I want to save the environment. Where do I start?
That is a very good question. I’ve thought about where people should start for quite some time and I have an answer. I don’t know if it’s the best answer but hear me out.
Everyone is different when it comes to saving the environment. Some think you start with the little things like taking a cloth bag to the grocery store and work your way up to buying an electric car. Others feel that they need to get involved with Earth Day and then get arrested on the steps of the State Capitol. Then there are those who do straws and plastic bags and figure that's enough. Finally, there are the folks who never get started because they are overwhelmed by the immensity of it all. Don’t let that happen to you. So, for me to suggest that everyone start by buying metal straws would be pretty ridiculous.
Ready? Here is my answer. Make a list. Put at least 10 actions on it (no more than 15). Why 10? Because it stretches you. It makes you look for things. It makes you think. If we can’t do at least that much we are in serious trouble. Also, when you get them all done you have sense of accomplishment.
Where do you find the ideas to make your list with? Well, there are a couple thousand on this site and a couple thousand more sites each having a set of their own suggestions. Build a list that makes sense to you. Maybe you just want to convert your bathroom into a real eco-center or maybe you think you should get involved with the Sierra Club. My favorite list would be one filled with money saving ideas. Whatever, put the ideas on a list.
When you accomplish each item check it off but don’t stop when you finish. Then it’s time to make another list. Soon you will no longer need a list. Everything will start to make sense. You will begin to see the world around you in a wholly new way. You become a Steward of the Earth. You’ll be on a roll.
It will make you a more conscientious consumer and a better voter. That’s where the power lies. Its not about doing, it’s about becoming. Make that list.