Paradigm Shift

I’ll never forget my first foray into Environmental Activism. It was the summer of 1990, and I was 17 years old. Those magical years when we think we are invincible and able to win every battle just because we believe in it so strongly. I canvassed neighborhoods with CALPIRG, going door to door gathering signatures to get California’s Big Green Initiative on the ballot. According to NewScientist.com, “Big Green would have been the most far-reaching environmental law ever passed. It would have phased out carcinogenic pesticides, banned oil drilling in coastal areas, promoted tree-planting, and cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 40 per cent within 20 years.” We were well on our way to saving the world… until my innocence crashed into reality and the ballot lost by a margin of almost 2 to 1. How could the public not care about the carcinogens being pumped into our food, air, and water? How can the world face the impending doom of Global Climate Change in such a blasé manner?

Flash forward 17 years… the public finally cares! Not only do they care, but they are willingly adopting incremental ways of lowering the CO2 emissions, like buying hybrid cars, buying locally produced food and goods, and supporting companies who adopt ecologically sound business practices. As I watch Zoe and Allison embark on their tremendous expedition on Chasing Glaciers, I realize that our world is balancing on a precipice. As the glaciers are melting, so are the assumptions that our resources will always be there to squander. We are entering a brave new world where consumers are becoming more conscious of how our products are being produced.

On July 7, Live Earth the Concerts for a Climate in Crisis will be underway. 24 hours of concerts will take place around the globe by some of the world’s most popular artists. I take heart that now that our popular culture is embracing the need to take action on the environmental crisis of Global Climate Change, perhaps we have more than a snowball’s chance of getting out of here alive!