Live With Awareness, Not Pessimism

How to live with climate change, pragmatic carnivorism, failing conservation and plastic trash?

There is a brilliant individual on Twitter who spreads awareness of climate change. The person is well-informed and I’m certain, well-intentioned. I follow this account.

After a while however, I realized that being consistently bombarded with – truthful, but – only negative information doesn’t serve me well. Facts are important. We should know them. But focusing solely on the negative is neither wise nor productive.

Don’t listen to prophets of doom. Don’t become one yourself. Gloom – like fear – is paralyzing. I’m not saying “don’t worry, be happy”. There are quite a few things to worry about. But there are also things that are good and hopeful.

Wisdom is finding a balance between extremes.

Some answers to our collective problems already exist, solutions to others are being pursued as we speak. Let’s live our lives, keep eyes on science and implement what we already know in our lives.

If you hate climate change, make sure to drive an electric vehicle, rely on solar energy, etc. If you love animals, adopt a shelter pet, turn vegan or stop pragmatic carnivorism and eat significantly less meat. If you hate failing conservation, plant a tree, try permaculture or hydroponics. If you hate plastic trash, avoid buying and using plastic. There is always something that YOU can do. You also have a voice and a vote that matter. Use them for causes you believe in. Implement what you know helps to #SaveThePlanet.

Staying up at night imagining the worst case scenario won’t move the scale in our favor. Living with optimism, awareness and courage will. Live With Awareness, Not Pessimism!

And with Christmas fast approaching, living with a heart makes many of our own problems (including pandemic-induced feelings of isolation) smaller! Send warm wishes to everyone you know. Donate a dollar to the survivors of the catastrophic tornado in Kentucky and another dollar to anyone in America who goes hungry. Your wishes and donations won’t change the world, but you’ll know that someone will be less lonely and less hungry this Christmas because of YOU….

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
from Alternative Human Community

Photo credits in chronological order:
Photo on top of this page: Lothar Dieterich
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
Photo by Shawn Dearn on Unsplash