It's us

So many people are talking about the hurricanes, earthquakes and human threats that are flooding our news again these last couple of weeks. Irma, Jose, Maria and others forming in the Atlantic already and it’s not even October yet, we say. Two earthquakes to hit Mexico City in less than 2 months - a place we hadn’t heard about earthquakes in decades! 

“Mother Nature is coming after us!" 

“Nature’s Revenge!”

I find personally find it amusing that this type of dooms day conclusions haven’t changed since the Ice Ages.  

The truth is that Mother Nature has been trying to give us signs for the longest time. We just haven’t been listening. These aren’t the first or the last hurricanes or earthquakes. Sandy happened  to us just a mere 5 years ago! That was also a super Hurricane threatening and devastating one of the biggest cities and civilizations on it’s path. The issue was that we rationalized it, normalized it and said it wasn’t the first time we had a Hurricane. We said there weren’t so many deaths. Thankfully, there wasn’t due to the structures that these cities have, though the damage caused was in the billions. Sandy remains one of the most expensive “natural disasters” in history. 

It’s awful that these powerful storms are forming much more frequently. Though it’s great that people are taking note of the devastations. It’s great that people are pointing out it’s due to climate change. The connection is being made. And the actual solutions will not be put in place until each of those people turn inward, and point their finger to themselves first. Yes, including you. Have you used a plastic bag today to add to the never-ending pollution that is widely impacting our ecosystems? Have you bought anything with Palm Oil in it - i.e Nutella - that is wiping out the palm forests of Eastern Asia? Have you eaten any fish from a fishery that multiplies the threats to our ocean balance through by-catches and other harmful activities? Have you had meat from a factory farm that is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases? Each of these activities also have an undeniable impact on animal suffering - though that is besides the point. 

You’re just one person? Just because you interrupt your convenience and preferences will not make a change? True. And together we are 300million in this country, over 2 billion in the Western World. We can choose to say “it’s his fault” “it’s their responsibility” and continue living like parasites who are bound to take only what their host provides. OR we can take on our intelligence. One thing I refuse is that we are "helpless" any one of us. The economy turns due to the 1% of the population and 1% can make a difference. A single man can plant an entire forest or clean-up an entire beach. You are more powerful than you think. It’s time we stop denying our power and take responsibility for it. It’s small changes, big impacts. The other day I heard somebody give the definition of negligence "doing the same thing over and over again knowing that the result is bad, harmful or otherwise detrimental", the good news he said "negligence doesn't start until tomorrow". The choice is ours. 

We are all in this together.