A Very Tired Earth
On Monday, the population of the earth reached 7 billion people. If that number does not scare you it should. When I was in grade school in the 1970’s, during the campaign for Zero Population Growth, the population of the globe was about to reach 4 billion and I learned that the earth would have great difficulty sustaining anything over 6 billion.
Sadly, my grade school teacher was correct. Currently we see food and water shortages around the world. We consume resources at an alarming rate; a rate which is growing exponentially as both India and China start to want the lifestyle many of us in the US take for granted–bigger houses, air-conditioning, and cars.
As I reflect on resources, responsibility, and sustainability, I also think about the amount of resources families consume, my family included. It is difficult for me not to be critical of Mitt Romney who has five children, or the Duggar family with 19 children and they get to have their own television show. How pathetic that we scapegoat women and the LGBT community and distract people with issues around civil rights, rather than addressing conspicuous consumption, resources, and sustainability.
Yes, it seems to be far easier to blame women and their reproductive organs and blame the LGBT community for wanting equality than to address sustainability of the earth and consumerism and profits. We need look no further than the Occupy Movement to look as we see how out of touch American politicians are with the justifiably angry 99%.
As resources are depleting and jobs are harder to find, we have obstructionist Republicans and apathetic and acquiescent Democrats refusing to raise taxes on the 1% and on corporations.
Recommendations:
Identify ways we can all use less–Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
Start Zero Population Growth program again.
Attend an Occupy Movement protest and get involved.
If you are able, look at where you buy your food–is the food grown locally?
The call to action is: please reflect on what ways you can decrease your carbon footprint. Everyone can Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Social Justice For All 