I have always had a love for nature – I love being outdoors and watching the birds fly over my head or listening to the sound the trees make in a gentle breeze. I love the way the suns rays glisten and reflect on the water and I love walking and listening to the various sounds of wildlife when hiking on a trail. There is nothing more serene and relaxing than going back to nature and showing gratitude for the beauty our planet provides.
I have always felt that I didn’t belong to the city – I feel like it is a concrete prison that I desperately continue to escape. It is too busy, polluted, hectic and it fills me with anxiety, fear and ager. I believe that the concrete jungle I live in is slowly killing me. But why am I still living in the same concrete jungle that I feel is responsible for my slow demise? There are many reasons – and maybe those reasons are my excuse to hide behind my fear. Can I give everything up and start fresh and live the way I want to live – nurturing our planet? Yes, I can but I want to do it right.
Our governments seem to be too greedy to forge ahead and commit to a more sustainable planet – what is holding them back? Why are they not making the decisions or those giant leaps to begin – Imagine a government body making a radical decision or policy that would curb climate change? Imagine a government that would reward and encourage its citizens to contribute to this radical change? Instead of SUV’s – they would actually require the automobile industry to make electric cars. Instead of depending on fossil fuels – we can rely on solar and wind power. Can you believe I am calling these solutions radical? What can be worse?
There was a time that I didn’t care about what impact my choices were making on our environment, I didn’t care. I was more concerned in making my life more convenient and efficient without understanding the implications of those choices. Not anymore! I have seen the horrible destruction our ‘throw away society’ is causing to our planet, to wildlife and to ourselves and it is heart-breaking!
If we continue to abuse our planet and it’s resources the way we are – what kind of planet will we be leaving for future generations? Will they have to wear masks to prevent them from our poisonous air? Will there be accessibility to fresh water to sustain us? Will we have enough food for the ever-increasing population? Will future generations look to some species of animals as we look at dinosaurs? Is convenience and the need to have everything more important than creating a world a healthy and vibrant planet?
Are you doing enough to help the planet? For those of you with children – do you think about the kind of world your children (and their children) will live in? What can we do? Here are some suggestions:
Know and understand what kind of impact your everyday decisions is contributing to our environment
Most of us don’t even understand how our everyday decisions impact our environment. I suggest visiting a local landfill and witnessing first-hand the devastation of what our ‘throw away’ society has created. Go to local park or your harbour front area and witness how people just throw their garbage anywhere they can.
Ask your government to be environmentally responsible
Contact your Member of Parliament and ensure they understand the environmental issues are your top priority and it should be theirs too. Ask them to support companies that are committed to renewable energy instead of supporting those companies that want to continue to drill for oil in very sensitive parts of the world – we don’t want to contribute to anymore environmental catastrophe’s. The impact of the Exxon and BP oil spills will have long-lasting negative environmental, health and financial impact for generations.
Find different ways reduce your carbon footprint
Are you buying 5 cups of coffee everyday? Do you live close enough to work to walk or ride a bike? Can you buy food locally and support local farmers? Are you running your water when you shave or brush your teeth?
I used to do many of these things – but I have a new appreciation for all of our conveniences. I have water that is accessible (for now) when some people around the world have none. I have food available to me whenever I am hungry – while hundreds of thousands are starving daily. Many friends have the mentality or notion – that these issues are too big to make any difference, so they don’t even try. I know what is happening, and there is no-way that I will never ‘not try’. I will try to make an impact everyday for as long as I live. This is what is required of me and it should be what is required of all of us. The solutions are there, we just have to demand them! If we can put man on the moon or create nuclear weapons that can annihilate us all – why can’t we create the things that can ensure our survival and our planets survival?
I ask you all to notice the things that you are doing and make the necessary changes to ensure our planets survival! If not for you – for your children. Let us do something radical – LET’S WAKE UP!!!
“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi
Together, we can make the world a more positive one!
COALITION OF POSITIVE ENERGY 