Adrift in the rising ocean of options

I am feeling overwhelmed as I set out on this self educational journey. In the face of so many options, I am going to attempt to focus on what I can realistically accomplish in the near future. In the background of my thoughts I will develop a big picture goal, and keep you posted as this image develops. Meanwhile, in the here and now...

Every day I see more images and read more articles and hear more anecdotes from the people I meet about what is happening to our global environment. Global warming, deforestation, air and water pollution - you've heard it all. The latest major threat I am told is that our oceans are becoming acidic at a very alarming rate. Without the massive and largely undiscovered diversity of life and ecological interaction in the oceans, we are a doomed planet. That's the simple story, one that is apparently far more dangerous than global warming. As I mentioned - too many issues to deal with on a daily basis. My mind overflows with imagined tragic outcomes. What am I to do today that will make any difference? I am inspired to point blame at "them." They messed everything up with their shortsighted ambitions. The thing is, we are them. I am them. I am just as responsible for this situation, so are you. We have to stop drawing lines between each other or some other or anyone else who happens to be riding on this rock, in this generation where the opportunity for change is the most important responsibility we will ever know.

Recently I heard that our founding fathers were inspired in some part by the native American nations when they drafted those precious documents that define who we are as these United States of America. One major point was apparently omitted, however; each representative not only spoke for his own contemporaries, but also for the next seven generations to come. Our actions today will have a major impact on the lives of our descendants. Why have we forgotten this? The why is not important now, leave it as fodder for philosophers after we have worked this thing out. Anyway, we feel the forgotten lesson already, as we see these massive changes that are well underway. Only two or three generations ago, our ancestors made choices without comprehending the repercussions. These consequences are the burden of our day, and we cannot put this on our children.

So what are you going to do? What am I going to do? I am going to think about every kilowatt of electricity I use. I am going to think about every drop of water I consume. I am going to think about every mile I drive. I am going to make the effort to live a conservation lifestyle. I will do this first before all other things so that when I am able to make those other, greater changes, the new habits I have established will foster an even bigger change. When I can put solar panels on my roof, I will already be using less electricity. When I start harvesting rainwater and grey water, I will already be using less fresh water. When the American auto industry finally accepts some real responsibility and gives me an ecologically sound option, I will use it with more efficient practice to even greater effect. Not to get off on a tangent here, but the idea that an industry average of 35mpg by 2020 is some sort of accomplishment is just absurd. It's not a solution, it's sticking one's head in the sand and hiding from the truth. We need to grow up.

We need to grow up in so many ways. These few habitual changes that I mentioned are the seeds of this growth. We should have been here long ago, before we lost the Ross Ice Shelf, before polar bears started cannibalizing each other and drowning where they used to walk. Before so many depressing realities had come to pass. But here we are. The onus is on you and I to do something now. If you feel powerless, you are not alone, but you are simply overlooking a few key facts about who you are and what you can do. Educate yourself and live without denial of what is happening all around you. Open your eyes, your heart, your mind, and make the change today.