The other morning I was riding to work, and as I passed a car, a hand reached out to throw a cigarette box out the window. The car sped off and I stopped to pick up the litter, frustrated by the driver’s callousness.
For the rest of my ride I couldn’t help but notice how careless people are when it comes to caring for our environment.
I began feeling really overwhelmed.
If people think nothing about simple things like not littering, then how are we ever going to face complex problems like deforestation and climate change?
If many find it difficult to understand the direct impact their littering has on the planet, then how are they ever going to appreciate the far less apparent impact they are having when relying on coal power to electrify their homes?
My email had the answer: People like you.
That day I got no less than five emails from people who had downloaded a petition form and personally approached friends and family for their signatures.
I also got many other tweets and emails from people who’d put up Greenpeace adverts on their blogs and websites. Not to mention those who’d donated tweets to Greenpeace, become financial supporters, or joined the ranks of our cyber activists.
It made me realise that people like you are the ones who will make saving the planet possible: people who are willing to take time out of their busy lives to bring change into the world.
So basically I just wanted to say thank-you to those people – not just for getting involved, but for recharging my batteries on a daily basis and keeping me in the fight for a better world.
Mike