We Are Climate Change
On Monday, Nov. 30th over 140 nation’s leaders will sit in one room in Paris and determine the health future of ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.
Many of these (mostly) men are beholden to giant corporations. While I would love it if they just did the right thing because…well, because they should! Maybe they’d at least consider the financial down side of climate change. It appears that these giant corps can’t figure out that long-term profits require healthy consumers – sick people don’t shop or drive or generate income.
On Saturday the 28th of Nov. in Beijing, China, air pollution was 15 times the safe level and people were told to stay inside. I can guarantee that less money was spent and the economy was severely impacted. There are 21.5 million people in that city: that is a lot of money not to be spent Mr. Corporation Guys.
So what the hell is wrong with these corporation guys? Why aren’t they pushing our leaders for a serious plan to reduce greenhouse gases, to increase the development and installation of alternative energy sources, greater focus on population growth, and better public transit systems? Why?
Solutions are available.
By all reports there will be no serious action plan – just a commitment to “reduce greenhouse gases”. Seems pretty lame. So I guess WE have to do the heavy lifting here.
Here’s my list of to dos:
1 – Lift my voice: I’m going to write one letter that asks for: support of alternative energy sources, policies regarding population control education (hello 1968), and better public transportation (and whatever else comes to me) and I am going to send the same letter to my mayor, my state representatives, the State Senator and Congressperson, and to the President. It should take 20 to 30 minutes necessary to send them all via email. Maybe I’ll mail them just to support the US Post Office – it may add 20 more minutes but the cost of clean air and the beautiful stamps are worth it.
2 – Encourage voters – I have never missed an opportunity to vote. I’m going to vote for people who support these ideas. And I am going to tell everyone to vote as often as possible because we have become disenfranchised and we American Citizens need to step it up. If you live here in Calif. and have relatives/friends in other states – urge them to vote!
3 – Walk, ride, share, whenever it is possible. I truly do envy places like NY where anyone can walk to a subway and get where they need to be. It is way cool. Why can’t we have that in the Bay Area?
4 – Support increased use of organic ingredients and food – agriculture creates 50% of all pollution. Organic production methods sequester carbon in the soil, clean soil, air and water and reduce the numbers of unsafe chemicals on the planet. (Note: I have no problem with safe, renewable chemicals).
5 – Educate myself about packaging – I cringe every time I buy something packaged in plastic (which means all the time…). Hey you disrupter guys – disrupt the packaging industry!
It is on us – we need to push our so-called leaders and act in our own best interest. Act. Make your own list.
Save the planet. Look good doing it.
