I am asking for a gift from everyone I know, it is not a gift from a store, it is nothing you can buy. What I am asking for is for everyone I know, every friend, family member, neighbor and everyone who reads this, to help save my children and grandchildren. From those who are already working hard I am gratefully asking for even more.
Here is the beginning of the article from the Washington Post that inspired my own gift this year; "Climate researchers now predict the planet will warm by 6.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century even if the world's leaders fulfill their most ambitious climate pledges, a much faster and broader scale of change than forecast just two years ago, according to a report released by the United Nations Environment Program." (11-25-09) This might be one of the darker predictions but even if you don't fully trust these facts, a small percentage of a chance of this happening is too high of a risk. I personally put seat belts on my children every time we get in the car even though the chance of being in a accident it much lower. This means we have no cushion of time to act and all of our actions must be much bolder than we have as countries, communities and individuals have committed to so far. Now is our time to take our power and defend our future. The facts are scary and I will not go into them, except to say this is a future we do not want to go to. Weaning ourselves from oil and coal needs to become our primary focus. Nuclear is too dangerous to be a real alternative and until truly renewable energy in found this mean we need to safely power down. We need to step up our actions, recycling a few cans is not going to fix it, we need more.
This is as if we have gone to the Doctor and she has told us we have a terminal illness and unless we change our diet and life style drastically we have a very high chance of dieing young. We have a choice, we can become depressed and not even try, we can ignore the Dr.'s advice and keep sitting around eating junk food and then every now and then take a bit of broccoli, or we can really change our diet and get more exercise, not easy, but doable and in the long run more enjoyable. The big difference is that it is not just our own lives we are talking about but that of our children and grandchildren. It is also something we can not do alone. It does not matter what I do if others do not change also and if we allow corporations and governments to go on with business as usual. We must all work and change together.
We need not think of this as a sacrifice because really we can make our community better as we do this. We can have fun, have better connections with our families and neighbors, better health, and more beauty around us.
For my best friends wedding gift I decided not to fly to her wedding in Florida but to give and her future children the gift of working my hardest to save this beautiful planet and all of our grand children. For my own children's gift I have recommitted myself to spreading the word on why we need to change, how now is the time, and changing myself.
I recently heard an essay about Hope, in which it was said that hope is for things we do not have power over. On my way home in the evening I do not "hope" I will make dinner. I say "I am going to go home and make dinner." Scientists agree that Global Climate change is happening and is caused mostly by human activity, that means we can influence it, we have power. We do not need to "hope" that we stop climate change. We can simply say "we will stop climate change."
So again what am I really asking for, for Christmas? That you talk to everyone you know about global warming and how we can slow it. If you have not already joined in the efforts, research what needs to be done and join others that are already working. Demand from our politicians much higher carbon emissions standards and energy efficiency standards. Demand we take away corporate "person hood." Help take back our food system, get out of your car, don't buy stuff, buy local. Hold businesses accountable. Hold each other accountable. Hold me accountable. Support each other, take care of what we have, repair, reuse, relearn...... Let the momma and papa bear that is inside of you out and do whatever you can to protect the future of all of our children...... Blessings and may you enjoy all the gifts you have today.
http://permaculture.tv/wak
http://www.youtube.com/wat
http://www.washingtonpost.
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