Seniors Save the Environment

As we played cards today, my friends and I began a discussion about a movie several of us had watched last night on CNN.  It was An Inconvenient Truth;  a documentary produced and presented by former Vice President Al Gore.  This movie took a compelling look at the state of global warming and the adverse impact humans are making on the world.  Needless to say, it made quite an impression on us and had us all concerned about the kind of world we were handing down to our grandchildren. What good would the college trust fund be to them if the polar ice cap melts and floods 1/3 of the now populated world.  To reverse the impact we have made seems like such an overwhelming challenge that needs to be seriously addressed and soon, but what can we, as individuals, do?

After my friends left, the cards were put away and the lunch dishes washed, I turned on my computer to see what people were doing to address the environmental issues we face and if seniors from other countries were taking a stand.  I found a website that perked my interest:  Green Seniors. Environmental Action. No Age Limit.   As I paged through the website, I discovered that Green Seniors are the people who, regardless of age, fight for what they believe. They are the people who see the way that our natural environment is changing for the worse and want to do something about it. They are the people who are a pain in the neck of authority, in fact of anyone and anything that operates in a way that degrades the environment for no good reason.  Did this remind me of the turbulent 60s?  I was hooked.  This web site is designed to provide a hub for anyone interested in being a Green Senior, or who just wants to know more about the kinds of work that is being done, and needs to be done to move humanity towards a better existence - an existence that has a future.  If you are the least bit curious, check it out; it’s a great starting point and I think you will find that there is a Green Senior in all of us. 

Another website worth looking at is Gray Power based in Australia.  They have been in existence since 1983 and acts as a lobbying group made up of Aussie seniors who advocate for mature-aged citizens.  Although they are more concerned with senior citizen issues, they also are concerned with the environment and use their power to put pressure on their government to do the right thing. 

I was surprised to learn that demographically speaking, Japan is an aging society, with an increasingly old population who are very concerned about the damage we are doing to our environment.  Many of them are actively participating in different activities to save and protect the environment.  Most are educating others about sustainable development, or - at least - shaking their heads at the mass-consumption and wastefulness of the younger ones.  Their efforts are mostly local and/or the range of their activities may be limited.  It seems that having experienced poverty and pollution, a lot of Japan’s seniors are apprehensive about the recent “culture of wasting” and are working to make a difference.

 As I clicked through many more websites, I realized that around the world a large number of senior citizens are not only aware of the need to make changes but are mobilizing and taking action now and it made me feel proud.  I too, want to be a part of this new revolution.  We once knew the power our generation had when we stood together.  We took a stand against the war in VietNam and made the world listen. We were the generation that believed it was a noble cause to fight for truth and righteousness.  Now it is time to take a stand and fend off global warming.  You might think that one person can’t do much, but if each person did a little, it would make a difference.  So where do you start?  Here are a few suggestions:

• Write your Congressional Reps and urge them to support legislation that focuses on reducing green house gas, encourages energy conservation and funds alternative fuel research.  Write or email them often and encourage family and friends to do the same.
• Recycle and reuse when ever possible.  Even little things like plastic bags and cereal boxes can make a difference. 
• Do just one thing on this list to save electricity (or do them all) and check out the web for other ways to conserve.
• Drive less and walk or bicycle more.
• Make a conscience effort to make a difference every day and don’t forget to feel good about doing the right thing.

‘; //leave this line

//This is the custom advertisement that you can add anywhere you like by placing into your post. Surround it by any HTML you like.
$customad = ‘

‘; //leave this line

?>