"Tug on anything at all and you'll find it connected to everything else in the universe."
For educational purposes, Rhett & I would watch animal documentaries. I didn't want him viewing cartoons, so I decided he could watch the animals, learn the species, what they do, etc. Kids can easily be interested in the these types of creatures, with differing characteristics from ourselves.
I tell you this because it led me to watch hours and hours of other documentaries. The animal docs, lead me to Planet Earth, which lead me to environmental docs. The environmental docs, lead me to be proactive about our Earth in every which way. The environmental docs, lead me to corporate news, wars, food, health......the list goes on and on and on.
It has completely changed my outlook on so many levels. How I was trained as a physician, to the candy my children are not allowed to eat at Halloween or Easter. The foods that I buy, the foods that my family and I consume. The car that I drive, how I drive it. The conversations I have with my family. The clothes that I buy, the groceries that I shop for, looking at ingredients. I also put my money where my mouth is, and have even reviewed what stocks I have shares in, and consider selling them to benefit a "greener" corporation. And of course, my political style has changed, too.
I find it fascinating when the general question goes "what could you not live without?" so many would state God, my family, my friends. These are all indeed necessary. I too, couldn't psychologically function without them. What I'm really talking about, though, is our physical needs--true needs. Like clean oxygen to breath, clean water, and nutrious food. These are absolute necessities for survival and continuation life. I'm shocked (but not surprised and a bit frustrated) with the majority of the general population. There is such a wall or denial about climate change. I'm sick of the value that is placed on insignificant wants (e.g clothes, cars, accessories, etc).
Since when does money overcome morals, and doing what's right? Where is the integrity? It hit me when watching "The Corporation" someone said, since when is it wrong to take a gun and shoot somebody that's called murder, but polluting our environment, causing increased cancer rates, nature disasters, and death an excusable act? You're just slowing killing them, but in the end it's the same results. Thought provoking.....
As a child I was so patriotic about our country, and I still am in a different way. I recollect in the 1980's thinking the USA was the best place on Earth to live, what a fortunate nation we were, thought we could beat anyone in war, and I had so much pride in our country. It's the same realization one has as a child, when you believe you have the best Mom & Dad in the world, then you have a revelation and realize--they are only human and are not perfect parents. I responded to a friend's comment on Facebook about one of my post, and how my views on government had changed. Here's the blurb....
On a side note, I trust the USDA about as much as the FDA, or any other government entity. Sometimes that child-like faith returns to me, one who really believes that the US government/officials are protecting and watching out for its people, but then lobbyist, self-interest, and money get involved and it skews my view. Sad, I know, but that's my soap box. :)
All the trust that many have within the government, but take a closer look. Watch "Out of Balance" and "Enron:The Smartest Guys in the Room", you'll see. We believe the FDA, EPA, CDC, and USDA are all these entities that will protect it's citizens. Lest we forget the government allowed DEET to be exposed? And, there are many other wrong doings that have finally stopped or been turned right, after enough voiced concern and public demand. (e.g PCBs, DDT, agent orange, etc). And lest we forget the most recent shady woes with banks and financial institutions?
And wars, don't even get me started on. I commend and have the greatest gratitude for the solider's that protect us daily. I remember exactly what I was doing the day the Iraq war was announced. It was only a month before my wedding 8 years ago, and we were worried one of my husband's groomsmen would be deployed. I think about the loss, not only in deaths, but time not spent with families, recovering from severe grief or post traumatic stress, physical ailments, and how expensive wars are. The only reason I bring the Iraq war up is that I truly believe it all centers around the almighty black gold=oil. I realize oil has made us an economic powerhouse, and without it we would have never become the rich nation both in monetary, technology, economics, etc. However, my mind, heart, spirit, and soul are provoked to realize the real reasoning behind our war is oil. Watch "Iraq For Sale--The War Profiteers". Oh, and one more thing, theses are not just your typical Michael Moore documentaries.........these are interviews with the "right hand man" to the president, the "higher ups", the "inside man". That's what makes it even more provoking and captivating.
Climate change comes down to oil. I hate it when people (e.g. Boone Pickens) believe that natural gas is lesser of two evils. Seriously, it might be "cleaner" but it's still CO2 going up into our atmosphere and still causing climate change. Every time I think about buying an electric car, then the realistic side of me says "well, all that energy to charge the car, it has to come from an electric company that burns coal, so am I really doing any good"? I am very proactive about renewable energy like wind and solar. Yeah, it's expensive now, but so is $4.00/gallon gas. I can't even comprehend the cost of ruining an entire ecosystem. I remember in 1999 when gas was still 0.99-1.00/gallon. People freaked out because it increased to $2.00, then $2.50, then $3.00, $3.50, and now $4.00. How have we become acclimated and accepting to this type of inflation (especially in a little over a decade)?
I think about living in Duncan, OK, and hearing about "how good Halliburton has been to this community, how much it has given (financially)". I feel like David vs. Goliath. I get disheartened when I am surrounded in the community by big wig oil men, who's livelihood and salaries comes from oil production. To be honest, oil has been good to my family. The real question is, especially when it hits your own pocketbook, when does one get the gumption to realize that it's not so good for their future family. When does one have the foresight to see how could this ultimately effect my children, grand children, and great grand children.
Sometimes, I feel defeated, distrustful, pessimistic, and a lot of other negative feelings when I think of the US and worldly population. I hear such un-educated remarks, and the denial is difficult to comprehend or even try to understand. Where is the guilt, the conviction, the deep-seeded root in doing what's right, where is the true faith in human nature? I sometimes feel like it's lost in a world of material, our own insecurities, and money. It's as if people are disassociated with others, and live in a world where conception of oneself is placed on the value of the almighty dollar or how many wants can we satisfy? When I feel that I have lost my faith in humanity, then I come across this quote "You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty"--Ghandi. Everywhere, everything and everyone is impacted by global warming. What are YOU going to do about it? I cringe when I hear my husband or close friends say "do you really think one person (that being me) can make that big of a difference". Obviously, it's a cohorted effort that all citizens must participate in.
I even heard a pastor once say "I'm not worried about global warming, the only warming I'm worried about is being down there where it's hot in hell or being up in heaven". Seriously?!?! I'm not even going to bring religion into the matter. It's like the biblical verse states about ones own body, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.” ~ 1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 I take this verse as honor your body, in what you wear, how you look, how you use it, and don't go out eating McDonald's all day only to get fat and have a heart attack, but stay healthy. Same with our Earth right? Realize that this was given to us by God, and yes, we have better place to go thereafter (I'm going!), so maybe it doesn't matter, but maybe it does. Does this give us an excuse to ruin Earth? Is God possibly showing us what great failures we are as human's on this Earth without him? Either way, my religious concerns are addressed at the end of a previous blog. It gets down to the heart of the matter.
I've concluded in my life, that I, just one person, one consumer, one voter, one stockholder, one mother, one physician, am a force. A force for education, through my blog, social network, friends, family, co-workers, patients, etc. I love the quote, "thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become characters, and character becomes your destiny"--author unknown.
This is MY blog and MY opinions about daily decisions that I and/or anyone can make to become more educated, enlightened, sustainable, and help slow/stop climate change. This is me pronouncing that I am a conservative conservationist, or better yet, (just say it.......) an environmentalist, tree hugger, to my core because I care about Earth, the creatures, and humans all alike. No, I am not a quack, just enlightened and educated. It is my passion.
"Be the change you want to see in the world"--Ghandi
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