government authority

high level clearance

for my eyes only secret

tax dollars at work

“Just one word, plastics.”

We are all in this together. We have compromised our values and our beliefs in the name of commerce.  We have sold our souls to the golden idol, far more evil than the one the Jews worshiped as they crossed the desert out of Egypt.  They needed hope.  They turned to a false God and now we have done the same.  We have put our faith in the almighty dollar and turned out back on our planet.  We use fossil fuel to make food containers, to run cars, to make plastic bags and bottles, children’s clothing and toys, shoes, handbags, furniture, electronics and more.  Look around your home, your car, and your place of business.  How many natural products do you see?

When I close my eyes, I see the dry, brittle roadways between Memphis and New York.  The endless miles of dying trees, bushes and crops.  How can we deny that global warming is real.  I am now keenly aware of my own culpability.  I regularly forget to take a bag with me when I go grocery shopping.  I have one in my car, but frequently leave it there rationalizing my guilt with claims that I am in a hurry: that one more plastic bag will not make a big difference.  But we know that every bag we use consumes more fossil fuels, thus increasing global warming.  The impact of global warming is far greater than just increasing temperatures. Warming modifies rainfall patterns, amplifies coastal erosion, lengthens the growing season in some regions, melts ice caps and glaciers, and alters the ranges of some infectious diseases. These changes are already occurring.

There are a few things we can do to decrease the effects of global warming.  Basically, they all boil down to this: Don’t use as much of the stuff that creates greenhouse gases. On a local level, we can start by using less energy. The electricity that operates many of the devices in our homes comes from a power plant, and most power plants burn fossil fuels to generate that power. Turn off lights when they’re not in use. Take shorter showers to use less hot water. Use a fan instead of an air conditioner whenever possible.

Here are some other specific ways we can all help decrease greenhouse-gas emissions:

• Make sure your car is properly tuned up. This allows it to run more efficiently and generate fewer harmful gases.
• Walk or ride your bike if possible, or carpool on your way to work. Cars burn fossil fuel, so smaller, more fuel-efficient cars emit less CO2, particularly hybrid cars.
• Turn lights and other appliances off when you’re not using them. Even though a light bulb doesn’t generate greenhouse gas, the power plant that generates the electricity used by the light bulb probably does. Switch from incandescent light bulbs to flourescent bulbs, which use less energy and last longer.
• Recycle. Garbage that doesn’t get recycled ends up in a landfill, generating methane. Recycled goods also require less energy to produce than products made from scratch.
• Plant trees and other plants where you can. Plants take carbon dioxide out of the air and release oxygen.
• Don’t burn garbage. This releases carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere.

Help me make a difference.  We are all in this together.
“We’re All In This Together”
by Ben Lee

Woke up this morning
I suddenly realized
We’re all in this together
I started smiling
Cos you were smiling
And were all in this together
I’m made of atoms
You’re made of atoms
And were all in this together
And long division
Just doesn’t matter
Cos were all in this together