What Needs to Happen to Save our Planet?

As I was going through my notebooks this morning, making sure that I had captured all my "todos" in a safe place (aka OneNote), I found a page that I had written a while back.

It was titled: "What needs to happen in order to save the planet?"

I am certainly no expert in the field of "Earth Saving," but I do ponder this topic a lot. Our planet is in real danger. We have abused it to no end over the past several hundred years. Things need to change and we know what changes are needed. Yet, we fail to take the steps to make it happen.

So, with no further ado, here is the list from my notebook:

• Americans & Europeans need to stop taking more than their share. (This includes housing, transportation, stuff, food, etc)
• Stop making poor-quality products that end up in landfills.
• Manufacturers must be held responsible for the recycling of their products.
• Organic farming must become the norm. (I would add that we should go back to eating local and seasonal food.)
• Create sustainable villages where people can bike and walk. (and work!)

I think this is a good start. If we did the above, the planet (and its inhabitants) would have a fighting chance.

Want to help?

• Buy only what you need. (This year, I started with clothes... It has been liberating indeed.)
• Reward manufacturers of high-quality, low impact products.
• Eat organic/local/seasonal and cut down on meat.
• Live within walking/biking distance to work/shops/dining.

If this sounds hard and boring, it isn't. It's actually quite a fun adventure to figure out how to live sustainably. And it's amazing to discover how little you really need. Make one small change today, another tomorrow, and pass it on. We need to change our ways to save planet Earth.

It's the only home we've got...

Note: Picture courtesy of Horton Group at stock.xchng.