I will try to use less and less plastic in my life.
No more plastic bags and pet bottles

I will try to use less and less plastic in my life.
No more plastic bags and pet bottles

I feel helpless about this oil spill. I feel limited to change my life because of poverty (I depend on my vehicle for work). I feel unable to impact a big corporation and/or government. I can make small changes in my life but how does a small fry like me prevent enormous mistakes like this from happening?

I feel helpless about this oil spill. I feel limited to change my life because of poverty (I depend on my vehicle for work). I feel unable to impact a big corporation and/or government. I can make small changes in my life but how does a small fry like me prevent enormous mistakes like this from happening?

Melissa, you have asked THE questionm, haven’t you? For me the answer is in numbers. Thinking of ourselves as alone and solitary actors will not work. That’s clear. What we all can do is act on different scales, acting in our own lives, with local organizations devoted to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, regional concerns, state, national and global efforts. Every choice that reduces your carbon footprint, every act of renewal matters.

There are lots of carbon footprint calculators out there. Take a look at one.

Melissa, you have asked THE questionm, haven’t you? For me the answer is in numbers. Thinking of ourselves as alone and solitary actors will not work. That’s clear. What we all can do is act on different scales, acting in our own lives, with local organizations devoted to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, regional concerns, state, national and global efforts. Every choice that reduces your carbon footprint, every act of renewal matters.

There are lots of carbon footprint calculators out there. Take a look at one.

Unfortunately that “helpless” feeling is what many feel. When one individual faces a giant/giants it is normal to feel apathetic. BUT, if each and every one of us changes our lives, it will ripple out and have a great impact. Not using a car in the US is very difficult unless you live in a city because of our transit systems being nonexistent in many areas. But you can change your impact by doing gradual changes: not burning paraffin candles, buying food locally, etc. These seemingly minor changes can make great changes.
I firmly believe in “dreaming” a dream of a new place for our children and grandchildren. Honoring their right to a beautiful earth-we can dream these dreams and act on them. If this horrible spill does not wake up the US I dont know what will.
I guarantee once the real photos of the magnitude of the destruction are released people will be deeply saddened and change. How can you stand to see dolphins covered in oil and dead and not change your behavior? Yes it is painful but this is a huge message to us.

Unfortunately that “helpless” feeling is what many feel. When one individual faces a giant/giants it is normal to feel apathetic. BUT, if each and every one of us changes our lives, it will ripple out and have a great impact. Not using a car in the US is very difficult unless you live in a city because of our transit systems being nonexistent in many areas. But you can change your impact by doing gradual changes: not burning paraffin candles, buying food locally, etc. These seemingly minor changes can make great changes.
I firmly believe in “dreaming” a dream of a new place for our children and grandchildren. Honoring their right to a beautiful earth-we can dream these dreams and act on them. If this horrible spill does not wake up the US I dont know what will.
I guarantee once the real photos of the magnitude of the destruction are released people will be deeply saddened and change. How can you stand to see dolphins covered in oil and dead and not change your behavior? Yes it is painful but this is a huge message to us.

I have a vision of Mother Earth literally bleeding into the Gulf, ( now THERE’S a metaphor!) and crying out to us to PAY ATTENTION and not let the mysterious “THEM” continue to make decisions that create these awful catastrophes.

We, the People, need to understand our power to take back from the Dark Side our own capacity to be an active and vocal part of how change happens in our society. Let’s get over ourselves as little islands of isolated importance, and work together to create the world we want our children and grandchildren to inherit!

I have a vision of Mother Earth literally bleeding into the Gulf, ( now THERE’S a metaphor!) and crying out to us to PAY ATTENTION and not let the mysterious “THEM” continue to make decisions that create these awful catastrophes.

We, the People, need to understand our power to take back from the Dark Side our own capacity to be an active and vocal part of how change happens in our society. Let’s get over ourselves as little islands of isolated importance, and work together to create the world we want our children and grandchildren to inherit!

Clean energy, NOW! It does exist, but the powers that be are suppressing it. Elect politicians who make decisions while thinking of the impact seven generations from now, not just at their stock portfolios.

Clean energy, NOW! It does exist, but the powers that be are suppressing it. Elect politicians who make decisions while thinking of the impact seven generations from now, not just at their stock portfolios.

well said, kirsten.

well said, kirsten.

As a native Mississippian (I now live in Washington State) I am grieving over the devastation that will be wrought along the beautiful Gulf Coast. How long will we allow greedy corporations to debauch the natural beauty of our world with impunity? How much oil is enough?

As a native Mississippian (I now live in Washington State) I am grieving over the devastation that will be wrought along the beautiful Gulf Coast. How long will we allow greedy corporations to debauch the natural beauty of our world with impunity? How much oil is enough?

Mother Nature is telling us we are over due to get off the oil. The time is now. The only way this is going to happen is if we create a community who insists we develop our alternative energy sources. There is no longer a fear of the men in black.

Mother Nature is telling us we are over due to get off the oil. The time is now. The only way this is going to happen is if we create a community who insists we develop our alternative energy sources. There is no longer a fear of the men in black.

I am deeply saddened by the oil spills happening so many times and so i feel it’s my responsibility to use less plastic as oil is used to make them. I will not use plastic plates, cups or spoons. I will also drive less, use public transport and walk as much as possible until i live on this earth. I say we all need to wake up to this calling of mother nature and give a gift of healthy planet to our future generations.

I am deeply saddened by the oil spills happening so many times and so i feel it’s my responsibility to use less plastic as oil is used to make them. I will not use plastic plates, cups or spoons. I will also drive less, use public transport and walk as much as possible until i live on this earth. I say we all need to wake up to this calling of mother nature and give a gift of healthy planet to our future generations.

I agree with Kirsten and Gary. Each and everyone of us can make a difference! If everyone stops driving as much and purchasing plastic products it will make a huge difference! This is a terrible thing that is happened but the (tiny) silver lining is that more and more people are seeing the problems with oil and our dependence on oil and are thinking twice before driving around needlessly or purchasing plastic products.

I’m from the gulf coast and grew up seeing various organizations trying really hard to protect all the different migratory birds who were in trouble and I feel like this oil spill has negated and erased all the good they have done to help the wild life because this oil spill could potentially devastate all the wildlife in the area

I agree with Kirsten and Gary. Each and everyone of us can make a difference! If everyone stops driving as much and purchasing plastic products it will make a huge difference! This is a terrible thing that is happened but the (tiny) silver lining is that more and more people are seeing the problems with oil and our dependence on oil and are thinking twice before driving around needlessly or purchasing plastic products.

I’m from the gulf coast and grew up seeing various organizations trying really hard to protect all the different migratory birds who were in trouble and I feel like this oil spill has negated and erased all the good they have done to help the wild life because this oil spill could potentially devastate all the wildlife in the area

My website (blog) attempts to explore and demonstrate what one individual can do. I hope you will visit it at http://what-can-i-do-2.blogspot.com/ especially those of you who see no way to make a difference. If you like it, please email me from the site and pass on the URL to your friends.

I believe the first thing we must do is educate ourselves. The second is to make changes in our own lifestyle. The third is to begin trying to influence others.
The internet is awash with opportunities to learn about environmental issues.

Good luck to all activists!

My website (blog) attempts to explore and demonstrate what one individual can do. I hope you will visit it at http://what-can-i-do-2.blogspot.com/ especially those of you who see no way to make a difference. If you like it, please email me from the site and pass on the URL to your friends.

I believe the first thing we must do is educate ourselves. The second is to make changes in our own lifestyle. The third is to begin trying to influence others.
The internet is awash with opportunities to learn about environmental issues.

Good luck to all activists!

I see two things in a number of the replies posted here. Everyone understands that all is connected. And everyone talks about personal action.

We must get beyond personal action to generating conditions for collective action. Business-as-usual survives on our ignorance of each other and keeping us separate, unaware of how we many of us are thinking and acting deliberately for planetary transformation. Read, join, act. Yes, vote with your money—AND volunteer, write, talk, be present, put your body out there, put your energy and values out there.

The time for silence is over.

I see two things in a number of the replies posted here. Everyone understands that all is connected. And everyone talks about personal action.

We must get beyond personal action to generating conditions for collective action. Business-as-usual survives on our ignorance of each other and keeping us separate, unaware of how we many of us are thinking and acting deliberately for planetary transformation. Read, join, act. Yes, vote with your money—AND volunteer, write, talk, be present, put your body out there, put your energy and values out there.

The time for silence is over.

Paul Stamets statement about the role of fungi in dealing with oil spills:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31527117/Paul-Stamets-statement-on-Gulf-oil-spill

Paul Stamets statement about the role of fungi in dealing with oil spills:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31527117/Paul-Stamets-statement-on-Gulf-oil-spill

I want to get off oil. I want everyone to get off oil. Banning drilling off our own shores is not enough. Oil drilling is desecrating land and water all over the world: Ecuador, Nigeria, Louisiana. We are the ones who need oil and we are the ones who can find new ways to live. A tall order I know, but a task important enough to strive for. My sixteen year old said to me a few months back, “Wish the world wasn’t going down the drain during my glory years.” Why do you think this I ask. “Because we are going to run out of oil and we need oil for everything.” He is right, but it’s possible to change our destructive course. For our children’s sake, leave your car at home today!

I want to get off oil. I want everyone to get off oil. Banning drilling off our own shores is not enough. Oil drilling is desecrating land and water all over the world: Ecuador, Nigeria, Louisiana. We are the ones who need oil and we are the ones who can find new ways to live. A tall order I know, but a task important enough to strive for. My sixteen year old said to me a few months back, “Wish the world wasn’t going down the drain during my glory years.” Why do you think this I ask. “Because we are going to run out of oil and we need oil for everything.” He is right, but it’s possible to change our destructive course. For our children’s sake, leave your car at home today!

P.S. Follow the Senate hearings on the oil spill on Twitter at #BPhearings

P.S. Follow the Senate hearings on the oil spill on Twitter at #BPhearings

Hello again from Australia. My earlier post resulted in five visits to my blog (http://what-can-i-do-2.blogspot.com/) from the United States. Thank you!

This is an international struggle. Please visit my blog, which has references to all sorts of sources of information, mostly on Global Warming rather than on the oil crisis or the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It also gives details of my own journey and my green activist work in Canberra. These may give you some ideas on what you could do yourselves.

We can all do something! Good luck! Don’t give in to despair…

Hello again from Australia. My earlier post resulted in five visits to my blog (http://what-can-i-do-2.blogspot.com/) from the United States. Thank you!

This is an international struggle. Please visit my blog, which has references to all sorts of sources of information, mostly on Global Warming rather than on the oil crisis or the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It also gives details of my own journey and my green activist work in Canberra. These may give you some ideas on what you could do yourselves.

We can all do something! Good luck! Don’t give in to despair…

Mother Earth is bleeding uncontrollably, stabbed in the heart by human greed. Day after day, she bleeds. What I will do is use less oil, and take care of the earth immediately under my feet and in my neighborhood and support Barbara Boxer by helping to write ads for her. She is speaking truth to power.

Mother Earth is bleeding uncontrollably, stabbed in the heart by human greed. Day after day, she bleeds. What I will do is use less oil, and take care of the earth immediately under my feet and in my neighborhood and support Barbara Boxer by helping to write ads for her. She is speaking truth to power.

I don’t have words for the impact this oil spill has had on me…I change the channels, I can’t listen to it…and when I hear about what is happening to the wildlife I feel sick, very difficult to confront…. We’ve had enough natural disasters…now a manmade catastrophe, very very sad….My husband and I saw a program on CNN regarding oil tankers that can be used to vacuum up the spill and reclaim much of the oil…that this was done before…and yet we have not heard anything about this type of activity being considered? As I write this, I realize I have not contacted any of my representatives in government…demanding answers and quick action…so I promise I will do this…and perhaps if we all starting claiming our citizenship for a call to action…because my guess is there are many silent sufferers who feel powerless..thanks for the opportunity to express

I don’t have words for the impact this oil spill has had on me…I change the channels, I can’t listen to it…and when I hear about what is happening to the wildlife I feel sick, very difficult to confront…. We’ve had enough natural disasters…now a manmade catastrophe, very very sad….My husband and I saw a program on CNN regarding oil tankers that can be used to vacuum up the spill and reclaim much of the oil…that this was done before…and yet we have not heard anything about this type of activity being considered? As I write this, I realize I have not contacted any of my representatives in government…demanding answers and quick action…so I promise I will do this…and perhaps if we all starting claiming our citizenship for a call to action…because my guess is there are many silent sufferers who feel powerless..thanks for the opportunity to express

Makes me sick to my stomach every time I see the video feeds. What have I done? Written my U.S. Senators, Congressional Representative, and President Obama expressing my desire for them to sponsor and/or support legislation re 2 points:
1. Bring dangerous and unnecessary off-shore oil drilling to an end. Short-term government responsibility is to increase regulations and strict enforcement.
2. Adopt an aggressive position regarding alternative and clean energy R & D moving our country away from fossil fuel dependence –long overdue for the U.S. & the world at large.

I’ve posted this on my Facebook wall. I’ve written a detailed blog, and linked informaton on the Earthwear Facebook page. Oh…and vowed to boycott BP in additon to my longstanding boycott of Exxon.

What Can You Do?

Makes me sick to my stomach every time I see the video feeds. What have I done? Written my U.S. Senators, Congressional Representative, and President Obama expressing my desire for them to sponsor and/or support legislation re 2 points:
1. Bring dangerous and unnecessary off-shore oil drilling to an end. Short-term government responsibility is to increase regulations and strict enforcement.
2. Adopt an aggressive position regarding alternative and clean energy R & D moving our country away from fossil fuel dependence –long overdue for the U.S. & the world at large.

I’ve posted this on my Facebook wall. I’ve written a detailed blog, and linked informaton on the Earthwear Facebook page. Oh…and vowed to boycott BP in additon to my longstanding boycott of Exxon.

What Can You Do?

Friends and Questions Team,

The amazing thing to me about the public response to this disaster so far is the lack of a substantial focus on what we can do about it. I read a lot of stories or complaints about whether the Administration or BP is doing enough to deal with the crisis; but not much about what more ought to be done to deal with the crisis responsibly.

Similarly, I read about how BP and other oil companies bypassed current regulations, ignored even the warnings of their own workers, are in cahoots with MMS, but almost nothing about what needs to be done to change this situation so that it can’t happen anymore with other off shore oil operations, etc.

I read a blog by the Nature Conservancy explaining its relationship with BP and how it has to become an even more responsible relationship; but then the President of the Conservancy says that a transition to renewable energy is a long term challenge and we have to live with off shore oil drilling in the meantime. And NO ONE is challenging this??

On the contrary we could make most of the shift to a renewable energy economy within 15 or 20 years with sufficient political will and proper funding and for probably less than what has been spent by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 10 years; and certainly considerably less than we spend on the military overall. So this is where our focus primarily has to be placed.

I mention these things because I think that the questions that are posed need to focus more on the institutional changes that are needed as well. I am not opposed to including a focus on personal actions and responsibility; but really we will only make it through the transition that we are all desiring by shifting our institutional responses to how things are on the planet.

After writing this I have now gone to last week’s question (above) and read the responses. I was happy to see that several respondents were focusing on ways that we can respond that are more political or institutional in nature. It seems to me that if 4YG can develop the means on the website to post specific actions on specific issues that others can also support, or partner with Change.org on doing something like this, that this could be most helpful.

For example, I notice that Ellie mentions oil tankers that could vacuum up the oil and reclaim it; but that not much is happening yet with this. Imagine if FYG could thus make it easy for many of us to support Ellie’s efforts to get some kind of action on this. Similarly, I saw a videoabout using hay to absorb the oil; and then read an article this morning about how the Nature Conservancy gets $10 m from BP and has an ongoing relationship with them. So I wrote to the Conservancy and asked them to follow up with BP and the government on this hay absorbing idea. Imagine if hundreds of others at FYG could help encourage such a thing as this. Maybe the Nature Conservancy would actually follow up on it and BP would feel compelled to finally begin to really clean up the mess.

Thanks,

Rob Wheeler
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
World Transforming Initiatives
robwheeler22 @ gmail.com

Friends and Questions Team,

The amazing thing to me about the public response to this disaster so far is the lack of a substantial focus on what we can do about it. I read a lot of stories or complaints about whether the Administration or BP is doing enough to deal with the crisis; but not much about what more ought to be done to deal with the crisis responsibly.

Similarly, I read about how BP and other oil companies bypassed current regulations, ignored even the warnings of their own workers, are in cahoots with MMS, but almost nothing about what needs to be done to change this situation so that it can’t happen anymore with other off shore oil operations, etc.

I read a blog by the Nature Conservancy explaining its relationship with BP and how it has to become an even more responsible relationship; but then the President of the Conservancy says that a transition to renewable energy is a long term challenge and we have to live with off shore oil drilling in the meantime. And NO ONE is challenging this??

On the contrary we could make most of the shift to a renewable energy economy within 15 or 20 years with sufficient political will and proper funding and for probably less than what has been spent by the US in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 10 years; and certainly considerably less than we spend on the military overall. So this is where our focus primarily has to be placed.

I mention these things because I think that the questions that are posed need to focus more on the institutional changes that are needed as well. I am not opposed to including a focus on personal actions and responsibility; but really we will only make it through the transition that we are all desiring by shifting our institutional responses to how things are on the planet.

After writing this I have now gone to last week’s question (above) and read the responses. I was happy to see that several respondents were focusing on ways that we can respond that are more political or institutional in nature. It seems to me that if 4YG can develop the means on the website to post specific actions on specific issues that others can also support, or partner with Change.org on doing something like this, that this could be most helpful.

For example, I notice that Ellie mentions oil tankers that could vacuum up the oil and reclaim it; but that not much is happening yet with this. Imagine if FYG could thus make it easy for many of us to support Ellie’s efforts to get some kind of action on this. Similarly, I saw a videoabout using hay to absorb the oil; and then read an article this morning about how the Nature Conservancy gets $10 m from BP and has an ongoing relationship with them. So I wrote to the Conservancy and asked them to follow up with BP and the government on this hay absorbing idea. Imagine if hundreds of others at FYG could help encourage such a thing as this. Maybe the Nature Conservancy would actually follow up on it and BP would feel compelled to finally begin to really clean up the mess.

Thanks,

Rob Wheeler
Citizens Network for Sustainable Development
World Transforming Initiatives
robwheeler22 @ gmail.com

I will do what ever I can to stop, infiltrate, dismantle, and reveal “Eco” Terrorists foreign and domestic. The person or persons who partook in this attack will soon come to justice. You now have a buoy on your ass and we are closing in on you. It is only a matter of time until you are marched in front of *WE THE PEOPLE* and your fate will be grim! This spill is aninconvenienttruth to GOREify the U.S. into Cap and trade legislation. My family is living in the nightmare of this spill everyday and night. WE will find you, WE will bind you, WE will set your life on fire. *WE THE PEOPLE* will never stop! Get ready for penalty!

I will do what ever I can to stop, infiltrate, dismantle, and reveal “Eco” Terrorists foreign and domestic. The person or persons who partook in this attack will soon come to justice. You now have a buoy on your ass and we are closing in on you. It is only a matter of time until you are marched in front of *WE THE PEOPLE* and your fate will be grim! This spill is aninconvenienttruth to GOREify the U.S. into Cap and trade legislation. My family is living in the nightmare of this spill everyday and night. WE will find you, WE will bind you, WE will set your life on fire. *WE THE PEOPLE* will never stop! Get ready for penalty!

I am once again assured that the primary purpose of newscasters is to make something relative unimportant into a disaster after which the world will never be the same. Try dropping one drop of oil into an olympic size pool and then tell me how much damage has been done. It will still meet and surpass drinking water standards. Where is this “terrible” ecological disaster now? If you eco-nuts would get real and address real problems with real science maybe you would not find
such resistance from the thinking public.

I am once again assured that the primary purpose of newscasters is to make something relative unimportant into a disaster after which the world will never be the same. Try dropping one drop of oil into an olympic size pool and then tell me how much damage has been done. It will still meet and surpass drinking water standards. Where is this “terrible” ecological disaster now? If you eco-nuts would get real and address real problems with real science maybe you would not find
such resistance from the thinking public.

Now that we are 3 and a half months into the Gulf Oil Spill disaster, we’re not hearing much about it. The news cycle has moved on. I continue to encourage people to review an article I posted to the Elephant Journal in order to provide additional substance for discussion. Hopefully to inspire change and raise awareness. Here is the link: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/06/corporate-cooperation-the-outrageously-injurious-legacy-bud-wilson/

Now that we are 3 and a half months into the Gulf Oil Spill disaster, we’re not hearing much about it. The news cycle has moved on. I continue to encourage people to review an article I posted to the Elephant Journal in order to provide additional substance for discussion. Hopefully to inspire change and raise awareness. Here is the link: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/06/corporate-cooperation-the-outrageously-injurious-legacy-bud-wilson/

I am feeling an incredible urgency to take action, to make a difference in the world. We, I can’t wait any longer.

“We are the change we want to see in the world,” as Gandhi said.

I am taking action on several levels:

I am de-cluttering my living space. My goal is to get rid of at least half of everything I own.

I am taking my spiritual life SERIOUSLY.
Before I complained to myself about hard it was to meditate. Now, I’m just doing it.

I am following my curiosity to find out about what “sustainability” really means, beyond the buzzword. I am getting educated. Now, I am PASSIONATE about sustainability.

I am believing in my dream of living in, and creating a model sustainable community.

I am taking steps to shift the focus of my professional work in the world, to focus on facilitating sustainability efforts.

I am drawing to myself all the resources I need to make these goals a reality.

And it is so.

I am feeling an incredible urgency to take action, to make a difference in the world. We, I can’t wait any longer.

“We are the change we want to see in the world,” as Gandhi said.

I am taking action on several levels:

I am de-cluttering my living space. My goal is to get rid of at least half of everything I own.

I am taking my spiritual life SERIOUSLY.
Before I complained to myself about hard it was to meditate. Now, I’m just doing it.

I am following my curiosity to find out about what “sustainability” really means, beyond the buzzword. I am getting educated. Now, I am PASSIONATE about sustainability.

I am believing in my dream of living in, and creating a model sustainable community.

I am taking steps to shift the focus of my professional work in the world, to focus on facilitating sustainability efforts.

I am drawing to myself all the resources I need to make these goals a reality.

And it is so.