Change

Yes, I’m one of those people. I’m one of those that are concerned about the planet warming and the extreme weather we are experiencing. I am also concerned about the rise in cancer rates, diabetes, obesity, and our overall health.

I do think about a lot of things but try to concentrate on how I can do my part to improve our world. I envision and pray for a better tomorrow and believe the root cause of all these problems to be fairly straight forward and correctable. First, you need to accept that these issues are all connected and started, at least here in America, as soon as we landed in the new colonies and begin to “modernize” the new land.

Growth and progress is in our blood and has been the American way for over four hundred years. My own ancestor, Captain Edward Maria Wingfield, was the first President of Jamestown, VA in 1607, so it is safe to say that my family has been here for awhile. Jamestown was the first English settlement in the Americas and from the moment the ship “Susan Constant” landed we began working tirelessly to do our part to help build this land.

Getting people to change is very difficult. Even getting people to agree we need to change or agree on anything seems to be nearly impossible. Many people in our country refuse to accept global warming is occurring and are comfortable in their own little world. They don’t see anything wrong to begin with much less a need for change.

The subject of global warming and environmental impact by industry is polarizing here in America as some people claim there is no climate change or rise in carbon dioxide levels despite compelling scientific proof. Others do agree that global warming is occurring but claim this is just a normal cycle we are going through and that it is not being caused by mankind.

Our own President stated “We should be focused on magnificently clean and healthy air and not distracted by the expensive hoax that is global warming”. He has maintained that rhetoric and has been quoted dozens of times with similar comments.

But in the face of such proof that we are polluting our planet in historic levels many people claim “it doesn’t exist” or even if they know and understand it continue to live their lives just as they always have. Regardless of whether the seas are rising or what the “data” says, can’t we at least agree that we need to control pollution and cut down on waste?

My wife and I fill up a seventy-gallon trash can each week with plastic and paper products and drop at our curb to be “recycled”. We know this is bad but yet each week we buy a shopping cart full of items either made of or contained by plastic. After we check out and pay for these items we place them in plastic grocery bags that we load into our large Ford truck to drive home. It’s wrong and unsustainable but yet we do it every week just like millions of others all across the world.

Change is difficult.

We need to change. We know it and understand we are putting our children and grand children’s lives at stake. But how do we get started? What can we do today to make a difference?