Nutgraf

The impact we’re having on this – our very beautiful, hospitable and generous planet – is real. And it’s pretty scary. Plenty of other, more reputable sources have a lot to say about this, so I’ll leave it to them.

• EPA: Climate Change
• Dot Earth – a blog from the NYTimes.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• Global Warming – from National Geographic
• Climate Connections – from NPR
  

Today, for Blog Action Day, I’m telling you about one thing I’m doing.

We use a lot. And I want to use a little less. I invite you to join me.

What are you ranting about?

As I may have mentioned once or twice or 20 times on Twitter and Facebook and elsewhere, my current obsession is gathering advice and words of wisdom from all of you to present here for public edification and to make into an album for my child-in-progress. And part of my motivation – quite frankly – is that impending parenthood is making me think more about the kind of person I want to be so that I can be the best possible role model and custodian for this little life. I mean, if not now – when?

Gawd – that again?

Yes. It’s long seemed obvious to me that our consumerism is out of control. Rather than dive headlong to another gifting occasion (and don’t even get me started on the culture of the “Push Present”), I want to welcome my little contribution to the next generation with something meaningful. Something that may be more valuable and lasting than a whimsically shaped piece of plastic, or hastily stitched-together tiny garment upon which some child in a far away country has stenciled fanciful creatures or ironic sayings. And don’t get me wrong, I do love an ironic saying.

But isn’t it just a tad ungrateful?

The motivation to give is warm and wonderful. And I have no interest in discouraging or disparaging a kind word, thought or deed. The world is in dire need of every ounce of kindness we can spare. Giving gives people pleasure on both sides of the equation, and there’s not enough of that in the world, I know. But I would like to offer to be moved and have my cockles warmed without activating a fleet of trucks to burn up our atmosphere or inciting the shipment of disposable goods halfway around the world so they can wind up in our landfills.

It’s just one thing I want to do, and I’m asking for your help. And here is why I think this is a great idea:

• We buy, own, have, use and discard quite enough, thank you very much. Cut Earth a break.
• It’s free. We’re all in the tank, economy-wise. Keep your money. Spend it as you see fit.
• It’s easy. We’re all busy, living our own lives, doing the best we can. No no, don’t get up.
• I want to welcome my kid into the world with stories and advice that illustrate more clearly than I can explain how wonderful and wise people can be.

Isn’t this all a little small-scale and frankly… self-serving?

Yes. It’s both. It’s small because small isn’t scary. We can all do small. And small things count. And small things add up. Think for a moment about the microcosmic impact of one rubber duckie on the world. Making the materials, shipping them to the factory, fabricating the toy, packaging it, shipping it around the world, driving it to a storage facility, unpacking it, repacking it, shipping it back out and delivering it to the end-user. Let’s just not do that a couple of times and see how it feels.

And as for it being self-serving – you got me. I’m still kind of jazzed about this asking for advice project, and think it totally aligns with what a lot of us are trying to do – waste less, save more and be thoughtful about what we need, what we do and what we have.

But while we’re here, let’s go big:

• Let’s reward good, thoughtful, responsible design.
• Let’s reevaluate things we think of as “must-have’s.”
• Let’s think about our impact and what we want our legacy to be.
• And let’s strive to live thoughtfully and to be a good example for one another.

We know too much about what we’re doing to the world to keep blithely chugging along on all cylinders in our current direction. Reduce, reuse, recycle is a mantra we can all feel good about, and it’s one that we can live with for a good, long time.

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