This is the Day

Today is Blog Action Day and all us bloggers are writing to encourage environmental action.

Many, maybe most, of us try to live 'greenish' these days. Recycle, share rides, buy green. But I suspect that all our efforts are little more than drops in a very big bucket.

As long as industries spew pollutants into our air, my choice to use pump spray rather an aerosol fabric starch is inconsequential.

As long as farm animals everywhere are being fed loads of antibiotics and growth hormones, shopping at the local farmers market is laudable but hardly meaningful.

We watch little girls (and boys) arrive at puberty at the tender age of 8 or 9 and wonder 'what on earth is causing that?' Universities mount studies. Industry groups mount defenses. The rest of us just get mounted.

I have little faith that we can avert disaster on a planetary scale. (Am I the only person on the planet who actually WATCHED 'Soylent Green'?) But we can try. Success will depend on whether we can grab the attention of corporate interests.

There's only one way to do that: Stop Buying.

No, I'm not kidding. I know you have to eat and your kid needs new sneakers. But think how many purchases you make that you really don't have to. You say Christmas is coming up? I say what better time to whack 'em in the pocketbook than to make a statement that a religious observance of great spiritual depth and solemnity really isn't a great time to fill up our homes with slutty dolls and violent games.

Let's set a starting date and a length of time. If we can make it across the holidays, all the better. And for that period of time, let's see how little we can buy. Eat basics. Wear what you wore last week. Do you really need another DVD? What about the library? I hear that is a big building just filled with books and DVDs and CDs and they let people use those things for free. Try walking to work. Or ride a bus. Your kids drive to school? Park the car for a week or two. They can use the exercise of walking to school.

You see, I really do believe that corporate interests are running our world. I would say for better or for worse, but I can't think of any possible 'better'. We can't vote them out of office. They don't care if we protest in the streets. Honestly, they don't care about anything, the climate included. Global warming? Woo Hoo -- air conditioners will sell like hotcakes!!

What business cares about is money. My money. Your money. If they don't get it, they starve. For one short period of time, let's try starving the beast into awareness. And when we start feeding it again, make sure we get the message across that we want better care taken of our dear Earth.

Who knows -- maybe they'll sit up and pay attention. It's worth a try.

In the meantime, hug a tree, feed a bird, water a flower, give your neighbor a ride. Maybe it'll become a habit.

Peace and Blessings on the Matriarch of us all -- Mother Earth