Friday, July 1, 2022

The Blue Dot

 For Friday this week I share an old familiar (to me) narrative by Carl Sagan.


When I couldn't sleep one night, I started thinking of how the problems of the world could be solved. Yes I know, I thought of how we had so many first! And I put all the governments and national interests into a web, like a spider web which existed out in space...they had connections, systems, and faults...but they were separate from real people going about their daily existence. Sure the problems of Civil Rights for women and people of color are important...but...

Then I recognized the only real problem we need to solve is climate change. We need a healthy earth upon which to live, because there isn't a Planet B.

So I'm sneakily going to be bringing that up when folks talk about various political issues. And where does she stand on environmental issues? Does she have a detailed platform to address local environmental problems? Why not?

 Are any of you reading about any group efforts to clean up something? How does your conversation go when considering the climate crisis? Do you have interests in one area or another and read about what is possible? Like plastic reduction and recycling, or clean waterways, or vegans and animal cruelty...and so forth. I'm not talking about each person solving the big issues, but just what each of us can do. Just curious...

If I asked you what was the very last thing you did that was ecologically conscious, what would it be? Maybe just putting out the recycling (like I just did). Or opening the windows so there's no need to use electricity to air condition and increase the release of carbon to the atmosphere.

How about you?

Have a great weekend everyone!

17 comments:

  1. Climate change is huge; the future for my grands scares me.

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    1. I wrote this before our latest SCOTUS decision - so I wasn't yet aware our Environmental Protection Agency has just been told they can't be the experts when utility businesses pollute.

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  2. Hello,
    I like to think my hubby and try to do our part, we recycle, clean up trash and reduce our energy use. Take care, enjoy your day! Have a happy 4th of July weekend.

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    1. Excellent to hear your efforts. Thanks for describing some of them!

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  3. ...we will not need to go to hell to fry. It will happen right here on earth.

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  4. When the Supreme Court ruled against the EPA to control carbon emissions yesterday my fear for the health of our planet rose sky-high. Climate change is a true threat, but business interests seems to be more important these days. We recycle, compost, don't need air conditioning, and hardly ever drive.

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    1. Glad to know your efforts on environmental issues. I had written this post a few days before SPOTUS did their awful decision against the EPA...the agency that congress had given the go ahead to finally try to get our pollution to diminish! Needless to say I'm full of rants about it this morning!

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    2. Oops, calling SCOTUS a Spout of SPOTUS, my error.

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  5. The SCOTUS is in the pocket of Big Business and Big Religion, Climate concerns don't matter if they get in the way of profit. I weep for our country and its future. Meanwhile, we don't have air conditioning, do recycle, and I drive very little--making each necessary trip serve multiple purposes, Also, our land includes about 90 acres of trees--all doing their bit to offset the methane produced by our small herd of cattle.

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    1. Excellent information as to how you all are combatting climate change! Thanks. You've hit the nail on the head about power in the USA...all politicians and legal decisions seem to be in the pockets of big business. That leaves the executive branch of the government...to sink or swim!

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  6. Last thing I did: used a paper straw? Does that count? Put the plastic bread bag into my collection of other plastic bags to take back to be recycled. Putting compostable waste in my compost bin. Turning off the lights. I know there's so much more that we all can be doing. I just wish it was easier and we didn't have to rely so much on oil products - plastic on the top of that list.

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  7. It is absolutely crucial and yet I despair at the lack of real action by our governments. I wrote to my MP (UK) about it and his view was that it wasn't worth doing anything when there are worse polluters! I have, however, been somewhat encouraged by the Earthshot initiative, spearheaded by HRH Prince William and Sir David Attenborough, looking for solutions that can be grown and spread across the world. Google 'Earthshot prize' for info.

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    1. Oh how interesting to read about the Earthshot Initiative, and the areas in which millions of pounds are distributed to winners! I will have to look further as to what those winner actually accomplished!

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  8. I have been meaning to reply to your comment on my blog and now I can do this here. There are days when I think we are doomed and then I get so mad because the solutions are all there and have been for so many years. I can get mad at whatever government, policy, fossil fuel lobby group etc. I choose. It gets me nowhere. But I also believe that there is a powerful role consumers can play in mitigating climate change, or in other words: reducing CO2 emissions.

    We live in a modest end-of-terrace house with a medium sized garden in a busy suburb of a university city in Germany, where we use our bicycles for all transport means, we still have a car for emergencies but rarely need to use it. We also use the bicycles for day trips and even for longer holidays often combined with a train trip although covid has restricted us to the local area in the last couple of years. We only do air travel for family reasons - we live all over the planet - and when we do, we use a carbon offset program to soothe the bad conscience.
    Years ago we fitted photovoltaic panels on the roof and a small solar energy storage battery in the basement and there is rarely a day regardless of season when we have not enough energy for all our electricity needs and the hot water tank. Most days, we can feed a surplus into the grid.
    Last year we replaced the oil-fired heating system with a wood pellet heating system and we can source the pellets locally from sawmills. That was huge step but manageable thanks to a state co-financing scheme.
    We collect the rainwater from our roof into a large tank underneath the lawn. We use it for the washing machine (it runs through a filter) and also to fill the toilet flush cisterns.
    Next plan is to get rid of the car and join a local car sharing group which operates with a small fleet of electric cars.
    In the garden, we have replaced plants that do not attract insects with those that feed bees and butterflies, step by step, we are replacing the lawn with a meadow and have set up thick hedges instead of fencing to provide nesting spaces for different birds. I am lucky that the man I have been married to for the last 40 years is a keen gardener, which means we have plenty of organic fruit and veg and excellent compost.
    In the last couple of years, I have reduced and now almost completely stopped eating meat. According to the latest report by the IPCC (the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), the measure with the greatest emission savings potential for individuals is the switch to a diet based predominantly on plants.
    I also try to cut down on plastic containers and have been working my way through the various non-plastic packaged household cleaner, cosmetic, shampoo and toothpaste etc, options.
    My daughter is at me to have at least one vegan day a week and I think I am getting there, but I just love my milky tea so much.
    Sorry this is maybe too long but where to stop?

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    1. Thanks for all these details, may I share them in a post? That's because I don't think people tend to read other people's comments that much. This is so excellent, and a great example to all the rest of us. Me too, struggling to be vegetarian. Yogurt does come in different kind of milk, and I'll try them next! Cheese, oh cheese. I would so love to give it up completely...someday soon!

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There is today, more than ever, the need for a compassionate regenerative world civilization.