Thoughts on Environmental Impact

As lots of people are striking for the climate and environment today, I figured this was a good day to do this post. I love the energy of the young people out working to change the world. At the same time, as an increasingly older, some might say, curmudgeonly person, I've seen a heck of a lot of this in my life, while the environmental destruction continues.

This photo is a hillside in a park, where people have been finding Quartz crystals. They are literally digging up the mountain side, sometimes in groups of whole families. You can see how they have tunneled into the hillside. This was a very small dig site, because I just couldn't bring myself to go back down the trail where the main excavations were. As the man who told us how far down the trail it was, said, "it looks like a war zone". People have tunneled under stumps and also living trees.... The hillside is a series of tunnels and rubble. I think these people were dwarves in a previous life, maybe? I love crystals.... But after seeing the destructive way they are gathered, I probably won't buy more. I can't justify the cost to the environment. Actually, it was horrifying. Such a beautiful abundant place, being dug up. These are average people, not governments or corporations. Yes, we want the corporations to stop destructive operations and to invest in Green technologies; but there is a disconnect in thinking the solutions are all about others, somewhere else, while being part of the problem. If we are really...Finally....going to make real changes, we have to start doing it differently ourselves, in our own back yards. And it won't be convenient. I wake up to the sound of chain saws quite often in my neighborhood. Everyone wants to save the environment, but has reason not to in their own lives. The sickness runs through the whole society. A movement to save the climate that sustains us has a better chance of success if it starts from the grassroots and goes to the top than the other way around. Imho. If you've read all of this, thank you for caring for the Earth. It's our only beautiful, place to live, let's show it some love. 🌾🙏💗🏞🐦