I had the privilege of being present at a talk today given by Lis Bastian, a truly inspirational woman who lives here in the Blue Mountains. She was trained by Al Gore when he visited Australia and has been spreading the message ever since about the current global crisis, the urgency with which we need to act and what we need to do.
While some aspects of her talk left our group feeling somewhat dismayed about our planets future, she also gave us hope that positive changes could be made at 'grass roots' level. Some of the topics covered included 'big-picture' topics like de-forestation, peak oil and effects of climate change, as well as things WE can do to counteract negative effects - planting vegetation, soil improvement, returning carbon to the earth, recycling and waste reduction..... a real confirmation of 'think global, act local'
It was also heartening for me to realise that some of these things we are already doing here at home. Things that a lot us do - recycling, re-using, composting, planting, growing food, seed saving, supporting local businesses rather than multi-national companies- all contribute to a better environment for ourselves and future generations.
It is easy to become overwhelmed and powerless at the 'bigger picture' and disheartened at the doom and gloom of it all, but it is also easy to make ONE change to your lifestyle every now and then, and in doing that feel you are making a difference.
Wow, I think this morning was pretty big for me. I'll get off my soapbox now!
Check out Lis Bastians blog - http://www.stoplaughing.com.au/wordpress/
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