One Seed at a Time
The climate summit in Glasgow is a very big deal. The world has many problems, but nothing needs more attention more global warming. Scientists predicted the crisis we are experiencing years ago when the public wasn’t willing to listen. In the 1070s, oil and coal companies knew of the way their industries contributed to greenhouse gasses but chose to bury their research. Marketers led us to believe that an economy based on oil, gas, and coal was the way to progress despite its devastating effect on the environment. Now we are suffering.
Wildlife is dying in record numbers, desertification takes over huge swaths of land, and rivers and groundwater are running dry. The march of economic migrants is picking up speed, creating an international crisis. No country knows what to do with millions of homeless people on their borders.
Despite dire predictions for the future, I am more hopeful than I’ve been in a long time. People are finally paying attention and realizing that something has to be done. That global warming is human-induced is no longer in question. That our children and grandchildren will suffer, is a fact. They will not be living as carefree a life as we did.
We have no choice but to stop procrastinating and change our mindset. Though I don’t want to change my ways any more than you do, there is no choice. We contributed to the diseased earth, and now we have to give it medicine. There is much that is easy to do.
1) Try planet-friendly plant food and reduce the amount of meat in your diet. It will improve your health, lower cholesterol, and reduce the number of methane farting cows. Meat and dear products account for more than half of food’s carbon footprint. Be mindful.
2) Reduce water consumption. Replace gardens with drought-tolerant plants. Put washing machines on cool rather than hot cycles and take shorter showers.
3) Use a fuel-efficient vehicle. Combine trips to the store and office so you only make one a day. Carpool to work if possible.
4) Make your home energy efficient. Do you really need two refrigerators? Are your light bulbs LEDs? Do you have a smart thermostat to regulate your home’s temperature? Are your windows double-paned?
5) Insist congressional representatives put more money into researching alternative energy sources. The batteries take energy to manufacture and materials used in the process pollute the environment. We need better ways to make batteries and store electricity.
6) Shop less, save more. Rather than have manufactured goods you discard because of quality, purchase items that will last a lifetime. Get rid of disposable, single-use products and use reusables instead. Keep those cloth shopping bags handy. Bring a travel mug to your favorite coffee spot.
7) Reduce pollution in streams and rivers. Purifying water accounts for three percent of global warming. Stop manufacturers from dumping chemicals and logging companies from cutting trees near streams. Design parking lots so the oils don’t drain into groundwater when it rains. And by all means-stop using plastics. They don’t decompose, fill landfills, and kill sea life. Passenger and cargo ships are major contributors to climate change pollution. Ask congress to make and enforce stricter laws requiring them to be more energy-efficient and not dump refuse in the ocean.
8) Reduce the population. There are more people than the earth can support. Those against abortion and birth control add to the problem by allowing more babies to exist that will live in poverty. People crowded in cities struggling for survival are like rats in a cage. They fight for turf and steal and kill to obtain resources.
9) Be a change agent. Let others know what you’re doing. and become politically active. Work to pull down dams in your area. Not only do they replace homes and farmland people have lived on for generations, but they eliminate nature’s way of purifying water, kill fish runs, and destroy food-producing properties that were economically viable.
For a more complete discussion and for other tips on how to reduce your carbon impact, download the following guide.
Gao, R. (2021) The Good Guide to Reducing Your Carbon Impact. Goodside retrieved from https://www.joingoodside.com/guides/reduce-carbon-emissions?gclid=Cj0KCQjwt-6LBhDlARIsAIPRQcJWS5p_kbrrcSyaJpjqN_YP8p0hQ_5K3eFo5eyXNAbM7RQ-e9YL8mwaAheyEALw_wcB
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Art is always for sale. One Seed at a Time Mixed media, acrylic base onboard / gold frame / 44″ by 48″ / $1,700. For information about delivery contact marilynne@eichingerfineart.com.
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