So, what should a person do? Why should we care? Is this really all the fault of the big oil companies and their need to make more money?

Hopefully, this is not going to be me preaching to you. Hopefully, this can be a little fun. Hopefully, we all might learn something. For the next five minutes, or however long it takes you to read this article, we will try to figure out how to take the brain surgery out of going green and show you how becoming engaged in this shift in lifestyle choices can be one of the most powerful things that you can do.

First let’s address the most important question out there in the green movement. Why Should I Care? Most of you are either parents or have children that hold a place near and dear to your hearts. I have a 15 year old son who believes that we grown ups have screwed up the world almost beyond repair – and he is probably right. What pulled me into this wild and crazy world we call “green” was the need to be able to look him in the eyes and know that I am in fact trying to fix what is broken. It isn’t too late. The technology and commercial availability of products, as well as the volume of knowledge out there on “going green” is huge. So, this is my way of giving you yet one more tool in your tool chest that can make it easier to go green…Just one thing.

How many of you have stood in the hardware store and debated whether to spend the extra money to purchase compact fluorescent light bulbs, or filled your car tank and wondered if it was time to buy a hybrid, or pondered the concept of organic milk and produce over mainstream? For many of us, this green “movement” is a lot like the adventures about ten years ago when all of the nutrition articles were coming out. One day we were all supposed to eat a certain fruit and the next day someone had found that if eaten in excess, it would cause cancer. One day bacon was good, the next bacon was going to kill you. One day organic was hype, the next it was a “good thing” and over time – for some of us years – we realized that it was up to us to figure out what was “truth”.

Purse happiness, freedom, and personal fulfillment in consideration of the similar pursuits of our fellows in your community, country, and culture, and in the global community of all peoples, countries, and cultures

Choose a work or profession and commit your time and talents to an activity that is useful and beneficial to your community and doesn’t harm other people, other communities, or nature

Do your best to help children and young people to discover their own responsible ways of thinking and acting

Join forces with like-minded people to preserve or restore the integrity of the environment so it can generate and regenerate the resources essential for human life and well-being

Increase the sustainability of your household by reducing its carbon footprint, save energy and natural resources, and minimize waste.

Become a discriminating consumer. Make decisions that express your personality and cultural values rather than prestige labels; avoid choices based on how much you can afford, choose long lasting, locally produced, energy efficient, renewable resources, healthy.

The shared fundamental value of our world is inner rather than outer growth – the growth of social, intellectual, and emotional life. The need to shift from Natural capital to Natural income is at a critical point. Natural capital consists of the accumulated riches of the earth – used and then discarded. Natural income embraces all natural resources that can be renewed, replenished, or recycled. In making this shift – along with becoming “conscious” to our decisions, the size of our ecological footprint will approach the sustainable level to maintain the planet. In addition, corporations everywhere should not just focus on how to increase value for the shareholders by exploiting all of the available resources, but to assume social and ecological responsibility for the stakeholders.

The factors that decide our future is how we think and act. We can and must live up to the potentials of a species that possesses a high level of consciousness. Each of us must start with ourselves to evolve this consciousness to appreciate that we are connected to Earth and all that makes this planet home. Our decisions matter.