Yesterday I was walking down my street, and there with its engine running was an SUV. The smoke billowing from the tailpipe was so thick and acrid that I couldn't help but ask the man working on it whether it was on fire. No, he informed me, just a blown gasket. It appalled me to see all those noxious fumes being released into the air, but what could I do? I just hoped they got it fixed real quick!
Lately I've grown more and more convinced that our world must shift to clean, renewable energy or perish. And I've tried to live out that commitment in my own habits, but it isn't always easy. When I moved to my current home last year, I had big dreams for things like solar panels, a windmill, a geothermal heat pump, in-floor radiant heat, etc. But alas, due to cost or feasibility, none of those dreams came true. When I bought my car almost three years ago, I really wanted a hybrid, but couldn't afford it. Still, I try to conserve energy -- I keep my thermostats low and turn off the heat at night; I've switched to all CFL's in my light fixtures; and I walk, carpool, or take public transportation whenever possible.
How about you? Do you want to live a "greener" lifestyle, but find it too costly or difficult right now? Well, there is something you can do to help make clean energy an affordable, viable option for everybody, but it's going to take a concerted effort. Your local MoveOn council is hosting a free, open-to-the-public PowerUp campaign kickoff event this Sunday afternoon, March 29. This is our chance to meet likeminded folks and join forces; get involved in concrete ways to pressure our local, state, and national leaders to support clean energy initiatives; see which local candidates are already committed to this cause and pledge to support them; and enjoy a few munchies at the same time!
Please RSVP and show your support for this vital cause. And even if you can't make it Sunday but still want to help, just reply in a comment, and we will link you with a task force that will be working on specific projects.
One more way to help Mother Earth this weekend: participate in Earth Hour! It's simple -- just turn off your lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. tomorrow night. People will be doing that all over the world, and it's pretty spectacular. You might even invite your neighbors over for a candlelit Earth Hour party!
Show Mother Earth some love this weekend -- after all, look at everything she's given us!
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4 comments:
Thank you for getting me focused on our world, its needs and its beauty... Joseph
The Earth is our ship and there are no life boats. It is incumbant on all of us to do what we can to protect her. Even the small things like using a resuable bag and hanging your close out counts, particularly if everyone participates. Thank you for the great post!
We ended-up having a lovely two hours with candlelight in our house, just talking. Then again, we're the crazy ol' hippies who have been doing it for forty years. Slow and steady wins the race.
Glad to hear so many people in the area are taking the time to learn how to be better stewards of the planet we all share. There's definitely a beacon of hope unfolding here!
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