A Little More Green

My youngest daughter and I just watched the film, An Inconvenient Truth: A Global Warning. I know, I know…the movie, by Al Gore, has been out since 2006. Somehow I never got around to seeing it. But, it caught my eye on the shelves of limited dvds from our local library. I’m so glad that I did see it. And so is my ten year old.

I think I wished I had seen it sooner now, though. With the photographs and data that Gore showed on global warming, the impact of CO₂ emissions and glacial melt, I’m sure much has even changed in the last five years on our planet. What we watched was downright scary at times. Little one said that parts of it made her sad. I’m sad that I haven’t had the opportunity to travel much and see parts of our world in the state they had been in. Who knows what another five years will bring?

It is kind of scary to think what mankind has done to our planet. Especially in the last 50 years. I have always been a lover of the outdoors and nature. I actually worked in the non-profit environmental field for almost ten years. In that time, I saw how difficult it was to change, sway, affect, educate, do whatever I could do, to help protect a brook that ran through a city of 43,000 people.

I admire Al Gore for what he’s doing. He’s had the tenacity to stand by what he believes in…in protecting our earth for as long as he has (and he’s been at it for a while). He’s trying to spread the word, like I was doing, but on a global level…to millions and even billions of people. And I thought trying to reach 43,000 was like pulling teeth at times. I wonder how he feels?

With this work, sometimes there is thanks. In 1999, I won a Watershed Award for the work I had done in promoting environmental education and stewardship. My competition for the award? Al Gore. The same man, that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his environmental work. Not too shabby, I’d say.

I haven’t given up hope and I still try my best to protect the environment though I’m not in a visible, public role anymore. Without being too preachy, I’d recommend that everyone watch An Inconvenient Truth. If you saw it in 2006, watch it again. It’s an eye-opener for families too. We had lots of times where we’d pause the movie and discuss a question or issue that came up in it. At the end of the film, there are real suggestions of what we, as individuals, can do. They also suggest checking out their website http://www.climatecrisis.net/ that gives more tips. Little one and I checked out our carbon footprint on it vs. the national average (it’s “much smaller” by the way).

We are all on this fast track forward of accomplishing goals in our own lives. But, without a sound and stable planet, what’s the point? If we can all do little things, they will add up to make a big impact. I want to be a part of that. I want it for my kids. I want it for my grandkids. I want it for all of us. We are all pink on the inside. There’s no reason why we can’t be a little more green on the outside.