control and how we impact the climate. However, the longer we wait, the worse it will be. We are losing species at an astonishing rate. The causes are similar to 1 and 2. Overconsumption, the fiction of limitless growth and trashing the environment all play roles. We can all buy and use less, not take more than we need and pay closer attention to where and how we "throw stuff away." The hard part is changing attitudes.
They're no magic techno bullets or benevolent billionaires coming to save us. We need to change ourselves. This means consuming less, much less, reconnecting with the natural world (take your kids walking into the woods and camping) and a rediscovery of what's truly sacred- life's interdependence and interconnections.
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