Megan YoungAs we begin 2020, I have a new found motivation to stop wanting to do something and worrying about the future and instead – just getting started and do one small thing at a time. I’m just like many who are worried about the irreversible and devastating consequences of our climate increasing in temperature and our window to do anything about it closing as companies and governments who have the short term vision of growth and profitability refuse to change for the good of all.
By now, we must all be aware of the consequences and no one can claim ignorance of the problem we face so as to conveniently ignore their own actions because it’s more convenient to do so. Just a few of the macro effects that are incredibly distressing to me… sea levels are rising creating unhealthy habitats for ocean ecosystems like our coral reefs and the marine life that depend on them. Polar ice caps which reflect sunlight and keep our planet cool are melting and projected to possibly completely melt to which they can’t return. More species of animals are becoming extinct – including the KOALA! and the GIRAFFE! where their natural habitat have been so decimated from deforestation that their numbers can not recover.
And yet, it seems very little coordinated global efforts are happening at all to reverse course and avoid our own mass extinction which we created and therefore CAN fix. The current US administration refuses to acknowledge our own destructive path. Why? Because a small number of people in powerful positions leading exploitative corporations profit greatly from the destruction of our natural resources as a cheaper method of doing business than building in the true cost to our environment. Or they frankly DGAF because they will be dead in the next decade or two.
For years, I’ve felt truly angry at the situation. But as time passed, I felt I could only do the little things… recycle, take public transportation, reduce my energy consumption. Then, the second climate report came out in the fall of 2019 where scientists estimated a mere 1.5 degree C change in temperature would already cause irreversible damage and our window of time to take action was much shorter. This was DEPRESSING. Can behavioral changes by consumers make that much of an impact when we aren’t changing emissions policies? What changes actually move the needle? Am I doing the most valuable things I can to help? I don’t think I am.
To add more insult to injury, China stopped accepting our recyclables which I learned was where MOST of our plastic used to be recycled. We would ship them across the ocean to China expending more fossil fuels to recycle only a fraction of the plastics. Many would end up illegally dumped or burned. But once they stopped accepting our low quality plastic, many facilities in the US don’t have the machinery to actually recycle them and therefore they are sent to the landfills where they will never decompose.
I hate the situation we are in. But I also want to do what I can to help us get out of it and so do many others. The movement has already started. The goal of this site is to research all we can to help us make educated choices on where we can put our time and effort into what leads to the greatest amount of impact. As I learn, I will post what I learn and how we can apply what we learn. Together, we can join in the mass movement toward regaining balance and giving nature an f*ing chance to recover.
Let’s start with small steps and do it together.
