Polar Bears and Personal Choice
I received an email today to sign a petition to put the polar bear on the US federal endangered species list. I signed it and I read on…the petition is sponsored by the We campaign (founded by Al Gore). The idea behind We is just that… “we” can make a difference. People are a force for change. We got us here, we can get us out. Yes, sign petitions for things you care about and yes, vote with your conscience. But the undercurrent of change is making personal choices to do things differently, and not necessarily a lot differently, sometimes just a little. “We” are the drops that fill the bucket.
On the We website, there is talk of turning down the heat, of turning off the lights, and of carpooling…this is what they write:
“Find a carpool buddy at least once a week. Sharing a ride to work is one of the most efficient ways to cut down on drive-time emissions. Ask around -odds are someone else is heading in the same direction already.”(source)
So say a person cannot ride with someone every day, they probably could once a week…and they could change it up, meet new people, help someone out. Because combating climate change it is as much about clean energy, renewables and leadership as it is about personal “choice”… A regular carpool may not offer enough of a choice but casual ridesharing sure does. Al Gore seems to understand that, and some people think he is a pretty smart guy.
-Suesan