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Calling the Earthlings
This is really important to me. This time last year I had the worst panic attack of my life. I'd sat on the edge of the sea and thought, "I failed you. You gave me everything and I did nothing to protect you." It devolved quickly into nearly six hours of sobbing, hyperventilating, and pure panic. After that, I started picking up trash, for hours on end. I didn't eat meat, I didn't buy clothes, I didn't drive cars.... A lot of the anxiety died down and while I still occasionally pick up trash, I now eat meat and I'll get in a car if need be. But the feeling that I could do more, and the feeling of fear is still wrought in every thought. So this challenge is part of an art project I'm doing to sort of communicate these thoughts- thoughts I know are shared by so many people. Show me how you feel about the environment in any format, and then comment at the bottom whether or not you'd be okay with me using your words, and if I could credit you in any way. Thank you so much!

We Can Do Better

To start, I really don't see climate change as a political issue. There is no ideological or cultural war to be won here. To think otherwise is to evade the issue.

Some climate advocates may come off as overly self-righteous, pretentious, and condescending in their efforts to do what they believe is right. Additionally, the idea that we need to save the planet only to keep it habitable for humans can be seen as arrogant in that we assume the Earth exists only for us, and that without us the Earth would just be a random rock in space. However, the argument that because the Earth itself will still physically be here after humans are extinct, making any concern regarding climate change unwarranted, is lazy and selfish. It is selfish because it ignores every other organism on the planet that suffers from man-made pollution, as well as future generations that will have to find ways to survive. That kind of detached attitude of, "whatever happens happens" is not a justifiable excuse to pollute ourselves into an early extinction. I would say that it's possible to care about the Earth and Humanity at the same time.

In terms of actions that be taken to curb climate change, I feel like most of the responsibility (and ability) falls on major corporations to adopt more sustainable practices. Although, a general shift in the public's habits and climate consciousness needs to happen as well. Daily, personal choices are also important. Being more conservative with electricity at home, driving less, using re-usable shopping bags and containers instead of plastic bags, and cutting back on meat production are all significant choices that can integrated easily into your daily life.

As proof that progress in this area is possible, the hole in the ozone layer has been slowly repairing itself and is projected to return to normal by 2045. This recovery is thanks to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which prohibited chemicals that are harmful to the ozone layer from being used and produced.

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