Environment, Green, Sustainabilty

Yesterday I mentioned that I like the word sustainability better than green to denote efforts to maintain a healthy envoronment in which we live.. Green to me carries a connotation that it probably doesn't to other people. To me it stands for the mindset that some people have that there is something inherently wrong with development and a blaming attitude towards people. Again this is just my personal connotation. I like the word sustainabilty better.

Sometimes it seems to me that there is very little that I can do that will make a difference. I can do some things. We recycle. We drive modest fuel efficient cars. We are putting in a solar water heater. We don't heat our pool. We try not to keep lights on. But I feel at times that it doesn't really matter, that as an individual household we are limited. Fortunately there are people wiser than me who don't take a fatalistic attitude. We have such people at Cottonwood. We have a Sustainability Team of staff members that continues to look at all that we do at Cottonwood. This group has changed the way we do some things here and keeps meeeting regularly to help us reduce negative enivironmrntal impact. I am glad we have this optimistic team which encourages a much healthier attitude about our ability to make a significant difference.

So to our Sustainabiltiy Team, Thanks!

Thought for the day

Together we can make a difference.

Environment, Green, Sustainability

Yesterday while walking our dog Buddy I was trying to pay special attention to the area in which we were walking to really "see" the area and environment. What initialy struck me was how much concrete there is in our area. We live near a major intersection and though I don't go in that direction I was thinking about the fact that we live in a somewhat impoverished natural environment. No walks in the country, the desert for Buddy and me. But then very quickly I thought about all the things that go along with the concrete environment.

I live literally 5 minutes away from some of the best medical care in the world if I should become ill. I live less than 5 minutes from a grocery store which has more food that I could eat in a year. I am nearby a bookstore and a library that gives me access to the best minds of the past and present. I have instant access to anything I want to know more about via the internet. All of this goes along with an environment that is full of cars, concrete, and use of energy.

We can't go back in time nor do I think we want to. Development and growth is inevitable. John Denver used to sing in his song Rocky Mountain High "more people more scars upon the land". That was easy for him to say. He already had his place in Aspen! I don't like the word green to describe environmental concerns. I know it doesn't mean this but the connotation to me is that somehow people ourselves and development are wrong in themselves. I prefer the word sustainabilty as it implies a more realistic attitude.

More on this tomorrow. In the meantime I plan to continue to enjoy my walks with Buddy.

Thought for the day

May God give us the wisdom to partner together in new ways.