Taking Steps Toward a Better Planet
“We need to move from being apart from nature, to becoming a part of nature once again.” – David Attenborough
I just watched ‘David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet’. It was the most enlightening and inspiring two hours one could spend in a day, perhaps even in their life. This documentary shed light on the devastation the human race has caused to this planet, but ended on a hopeful note with a call to action to change our relationship with nature so that maybe then, we won’t be the cause of the 6th mass extinction this planet will see.
Capitalism is a driving force for many of humanity’s decisions. But the truth is, that when all of our rain forests are cut down, our rivers are dried up, our oceans and grasslands depleted of wildlife, all of the money in the world will have no significance because we will no longer have a planet to live on.
While the industrial revolution has provided us with many of the gifts we use today, it’s reliance on coal and fossil fuels combined with human error have been the driving force of global warming and its devastating effects to our oceans and ice caps. Our heavy reliance on a meat based diet has replaced the biodiversity our ecosystem relies on to thrive with farmland and nutrient deprived soil.
We’ve lost entire species of animals and our food and clean water supply isn’t sustainable. Yet, we still have been making a slower shift to renewable energy, small farms, and plant-based dieting because meat and oil are what we know and “this is the way things have always been done”. While I am aware of, and have sympathy for, people who may lose their jobs in transition, doing something because it’s what we’ve always done is not a valid reason to keep doing it, especially knowing the path we’re headed. Plus, we can rebuild, shift, transition to newer ways to exist on this planet that bring us back to our roots. We can create new jobs and learn new skills. We are innovative and resilient, but we are only as resilient as the planet we live on, because without it we will cease to exist.
One of the many ways in which we have the power to make an impact, aside from personal responsibility, is with our VOTE. We have the capability to harness sustainable energy – wind, water, solar – and move toward a more environmentally sustainable future, yet we have a sitting President, whom in the past 3 years has made it his mission to revive the coal and oil industries while rolling back 100 environmental protections. These environmental rollbacks, if not reversed or fixed, are only going to drive us further down this dead-end street.
In 3 years, one person driven by money and power, has reversed years of necessary work to live more sustainably and re-develop a more harmonious connection between humans and nature. If you’re undecided about your vote this election, then I’ve just given you 100 reasons why not to vote for Trump. 100 environmental rollbacks are 100 too many to ignore. While Joe Biden may not be the most ideal presidential candidate, and his record as a politician isn’t perfect, you’re not only voting for Biden, you’re voting for the future of our planet. You’re voting for the future of humanity. His plan for climate change and environmental justice may sound too progressive for those who are comfortable with the way things are, and the up-front cost may intimidate some (but will save us money in the end), you can’t put a price on humanity, and at this point we don’t have a choice.
Our planet and all of its lifeforms, including the human race, are at risk. This is why I joined the World Wildlife Fund’s first Species Step Challenge to raise awareness and the funds to help protect the planet from pressing threats such as illegal wildlife trade, deforestation, climate change, and water scarcity, among others. While the political views in this post are my own, there is no denying that we need to take collective action now, before it’s too late.
For the month of October, I’m committed to walking 5,000 steps/day and raising $500 in donations to help. If you have the means to donate to this cause, please visit my team’s donation page.
Every dollar to this campaign matters, as does every vote. If you are not registered to vote, it’s not too late. You can register to vote or check your registration status here.
But most of all, take steps to educating yourself and others on the ways you can help protect the environment so that generations for years to come can enjoy their time on Earth. If we take collective action, we have a fighting chance to truly make a difference.