Declaration of New Patriotism
Global warming is the crisis of our time.
As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s birthday, we renew our commitment to the qualities and values that have guided our nation for more than 200 years.
We the undersigned, pledge to:
- Be mindful consumers, by minimizing our personal global warming “footprint;”
- Be active citizens, by pressing our elected officials to take urgent action now, and by pressing all candidates for office to commit to passing strong legislation to cut America's global warming pollution;
Please help us add to this declaration. Add your comments by clicking "Comments" or "Post a Comment" below.
Thank you.
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1,223 comments:
1 – 200 of 1223 Newer› Newest»I think we should add a bullet point about educating others by setting a good example...be a responsible consumer, but also be a positive, non -judgemental friend who can explain why you're making environmentally friendly choices.
I'd like to suggest a bullet point about educating one person a week/month on the easy ways that they can reduce their global warming pollution. Such as: switching to more efficient light blubs, driving less and taking public transportation more, etc. Make sure you follow-up with the people you tell to see if they are doing their part to fight global warming!
Global Warming is America's opportunity to regain the world leader mantle by taking the lead in fighting it. Doing our part to fight global warming is not just good for the planet, it's patriotic!
Elect politicians who will back funding for research and development of alternative fuels that are safe for the enviromnent. Support businesses that are "green".
I think being a patriot means questioning those in control, agreeing and disagreeing, but making our voices heard.
I'm not American, so I suggest a patriotism to the planet, out of love for all habitats on Earth.
Thanks! Heidi
We should develope more green products and support the companies which already have them. We should look for employers which offer telecommuting. We must recycle and buy recycled items! It's our job to save this planet and the health of all its inhabitants!
Educate the public about the effect of war on global warming.
A patriot is someone who loves and cares for, defends and protects his country. We can do all this by protecting our country's and our world's environment. Simple as that!
Recycle, recycle, recycle....
Being a patriot means loyaly principles rather than persons, and the ability to question authority and defy it when necessary.
I think part of being a Patriot is resolving to be earth custodians. Safegaurding and improving natural conditions where ever we can so our country will have a place to have a future. And our children will have a good place to live!
great comment Sharon!!!
We need to educate the next generation about how to live, "mindfully" about the environment. It is the only way to ensure the ongoing survival of mother earth. A curriculum should be established in pre-k or even head start. Kids are so responsive to their environment and love to be helpful. They also love to learn about how the world works.
-Carol
If the bullet points of this declaration are individual focused, I think we should add a point about urging your workplace to help fight global warming by having energy efficient operations and promoting public transportation. Or, considering your employer's or potential employer's views on global warming and energy efficiency when making a decision to accept a position.
Raise critical consciousness of the environment in general through discussion about how it is everything to who we are as human beings. We are not separate from it but a part of it. To harm it is to harm ourselves.
Moving away from our materialistic culture is tightly coupled with protecting the environment. We as a people need to take step back, look within ourselves and see what our needs really are. Do we need so many articles of clothing? Do we need to wear makeup? I believe this is the key first step for a long and lasting solution to global warming and other environmental issues. If our lives are simplified, so will our problems!
Be advocates for environmental friendly choices in our homes, neighborhoods, place of business, schools, churches, and at the local merchant and government levels.
We should have a bullet point reminding people that even if the actions of one person seem insignificant, all of those actions taken together make a large impact. One person CAN make a difference through conservation and activism on behalf of our country and our earth.
Emphasize conservation. Reducing our carbon footprint is essential. Be aware of the environmental impacts of alternatives to fossil fuel too. Dams kill salmon. Growing crops for biofuels consume water, land habitat and must be transported. Nuclear waste lasts a long time. Carbon sequestration is an unproven technology. Conservation through weatherization of our homes, more efficient vehicles, lighting, and heating seems to be the best at avoiding negative environmental impacts.
We must work together now to build a better future for our children and our children's children.
In this country, "balance" has sometimess meant something like what happened when the tobacco companies were allowed to use ads for cigarettes that promoted them with the words, "doctors recommend." The damage was lasting and deep. Patritotism doesn't always mean taking a "balanced" point of view, especially when lives are at risk,
We the people recognize that we are only one species among many on this planet. We also acknowledge that we are responsible for the extermination of many species. It is our responsiblity to stop this destructive behavior and become good stewards of our most wonderful and fragile planet. First, we must begin with controlling our population. This is the single most important step that we can take. Second, we must give more than we take. Instead of building more structures upon the land, we must build more wild areas and less human-developed areas. Those areas that we re-develop must be self-sustainable. Third, we must acknowledge the equal value and interconnectedness of all species and work to preserve the diversity of our planet.
A good patriot is a leader who does what is right for his country and people. He/she should look into the long term consequences of his/her actions for the good of the people. He/she is not selfish when it comes to leading his/her people.
I think being a Patriot in 2007 in not only buying from the USA but buying Organic, All Natural products... Products that help better the American Soil and Environment. I also think we need to start using California as a model... making laws to insist on recycling and bettering our gas guzzeling automobiles...
I just think it is interesting that if you break down the word PATRIOT...you have P AT RIOT. P being the ancient symbol for the male member (as the snake was the female member symbol), and then being "at riot". It seems that our before-fathers, the mem who created this country, certainly were AT RIOT with England. So BE AT RIOT at that which is destroying the Earth and BE NOT AT RIOT with that which is not.
Use only what you need, take action to decrease consumption of non-renewable resources, and live in ways to sustain our planet for generations to come.
Being a Patriot involves understanding that we are World Citizens as well as American Citizens; that our actions and choices affect Everyone on this planet; that Everyone has a right to Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness; that respecting these basic human rights involves care for our beautiful home - Planet Earth; and that resoecting these rights leads to Peace - not war.
Everything in the universe is deeply connected. When we honor the earth, we are honoring ourselves.
The boundaries we draw between countries and between things are imaginary, and are useful only as temporary administrative tools. They are not sacrosanct, and they are definitely not worth warring over.
In the 21st century, it is no longer enough to be a patriot of our own country. We must be global patriots. Americans are the biggest energy consumers per capita in the world. That gives us the power to be abusers or trend setters. We must use our buying power to demand and support energy efficient technologies over wasteful ones. By creating a strong market for green products, we support the necessary research. But, government must also step in, as it did in the 70's, to create legislation to get the ball rolling as well.
Greening of the planet is in the hands of developed nations. Developing nations cannot afford to create these technologies. As it is, they are barely able to adopt existing ones.
Grow Up! Be Responsible! There is NO entitlement for Humans! Act more like the other fauna on the planet and consume only what you need.
GLOSA: ALLEGIANCE
“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which
it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Francis Bellamy, original Pledge of Allegiance, October 1892
Ours, yours, his, hers; how do we hold
life with each other? Can one hand gentle
the child’s shoulder, one hand stretch
over the heart, a mind keep the vision of the many
like starlight? Can we claim ourselves
in the Country dark, shaped and staggered
bodies, infused, shimmering, drawn in orbits
as sunrays sway the grasses to stand
"in the service of all to all" (Helen Keller)?
Within this Magnet
I pledge allegiance to my Flag
of the united songs of America,
the red and blue songs, the amber,
the green, the purple songs; the city,
the fishing, the grain, the mountain songs
raised in the right to be raised, and remembering
songs of slavery, of theft, of life, of lands,
of Native ways and trails; of shame,
of truth. I pledge my voice to my time,
to the Constitution, the long-range plan,
and to the Republic for which it stands
sentinel, where we live in trust
on this planet not belonging to us:
"we belong to Earth" (Chief Seattle), to be, to feel, to act,
to love, to speak, to see, to know.
When a people raise their hymn I stand
under every green note of the Country
of its raising, in its pattern of Light,
its honor of root, water, soil, limb, and air.
We breathe, become under this Canopy
one nation, indivisible, with liberty
to carry into the next generation
for every leaf in its leaning,
for "the arc of the moral universe
is long, but it bends toward justice" (Martin Luther King, Jr.),
for the curves of the branches of knowing
equality for some flattens into a wall
for the rest; for learning to stand
in wind and sun; for circles of adults
to respond, for arcs for children to call,
and justice for all.
Since the United States of America is the largest consumer and depleter of resources on the planet,
resolve to be a patriot this way...question the true
need of every purchase you make. Picture the land fill and this item you are considering in the future. If every patriot sacrificed getting what they thought they wanted by just 10%, our nation could make an enormous impact and first step.
We have a unique responsibility to this planet, one that every other animal species but us seems to understand and adhere to. Our survival is closely linked with the survival of this earth. There is no magical bullet to fix this problem, and no supernatural force will save us from ourselves. Understanding that we are a part of this world, a species that must follow the laws of nature as well as any other, is the first step, and indeed the critical step in curbing and reversing global warming.
We need to put pressure on the Congress to pass legislation to help repair the current situation, and also we need to help them by holding them accountable to the legislation. Our kids deserve a clean and safe world. Right now they do not understand why adults are allowing global warming since they know that they will be on this earth longer than the adults will be.
A patriot is someone who loves this country and is proud of the blessings we have as citizens of this world. However, a patriot realizes that there are responsibilities for our country and for all of us as individual citizens of this country. A patriot knows that we here in 21st century United States are blessed with much wealth, health, and opportunities. Modern patriots realize we also have a responsibility to the entire world and future populations of the US and world - while we can be proud of our country we have to show the world we care about the world. Modern patriots have foresight to look to the world, and take care of this world so the beauty's of our country and world will be preserved for the present and future generations of the US and all world citizens.
Perhaps more than ever before in human history, we have a responsibility to protect future generations. Our decisions today will have a huge impact on them: Do we want to create their disaster through our addictive consumption, or do we want to take whatever steps are necessary to leave them a chance for a good life on Earth? How do we want to be remembered by them?
renew, reuse, recycle
We should listen to American Indians. They have had it right from the beginning. Take care of Mother Earth and she will take care of you. They hold the earth in high esteem, something that most of us had not been doing until recently when we realized that our very existence is threatened.
I agree with so many of those that have posted comments and would encourage those who could work from home offices to do so thus reducing gas consumption , toxic emmisions and traffic.
We need to stop climbing to the "top" for just one minute and take the time to look around. And then we need to climb back down to the ground and tell others about what we saw. It's not enough to understand the challenges that we face. We need to promote the solutions. Education is key to the cultural paradigm shift that we need to undergo.
To be a patriot is to put country ahead of self. It means being willing to sacrifice by paying the taxes we need for the good of the country. It means being willing to forgo purchases and behaviors that damage the national environment. It means recognizing that we all depend upon each other and that we cannot insist on meeting our own needs against the interests of the larger community.
We have this final and most urgent opportunity to stop being part of the problem and begin being a part of the solution. The objectives to the goal are clear; they only await implementation. Let's start down that path to repairing what we ourselves have broken.
I would like to create an incentive for companies to turn off computer monitors as soon as they leave for the day. This would save electric.
My next suggestion is to create more incentives for IT workers to work from home at least 3 days per week. This will save oil.
The lines we draw between things and between places are temporary and should not mask the deep connection between us and all things.
A patriot is not bound to a particular country, rather a patriot is one who respects all life and recongizes a deep kinship with all beings, animate and inanimate.
Being patriotic to our country means looking beyond making a fast buck amd considering the consequences of our actions on the environment... look what we've already done by strip mining our land, polluting our rivers, over-fishing the oceans. Be responsible to our future generations by conserving our resources.
Respect all life - including life that does not come in human bodies
Reduce mindless consumerism
Place recycling bins at office buildings and business park complexes!
There are recycling pickups at my home but not at my place of business which uses 25x the amount of recyclable paper products.
As consumers, we need to vote with our pocketbooks. Support green businesses and organizations that fund research into alternative energy sources. Consume produce from local growers, instead of produce that had to be transported by a gasoline-powered vehicle. Support organic farmers who don't poison our environment. Find ways to reuse things. Telecommute.
Advertisers try to convince us that we NEED all their junk, but we really don't - it usually ends up in a landfill.
Being a patriot means caring about our country (as well as the rest of the planet!), and doing all we can to protect it.
We must change our self images on both individual and corporate levels. We need to become a people who live WITH our planet, not just taking FROM our planet. Big Business must take the lead. Each and every one of us must follow in the DAILY awareness of our actions and use of the gifts of the Earth. I believe that eliminating poverty and homelessness is a prerequisite to being able to teach people to give back. People can't conserve when they don't have enough.
A patriot never uses his/her homeland, it's waters or skies as a dumping ground for waste, poisons pollutants...
Being a patriot today requires that we have a vision of what we must do individually and as a nation to make our world environmentally secure over the next few generations, and requires that we have the information and will to act accordingly.
We need to do several things: 1) First we need to educate globally what is normal climate shift as demonstrated throughout the Quaternary (Ice Age) as illustrated in ice core varves showing the changes common to the interglacials and glacial periods. 2) Second, we need to educate the importance of protecting all keystone species of wildlife that help to maintain the prairies, forests and oceans all of which contribute to climate. 3) Third, we need to do everything in our power to minimize human impact on climate change factors, such as stopping the destruction of the rain forest, strip mining and overdevelopment of land to name just a few. Jim Trever
To be a patriot is to invest in the future of our nation in a responsible manner. Instead of investing in transportation methods that require the usage of fossil fuels and that contribute to global warming, we should invest in mass transit that utilizes renewable energy resources that don't give off carbon emissions. Instead of roadways, build railways. Intead of fueling these trains with fossil fuels, power them with electric.
As our fore-fathers and -mothers declared their values for generations to come, so must we declare our respect for the rights of future generations to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness in a clean world.
Being a patriot is to question the practices of big companies and people in authority who have become so gready for monetary wealth that they ignore the needs and wellbeing of all lifeforms. A small bee does more good than the company that trashes the earth for gold.
Patriotism is about love and respect for your country and it always implies love of the land and our environment including stewardship. Patriotism is not about what we can get away with individually, but rather what can we accomplish together.
Your god, my god, the energy that surrounds us, has surrounded us with this beauty we call earth. This god has asked us to care for our home, as we would care for something we borrowed from a friend. My mom always taught me that if you borrow something, ALWAYS return it in better condition than you borrowed it in. We must do the same for planet earth.
Boycott corporations that stand in the way of environmental advocates or do not follow responsible environmental policies in general.
Best idea in quite some time, an official environmental document that would be recognized by the government.
A patriot is someone who has a vision, a vision of what can be, a vision of what is the greatest good, for the greatest number, and supports and defends that vision at all costs. One observation I have is that people seem to misunderstand how to make visions come to pass. I believe that it is misguided to focus on what you do NOT want, i.e global warming, but instead to focus on what you DO want. Focus on respect for the earth, sustainable energy sources, and a lifestyle that honors all life on earth. Partiots of our constitution focused on what WOULD uphold democracy, and support and sustain it, and not on what would prevent tyranny and facism, though that would be the end result. People will change, and joyfully so, if given options and solutions that are MORE attractive than the ones they have been shown. Postive, forward action is 10X more effective, and powerful, than negative, forward attack and confrontation. Let us be positive, forward thinking, proactive patriots, and support visions of a renewable and sustainable future for all humanity, and all life! Please!
We vow to build modern reliable long distance and local public transportation. The rest of the world can do it and we should be able to do it better! Let's show some American pride, get out of the traffic jams and enjoy the commute. Let's get this done right!
Patriotism in the 21st century transcends national boundaries. We are all citizens and inheritors of the Earth, and we must care for her so that our children and their children will know her as we do.
Being a Patriot today and 250 years ago still means the same things. Our most important resources are our people and our land. Those two resources are linked together so that when the people care for the land, the land provides for the people's needs. When the people stop caring for the land, abuse it, poison it and choose to leave it that way, the land can no longer sustain the people's needs.
Let's remind the world that the U.S. is still capable of great good by taking the lead to stop global warming pollution. I can't think of anything more patriotic than changing our lives to save our environment, and encouraging the world to follow our lead.
As willing or unwilling stewards of the natural Earth, and the quality of life that we enjoy, we all must consider our priorities for how life should be lived, and what is truly important. Climate change, depletion of natural resources, and destruction of the environment can no longer be tolerated or condoned for any reason. Accumulation of money and posessions at any cost must take a back seat to learning to understand and respect the natural flow of things and to preserving those wilderness places that sooth our souls and nourish our minds and bodies. Lets treat Mother Earth with respect and love, while not overcrowding her, so that all living things may flourish in harmony.
It's this seventh generation thing, too--taking the long view, enjoying our planet without lessening the possibility for enjoyment by future generations.
Pat Robertson has stated that he believes in global warming. His followers will make a change if he asks them to. Somehow, we need to get the churches involved. People always seem to follow what their church recommends.
It should be unconstitutional for someone from a large polluting industry to hold any state office or be on any environmental counsel. Use the everyday common people that have nothing to loss and everything to gain when industry is made to comply with state and federal regulations. Big business has too much money to buy government.
Control (stabilization or even reduction) of the size of the human population is a sine qua non for the slowing of Global Warming. It must underlie all the other measures we can take.
I agree with what everyone's said so far. If we want to survive as a species, we need to take action and do it now. All of us.
Aim to preserve all natural surroundings, especially clean water and clean air, and be the best possible protector of the earth's resources—conserve, buy wisely, buy locally, reduce waste, reuse, recycle.
Patriotism is far more than flag-waving and blindly supporting our elected officials when they blunder. True patriotism is asking the tough questions and holding our elected officials accountable for their actions.
Global warming is not going to go away by itself; we can’t “spend” our way of this issue the way the current president told us we could spend our way out the recession in the aftermath of 9/11.
To curb global warming will require sacrifice on the part of all Americans — the way our parents sacrificed during World War II. We need to learn to slow down on the freeways, drive more efficiently in the city, combine trips, carpool, tell the kids “no” when they ask to be taken to the mall — do whatever it takes save even a half-gallon of gas each week. Imagine how much gas could be saved, how much carbon emissions wouldn’t be funneled into the atmosphere, by 200,000,000 Americans each saving a half-gallon of gas on a weekly — not to mention the drop in price at the pumps!
In addition to sacrifice, we need to hold the automotive industry accountable for doing nothing in the past 30 years to improve their product. Thirty years ago we had automobiles capable of getting 40 mpg. Today the industry boasts of automobiles that get 30 mpg. In thirty years we’ve regressed. Gone are the Pintos of Chevettes of the 1970s; here today, in the 21st century, we have the Ford Escapes and fleets of gas-guzzling luxury cars and SUVs to which we’ve become addicted. We’re told we’re twenty years away from hydrogen powered automobiles — where would we be today if we’d started research and development into alternate fuels twenty years ago? Making the cost of a hybrid much more affordable is another step in the right direction.
And while we’re at it, let’s hold accountable the oil industry for standing in the way of progress in the name of profits. They may talk a good game, but they’ve been enjoying record profits for years, aided by their presence in Washington and by the oil baron residing in the Oval Office.
By becoming more energy efficient, we can turn the tide against global warming, become less dependent on foreign sources of oil, and win the war against terrorism, all at the expense of a healthier economy. What good is a healthy economy in the face of a dying planet? This nation has long since been unmindful of waste — we need to tighten our belts and suck it up so that our children’s children will have a brighter future. What better reason do we need?
I'd like to suggest educating the people we know about using their own shopping bags
I think it would be helpful to say that we are committed to continually educating not only other people but also ourselves about the environment. New and exciting things are happening all the time and we all need to be committed to making sure we are making use of new ideas and technology.
Patriotism is where the importance of the health of this planet which means the health of its inhabitants, supercedes the importance of the "Corporatocracy" or the illusion of protecting jobs. Holding criminal polluters accountable through serious punishments and being brave enough to stand up to them by enforcing these punishments instead of being silenced with hush money. Patriotism is educating the people fully instead of allowing media to use watered down propaganda. This includes true mapping of soil, air, and water instabilities, which industries (BY NAME) are contributing to the death of our planet, Truth about how these industries are contributing to instabilities, truth about migration of the global south for survival and our role in being good neighbors, demanding our government to switch from gas guzzling vehicles to hybrids NOW! Stop all coal burning energy systems and replace them with wind turbines, and get the hell out of the Middle East. This close minded insistence of proliferating other sovereign states resources only continues the narrow minded greed for petroleum energy fuel sources.
soil, yes soil. dirt! There is astounding new information about life in soil. Life=organic content=carbon sequestration! (Life is made up of carbon-based organisms.) How much carbon can we sequester if we stop "killing" the soil of vast amounts of American farmlands with chemical pesticides? The field of soil science is growing. Let's all learn more and try to pay attention to the major national farm bill under consideration this year! (I think I read somewhere that if the organic content of U.S. soil was increased by only 1%, it would sequester a huge percentage of the CO2 produced in one year in the world! And the soil of our farms has much much lower organic content than it used to because of industrial farming practices. (I think something like 20%.) Alternative, more sustainable alternatives exist for meeting our food needs! Let's learn about these connections....
A patriot is someone who will not patronize a business that does not strive to be planet-friendly, and particularly someone who will actively boycott businesses that support efforts to deny environmental hazards, suppress information about such hazards, or try to block efforts to respond to such hazards.
We should pledge to put our dollars where our ethics are by avoiding purchasing products or services from companies that do not meet our ethical standards.
On dictionary.com, patriot is defined as, " a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion. " Are we really loving our country or defending its interests with devotion if we are not 100% commited to improving the environment? There will be no country to love if global warming continues to change the face of the planet at such an alarming rate. Let's be patriots by loving our country enough to take care of the earth, the air, and the water that contains our borders and nourishes our citizens and makes America beautiful.
i believe over population is what's killing our planet. in some societies where the basic need for survival(food&water)is not met people still have children dying in hunger and proverty. in a more modern countries people are too busy chasing that almightly dollar at any cost, meaning dumping our waste and toxins cost effectively into our own soil, water and air in the name of more greed and money. and still not having time to care and nurture for our own children. at what cost is human race multiplying?
A patriot is someone who speaks up with selfless vision for the betterment of future generations. And speaks up for the positive outcome, not the negative. We should advocate global cooling!
I think the Earth is in SERIOUS trouble. And because of this fact, drastic measures, RIGHT NOW, are what is really necessary. That means that we need to cease and desist from all activities which create harmful pollution NOW. I don't personally believe long-term plans to 'gradually' decrease pollution levels, are going to be enough. Because the rate at which our planet is dying, and vital resources are dwindling, and people are becoming ill and dying, as a result of pollution, as well as lack of access to vital resources, is moving along at a much faster pace, than the rate at which we are cutting down our pollution and exploitation of vital resources. We need leaders who are willing to make the vital necessary changes NOW, if we want to have an earth we can still live on, a generation or two from now. But not only an Earth we can still live on, but one which provides a reasonable quality of life for all who inhabit it. I think we are already nearly 'past the point of no return', when we have to tell our children they can't go out and enjoy the sunshine that we enjoyed, without reservations, when we were children. We do not have the RIGHT to leave this kind of world to our children. They should have a right to the same quality of life, and enjoyment of this planet, that WE once had. And we have an OBLIGATION to make sure they have this.
We do not have the right to ask our children to live in a world where the chance of them developing some form of cancer, by the time they are 40, is near to 100%.
We don't have a RIGHT to ask our children to continue to live in a world where the food is not safe to eat, the water is not safe to drink, the air is not safe to breath, and the sun is not safe to walk around in. (our only current solution, being to tell them to wear SUNSCREEN??)
I know it won't really happen, because most people aren't willing to accept that these are the kinds of drastic changes that NEED to happen, if we are going to restore our world to a truly 'liveable' condition, but I think it is what SHOULD happen. If it were up to me, it is what WOULD happen.
I'm talking about shutting down ALL plants, factories, etc, which create pollution that is harmful to the environment NOW. I'm talking about BANNING the use or development of ANY technology which does the same. I'm talking about a complete moratorium on all 'weapons of mass destruction', which cause irrepairable harm to the environment. I'm talking about everyone being FORCED to get out of their cars, planes, boats, and rocketships, and to stop polluting the earth, NOW. Yes, it would cause quite a lot of hardship and inconvenience, for those of us who have become accustomed to depending on these technologies, but it would be WORTH IT, in the end. I think this is what the Earth REALLY needs, and unless we are willing to do it, there is little hope we will ever bring it back to the condition it was meant to be in.
People work years for pollution reducing legislation, and conservation imperatives, only to see all their hard work undone, by someone with a political agenda which doesn't respect or acknowledge the same value systems. (the Bush Administration being a perfect example). That's why we need strict, immediate, & permanent bans on pollution, and pollution producing technologies, and mandatory conservation initiatives, which make no compromises for hidden agendas, dishonest motives, or greed.
As long as we are willing to 'compromise' on the pollution and destruction of our earth, there will always be someone willing to compromise our very right to exist, in a healthy and sustainable environment.
I think it's time we declared NO COMPROMISE on these issues.
we humans are only caretakers of the world we live in, and we have a duty to the generations to come, to leave them a world that is healthy. make it a personal choice to do something good for the planet every day.
Patriotism, in my opinion and as related to the task at hand, is working toward preserving the nation without regard for personal gain. For instance, an act of patriotism might be working to preserve our resources so that we may remain the independant nation that we worked so hard to become.
Although, patriotism might also be coming up with new ways so work more efficiently so that citizens can have more available time to enjoy our resources - to see the same forests and wild places that Lewis and Clark saw, or to gaze up a starry sky and wonder what those who came before thought of such beautiful sites.
We need to figure out a way to help the people in the rain forests live well without cutting down those forests, thereby reducing the huge amount of emissions currently being sent into the atmosphere.
I think we need to be more in tune with nature and the environment. I believe we need to be less materialistic and greedy. Keeping after yourself and the way you are affecting the environment, doing what you can when you can to help save our precious home.
I'm sorry this wasn't a better comment. :\
Global warming can be addressed quite easily, once you get Corporate greed out of the picture. Technology has existed for years, that would reverse the issues. More vehicles that burn alternative fuels. More wind farms, more solar. Companies need to give incentives to the average individual to use available technologies, that are too expensive for most people. Mass transit should be addressed in this country with the same ferver as the Europeans, and other countries around the world. The alternatives to doing nothing is not pretty. People in America need to start talking to one another again, to work towards some common goals. It starts with the individual.
One huge way we can help global warming is to start where the climates are most effected by it, the major cities. We need to make the tops of every building green, with gardens, plants and trees so when you are in an air plane you will see green not only the tops of buildings. By doing this it will offset polution, the heat and make the air safer to breathe. Being patriotic is taking care of our nation, all aspects of it. And I think nature is the biggest part because it effects everything. If we do our part it will have a ripple affect going to our health, which makes us happier and less in debt and stressed!
quote: "I'm not American, so I suggest a patriotism to the planet, out of love for all habitats on Earth.
Thanks! Heidi"
I agree totally!!
The most patriotic thing we can do is elect leaders who will take global warming seriously, so they will ban lobbyists who are destroying not just this country, but the entire planet. Americans need to give up their haughty sense of entitlement, as well as their greed. Let's go back to basics. I am in the process of switching to homemade, natural cleaning products, comprising baking soda, vinegar, lemon and washing soda. It may sound small, but I think it's a huge step towards saving the planet. It seems unpatriotic to destroy other countries in our greed for oil and corporate profits. Do people really need to drive Hummers in the burbs?
Recently my fourteen year old grandson looked me in the eye and said “Grandma if Global warming is true, will there be a world left for me to get married and have a family?"
Patriotism is using all our resources to leave a world for our children and grandchildren that is envoronmentally sound by stopping the selfishness of living for today only.
A patriot loves their country enough to work to correct what is wrong and work to preserve what is right. A patriot will put the preservation of their country as a continuing unit above themself.
As for global warming there is a great opportunitty to lead here but a patriot realizes it will require self-sacrifice and willpower for the benefit of all.
Global warming is a symptom of a greater problem. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4)are the main pollution gases created by modern society. Actually much worse is the continous degredation of the bio-sphere by trying to convert the entire planet to narrow human needs. To save the planet we must decarbonize civilization , ie hydrogen fuel) and restore nature,ie. forests, wetlands etc. A planet covered with apartment houses is not possible and certainly not desireable.
When are people going to realize the answer to the woes of an industrial-consumer-easy motoring society is to stop adding more of the same? We can't carry on the destructive industrial process and expect that we won't pay. By this I mean that most of the schemes to change our fuels are flawed because they fundamentally do not address the matter of there being simply too much industry. If the industrial process is allowed to continue on a different fuel, or less polluting, or whatever, we will still be plagued with the matter of waste, of the crisis of labor abuses, and the centralization of production capability. Global warming is not just a problem of what fuel we use to run our affairs, nor is it a problem just of how much gunk we pump into the air. The new patriotism should reflect a willingness to consume far less, which would undermine the need for such mass production and ergo, the industrial economy with all the evils it produces separate from fuel and pollution issues.
There seems to be woefully little talk about actual (and acute) reduction in overall activity. It is a fact we can either face willingly and gracefully, or one we can meet out of desperation and loss. Our economy, the world's economy, is nothing without responsible use of resources, and as it is, we use them like there is no tomorrow... which, if we carry on, is a distinct possibility. I personally think that we lost the fight and that the next generations will pick from garbage dumps. The new economy will be in salvage and recycling, not information... Good day.
Respect your world. Respect freedom. Live responsibly. Pay your dues. Earn your place. Live your dream.
That oughtta do it!
We as consumers have all the power to bring changes. Demand environmentally friendly products and services from businesses and our government.
Auto companies can help us now by not producing these cars that have wasted horsepower. When on the highways we don't need hundreds of horses to drive at highway speeds. VW's (the bugs) had low horsepower yet could drive at highway speeds and get 40 mpg all day long. Now better engines that will get 60 mpg and are only 76 hp and could do 85-90 mph all day long, if required. Less fuel burning means less global warming....
We should stress mindful consumption, that we don't necessarily have to live in discomfort, but we do have to change the way we live.
As a world leader the US has a responsibility - perhaps THE responsibility to take on Global Warming and help other nations to foolw suit. WE must lead by example. We have the technological power to do so.
I am living in Austria right now and have seen first hand that people in Austria and Germany take conversion to alternative energy and conservation seriously. If these countries can make the switch, the US certainly can - or do we want to be left in the dust and blamed for our "selfish" unwillingness to work for the common good of the Earth?
A patriot is someone who loves his/her country but holds it accountable for its actions within the broader concept of global patriotism. One sets a high standard of personal integrity and then expects the same level from the government.
New Patriotism is not a bumper sticker or a t-shirt or any other hollow platitude. New Patriotism is manifested in action. If you truly want to help your country survive and prosper, then you must nurture the things that give and sustain life and vitality. The choices you make as an individual environmental consumer have real impact; make your choices wisely.
The planet is is a bad condition due to the reckless way in which our country is going about it's business as usual. The government se4ems not to care and Americans need to stand up and demand that our government take the necessary steps to insure our country is doing all it is supposed to to help save the planet. Our government is not doing it's part to help this situation and should be made to do so. We are the real government and it's time we took action.
Patriotism is loving your country and what it stands for enough to make sure those in power do so, as well.
WE supposedly stand for democracy, but our president wants a theocracy with imperial powers over the rest of the world.
Our example (at this time) is one of hegemeny, imperialism, and lack of caring for anyone but ourselves.
We need to work for a different and more compassionate world view, one that takes into account the future, not just the bottom line 6 months from now.
We must learn to value the simple things again, such as walking, taking time to talk with neighbors and enjoy time with our children,family and friends. We don't have to always drive or have the TV on or go to movies/out to eat or to the mall. We need to educate our children (and sometimes ourselves) that we can make or recycle to have what we need. We can read, talk or watch the clouds float by. We can walk, hike or dig in the veggie garden. We can help a neighbor or a friend. We can participate in cleanup/fixup programs in our community. No pollution there! We can standup and say "No" to big business that comes into a community and tries to buy votes and win over people with promises of jobs and money from pollution causing industries--we can tell people what we know about how they cause pollution. We can learn NOT to be easily swayed by $$$. We need clean air and water to breathe and have uncontaminated food and a place to live. We are here to take care of each other and the planet. We must wake up before it's too late---and we are almost too late right now!!!!!!
Instead of drilling in the arctic, build a huge solar/wind powered air filter to assist in cleansing the pollution from our air. Creates jobs, something the every country canhave a piece of therefor creating unity, and assists in slowing effects of glbal warming.
A patriot is one who is dedicated to the protection of this Country and the Earth as a whole, its natural resouorces. Not necessaarily to its leaders who are just human and more often than not driven by greed, avarice.
people need to stop being spoiled brats and start being adults taking public transportation to work or driving a small fuel saving as opposed to a fuel guzeling suv is not a fate worse than deathl
I believe that the very first step in fighting Global Warming is to stop Big Oil from drafting our Energy Policies. The fox guarding the hen-house type of governing. Until this step takes place, everything else is moot.
I believe that we have the resources to make the changes to stop or slow down global warming. It is a shame that our government or people that can make these decisions do not feel the same way. We are in a global warming crisis and it needs to be acted on immediatley in order for us and our children can enjoy our planet that we live on.
We need to get officials in the office who want to do something about global warming. We all need to do our part as citizens to stop it before it's too late!
Reduce the speed limit for the while planet.
encourage a 4 or 3 day work week for your company NOW.
Use less hot water and set a lower temperature on your hot water tank.
share a ride
buy local made and local grown
watch less tv
turn off the electric for a day if possible and play a musical instrument. say, fiddle
The planet will not be saved, that is, maintained in a condition fit for human and mammal habitatioin, until CO2 and other humanly made greenhouse gases are deposited in the atmosphere more slowly than they leach out of it. To that end, a carbon tax such as that proposed by M. Sarkozi of France (whom I otherwise cannot stand), would be most appropriate, and the higher the better.
It will require a strong government to stand up to and rein in those industrial interests, especially the oil, communications and armaments interests, that are inimical to the planet's. DO not be fooled by the PR of Greenwashing. General Motors does NOT mean you any good.
The first thing we need to do is make greed un-cool. The reason we're doing so much damage so quickly is that we keep squeezing more and more money out of our "resources" to feed greedy corporate robber barons. $41 million in salary plus a $113 million "bonus" is simply obscene. You have to lay off or "outsource" (i.e., sweat shop) a bunch of jobs and despoil a huge tract of the Mother Earth to pay for THAT puppy. Enough
bullet points, its patriotic to question leadership, the lack of leadership and exercise our intelligence. We, as people, maybe individually underfinanced vs industry, but their wealth is supported by us, by not being selective consumers. And use this same tool of selection in our voting.
We should promote & support small local farms as a valuable extension of nature & independence from the use of petrochemicals for pest control & transport which are used in such large quantities in monoculture & agribusiness.
There's nothing more patriotic than striving for clean air, water & food from sustainable & local sources.
As a patriot of the earth, try to consume less meat (or go vegetarian or vegan). Raising animals takes more land than raising crops. Eating fatty meat regularly contributes to heart disease and stroke.
We are now at the stage where we all have to start having some uncomfortable discussions. This is our time to show that we were able to give back much of what we took.
We must learn that the economy is not the only thing that matters in making decisions. As important as it is if we trash the basic infastructure of life, i.e. the planet, all the money in the world won't make any difference. We need a new approach to economic matters that reminds us of this. Remember also that the less you spend the less you need to earn and our environmental footprint involves both how we earn and how we spend.
A patriot is someone who defends what is right... regardless of the personal cost. A patriot sacrifices for the greater good.
Man-Made Pollution:
Limitless, Unabated, Unrestricted, Unattended and Unstoppable.
Pollutants are raining down on us from above and bubbling up under our sneakers from below.
Our Finite(Closed)Atmospheric System is filling up relentlessly and inexorably faster than we can ever pump it out.
Why is it that only the millions of now inedible fish in our streams and our oceans and the dead and dying trees of our forests know this?
Don't our elected City, State and Federal legislators and lawmakers recognize this as a problem?
Or do they recognize -as do the major polluters, who sponsor the former, that obese "Bottom Lines" and a Clean Environment are not compatible?
Tom Nass
5th Marine Division - WWII
As global patriots we need to environmentally plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
It's as simple as what we learned in grade school. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Also, support politicians who are environmentally conscious.
Use what you have,Consume less,Don't be a victim of American commercialism.
As a patriot I say our country needs, no must become energy efficient, that means 100% of all of America’s energy needs are produced right here in America by American’s using Clean, Renewable Energy.
Work on eliminating animal products from my diet, and make a switch to a sustainable, plant-based diet
Someone may have already said this but I think we should make it a law that industry clean up their act now not 10 years from now and stop spewing pollutants into the air and that the biggest polluters, the auto industry, should work tirelessly and with great industry to come up with new vehicles that are stylish as well as not harmful to our environment, now. Now. This earth is all we have and although she will be here long after we are gone non-the-less, I would like to continue my sojourn here for many lifetimes. Fiona Kirkpatrick
Establish a gluttony tax. Heavily tax those people who insist on owning driving autos or trucks which do not get a certain gas mileage. The car dealer would register all new owners of gluttonous cars to the govt. for record keeping.
Better yet, simply outlaw all vehicles which do not get at least 45 mpg.
The real problem, that needs to be addressed, is the population explosion. When I was born (1941) the World population was approximately 2 billion. Now it is hovering at the 6 billion mark. We continue to ignore the problem at our own peril. Ask science about the fall, and decline of the dinosaurs. They were actually on their way out when the big strike off The Yucatan Peninsula finished the job. They were literally drowning in their own excrement. As we are doing now. Consider: If the population was at a level sustainable by nature we would not have a pollution problem. So, who wants to do the right thing and volunteer to be a part of the population solution? (:>) What! No volunteers? That's okay! Continue to think that we'll be okay if we'll just get big business, and the other bad boys, to quit. Get real people! They are only supplying the demand. The population.
A patriot is one who leaves the littlest footprint possible.
Press educators to incorporate in school curriculums the ideals of conservation and wise use of natural resources in order to promote patriotism.
Stop driving Hummers and huge SUVs to pick up the dry cleaning...save the big engines for big, necessary work. It should be mandatory to drive a 4 cylinder or hybrid or corn-oil deisel.
Also, give tax breaks to families that sprend 15 + hours a month perfroming a community service such as costal clean-up, creek walks, removal of graffetti and such to inspire a sense of cummunity, and instill in the younger generation the truth that one person can make a difference just by picking up after themselves and holding themselves accountable.
i think we should stop all the talk and really pass laws that would stop all new oil drilling in this country. make it so all the big s u vs can only be driven 3 days a week. we need action now, not tommorrow.
Encourage the development of new neighborhoods where work and home are close, hereby diminishing the need to commute.
Develop incentives to encourage companies to have telework/work from home programs.
We are all infected with the disease of Affluenza. In order to better ourselves there must be a state of truce and not denial. Opening our eyes to the world we live in will dramatically affect our voice for others. Americans are destructive predators whose mind set is not realistic. Perception on poverty and the environment is fuzzy and uncertain. Don’t you think we should switch to plan B????
Michael L. Brown
To all these many, considered and heartfelt comments, I would add just this:
If it weren't the case that our Government (both the Executive AND Legislative Branches, as well as many of our state and local officials) weren't so firmly in the pockets of the financial, energy (oil, gas and coal) and healthcare sectors of our "economy," we Americans would gain a huge amount of traction on both the paramount global warming front, and the battle to reduce our indebtedness (critical in the face of falling/stagnant wages at the same time as healthcare and education costs keep skyrocketing) and help us increase our savings rate, and head off economic collapse caused by imploding realty markets and worldwide oil and gas depletion. Clean elections might well be the linchpin to effecting every one of these salutary changes. Given how much progress that the EU has made on reducing their CO2 emissions, and how differently they have funded their education and healthcare costs, and how many European countries (sadly, not all) have kept the credit card industries out of their markets, one might find empirical evidence for this argument, as well.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you... remember that 'others' includes subsequent generations. Be mindful of your consumption! Consistantly evaluate your life-- Use what you NEED not what you WANT.
A patriot simply means someone who loves their country - but that's a much bigger idea that what's really wanted by those who generally have power - there should be something about that love being for real things, the land the people (and all inhabitants), the fabric of true living, and the wonderful power of the creative forces and culture that arise from these. Something about things like rhetoric and dogma and well, lies and all the stuff that's usually called politics, being in reality just noisy neurosis at the very best, and the exact opposite of love of country, patriotism, far more often.
There does very much need to be reference to embracing our true heritage, the natural, and the truth of history, including ancient, often more sophisticated cultures, that define our land. Maybe we can even address some of the crucial healing that honesty and embracing our genuine unifying gifts could bring.
I pledge to hold the companies I support responsible for responsible, long-term planning instead of whoring for cheap quarterly gains. I pledge to VOTE OUT boardmembers of companies I own stock in when they reward executives with ridiculous compensation and farewell payments.
Being patriotic entails support and love of ones country and the principles it upholds. Being patriotic would then require a committment to the preservation of the earth that supports free and independent governments. We must sustain the planet to preserve patriotism, without a viable and healthy atmosphere there can be no sustainable life and therefore no need for free and independent government.
Award huge tax incentives to those auto and oil companies who invest and manufacture eco-friendly technology and consumer products.
By contrast, Washington should tax those corporations heavily who maintain a status quo for products or technology that maintains or adds to the pollution of our planet.
Patriotism is someone who has the courage to protect their country at all costs. So dispite a slight, and I mean slight to the point of almost nonexistant, decreace in our quality of life, shouldn't we do everything we can to stop global warming before it distroies our country?
Nature has a "BALANCE" to how things are meant to work. We "HUMANS" have screwed up the balance, we need to fix it!! Every creature has it's place and importance on this planet. We need to work to restore this and instill this in every human on theis planet. This is not our planet, we are just another creature on it!!
It is the same as the "Old Patriotism." Stand up for what is right regardless of the cost.
Maybe skip the idea of patriotism in/of countries and move towards a celebration, or a honoring in our own personal ways of all peoples, and all ways of life. It's not the easiest thing to do, honoring/celebrating all peoples, but maybe we could wish them a life without suffering, and a continued prosperity...
Blind faith in bad leadership is not patriotism.
I would like to see a bullet point informing Americnas to pay attention to thespecific sources cited in environmental publications. As a college senior, I just completed a comprehensive analysis of Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth and the overwhelming consensus was that although the book is a superb example of communicating a scientific subject to general audiences, his complete disregard for credits or references or even measley citations discredits the entire thing. This is not good! Americans are getting environmental information from uncredited, possibly unreliable sources, and I believe they need to be aware of this. The Global Warming Movement is a great one, but people need to be aware of those who wish to discredit it.
Hit people where it hurts, their pocket. Fine them!, for not recycling; doing their part. I bet then, it won't take long before they start to comply.
If I was authoring this declaration I would bring in the scientists to explain the problem, the data that backs it (reference to) and then the significance of not doing anything...i.e. if nothing is done by 200? the XXx will be flooding the XX, the XX will be extinct, etc. I will gladly sign the final declaration. Good job!
PATRIOTISM IS DEFINED AS THE ACTIONS OF A PERSON WHO DEMONSTRATES THE MEANS AND WILL TO PROTECT THE GLOBAL SOCIETY AND THE ENVIORNMENT FROM HARM WITHIN LEGAL PARAMETERS. THESE ACTIONS SHOW RESPECT FOR ALL LIFE ON EARTH.
Environmental responsibility shall become a generally accepted way of life, not just something for "tree-hugging" extremists.
A patriot is someone that values all the people in their country and strive to represent all of those voices, not steamroll on view on everyone else (like... ahem... this administration). A patriot questions and challenges the goverment to make the country better. A patriot speaks out in the face of inequity and wrong-doing. A patriot strives to protect the land, as well as the country.
Insist that like the founding father, our polititions take a stand on issues as important as global warming. This is not the time for the path of least resistance.
There is no more crucial issue to our survival than the issue of global climate change. Terrorism, warfare, and poverty with its resultant population migration will only be exacerbated by the effects of global climate change. For those folks who feel oil is worth dying for will love the future wars for water if global climate change is left to run its present course.
Patriots are not afraid to tackle the hard things and fight for them.
It may seem like you as an individual can't make a difference. You can. If every one of us does something, no matter how trivial it may seem--for example, bring your newspaper home to recycle if there's no recycling at work--it will add up.
I believe companies should encourage their employees to work at home as much as possible. Ways should be sought to evaluate the quality of such work in order to reassure employers that it is not merely an excuse for goofing off. If videconferencing and telecommuting were to become the norm, that would significantly reduce traffic, enhance productivity by saving hours of commuting time, and reduce pollution and damage to the environment. It would also do much to enhance residential neighborhoods by making them more than "bedroom communities."
There is little doubt that solar will be the primary energy source in the future. The question is when do we make the transition. There should be a national commitment to transition to a solar based energy economy in the next twenty years.
Patroitism vs. loyalism:
Loyalism is stand by my party (or religion or any conviction of alliance to an organized group), no matter what (a sort of blind faith).
Patriotism is standing with your convictions, but if you see that the status quo is wrong, you work to affect change.
first off electric power must be made without using so much coal, i realize that new cleaner method's are being used to generate power so so much sulfur is not being emitted, diesel smoke as well, atomic power is the answer to some of the needs, but much more can be made with the wind powered methods, the only reason i can see that this is not being done everywhere is because big business is trying to kill anything that competes with their money coming in. norway makes over 20 % of their power with natural ways that do not burn anything that will add to the pollution. we must stop companys like ( first energy) that cant wait to add more money to their bank account because laws stopping them from collecting back the money they have to spend to maintain their own equipment, this will happen in 2009 in ohio and surrounding states. we could rush the setup of windpower and also wave power from rivers and lakes as well as the oceans waves pounding against the shore-this is already being done in great britain, the natural gas company's are also taking advantage of the people as the oil company's are doing every day, there is no reason they have to make record profits while the whole country suffers financially, out current whitehouse dwellers that continue to support the oil giants and support the killing of people for profit from oil.
WORLD PATRIOTISM. Those who from their deeper spiritual conscience take a stand in both their personal and community endeavors toward the recognition of truth; sustaining our earthly environment; and securing human sovereignty and freedom on this planet.
Innovation has always been key to the American way. Being innovative (thinking outside the box) is a great way to save the planet. Alternative energy sources and constantly searching for those new resources and new ideas should be part of the plan.
"Patriotism" (beliefs held within imaginary geographical lines) may fall short when addressing issues of a global magnitude. Rather than "attacking" global warming, "competing to become number one" again and becoming "conscientious consumers", let us lead by example, earn the status of global citizens and ignite the passion of others to follow. A united front, indepedent of location and beliefs.
There is a reason we only have a "lease on life"; we all leave our world at some time or another, but rest assured when we leave mother earth will still be chugging along thanks to our lack of care.
Just as an aquarium needs light, oxygen, food, and clean water for their habitat to survive so do we as humans. The only problem is we don't have anyone to change out our water, remove UV rays, feed us when we are without food, or filter our air supply.
From 1990-1996 I was president of a company that turned used plastic soda bottles (PET) into clothing and other products that are still being worn and manufactured to this day out of the landfill and onto the shelves for resale.
We are running out of time literally to save the planet as we know it today. We've already lost the planet of our youth. What type of planet do you want to leave your decendents?
If we do not reduce, reuse and recycle now,the world will be a third world-world and the human race could be in real trouble.
The earth, heck, she'll always bounce back; she always does. But if we keep treating her the way we are past and present; she's going to shake us off like a bad case of fleas!
Just how much do you like drinking water? Just how much do you like clear blue skies? How many cities have to be destroyed by horrific weather before we realize; Houston...we've got BIG problems.
I am from the south, Louisiana to be exact, but I am going to continue to live in Kansas City; eventually at the rate we are going, I will not have to go to the beach...the beach is heading towards me!
Hang on in the north, west, east and south; hurricane season hasn't even started yet!
Oh! And the icebergs? There still melting faster than we ever dreamed.
If we keep our homes like we treat our earth...most people must live in filth with extraordinary light, gas, and water bills.
Awaken or we will as a race perish; maybe not in our generation but 2050 is not looking so good for anything that breaths.
Today's patriot should be a citizen of the world, not some provincial nationalist, and should work towards the greatest good for the greatest number.
a bulletpoint enabling each individual to pledge the following:
"I will set time aside daily to realize and reflect on human expansion (population growth, human consumption, technological advancement and control of the pace of this advancement) and measure its affects on our planet. I will take these thoughts with me when making both large and small decisions and actions around me."
We should consider ourselves the caretakers of our planet; citizen patriots of not only America but of the world. We should always consider the ramifications seven generations ahead whenever we make decisions that will impact our physical and biological environment.
in our daily actions and decisions we make small positive choices in the short-term....based on the long-term effects and outcomes of those choices on the whole...
Being a patriot does not only mean being a patriot of this country, it also means being a patriot of the Earth, and all her creatures. As of now, the United States is using 25% of the world's energy, and yet we are only 5% of the world population. The United States is also the world's largest contributor to greenhouse gases. California is being affected by acid rains from China. Smog and air pollution cause breathing problems, which is the least of our troubles. Depending on foreign oil increases the likelihood of an energy crisis; and depending on oil at all is absurd. Oil reserves are declining in all areas of the world, excluding the Middle East. The price of gasoline is rising due to the fact of supply and demand: our demand for oil is very high, but it's almost impossible to for the supply to match. There has been more than a 50% increase in parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the last hundred years. If you do not believe that mankind causes global warming, just read that fact. What revolution happened a hundred years ago? The industrial revolution. As soon as we started burning fossil fuels and releasing stored carbon, we started contributing to global warming. Renewable technologies and energies must be used to eliminate or at least greatly reduce our emissions. Solar photovoltaic cells can convert sunlight directly to electricity; so why are they not in greater use? The U.S. has vast wind energy resources; North Dakota alone could supply 40% of our electricity needs, using wind power. I don't believe there is any single, miracle solution. If we continue to consume at this rate, we must use multiple alternative energy sources to match our demand. Conservation of our natural resources is a must if we wish to preserve the Earth.
~Kelcie, a passionate environmentalist
The declaration should emphasize that reducing global warming is not only patriotic, not only a need for the entire planet, not only our duty to safeguard the human race, but also a simple act of love. Love for life, for nature which is life itself, from the infinitesimally small to the universally large. Had we remembered to love nature in the first place, instead of seeing it as merely land for buildings or a source for comforts, we would not be facing the threats of global warming today.
Reducing our dependence on fossil fuels will not only decrease global warming concerns, but it will benefit our national security efforts as we decrease our dependency on the Middle East.
We need to stand up and find a way to stop the unhealthy aspects of our very commercial culture. Both as individuals and as economic concerns we need to examine our goals and lifestyles and realign them with ecologically sound and sustainable ones. To me, recognizing the unhealthy values we have as a society IS patriotic, because it shows we care enough to choose a SANE long term solution rather than give in to the greed or impulsiveness of commercially driven ventures.
Patriots need not plunder the world's resources to create a richer and richer lifestyle. . . . while the poorest in the world go hungry.
Being a patriot means honoring the spirit of preservation and respect for the great wealth we as Americans have been given in the forms of natural resources and our people, acting to preserve and protect our land, loving our neighbors and our land as ourselves and actively taking care to do minimal harm to both, honoring and living by the principles outlined in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, being compassionate and caring for all living things, and being decent citizens of the earth.
Some of the necessary changes will appear difficult, even insurmountable to many people. The word [i]sacrifice[/i] is not one that they want to hear, but that's likely a big part of what it's going to take. As others here have said, we must lead by example. Buying/driving smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles, using mass transit, "reduce, reuse, recycle, repeat" -- eventually many people will see us living happily and think, [i]if they can do it, maybe I can, too[/i]. This nation has stood together and has sacrificed together before - I believe we can do it again.
I'm an environmental consultant with almost 30 years experience. My opinion is that global warming is not man induced. Sorry, as I know that is not a popular opinion. Time will tell who is correct.
I think global warming has much more to do with natural causes well beyond our control.
Patriotism is demanding that our leaders stop blowing off climate change issues that affect us all!!! They need to bring back the electric car (that runs on sunlight) to save the dying automakers of our U.S. economy and create more jobs!!! This is an example of collective efforts.
On an individual level, we each need to spread the word about various issues as they come up and do our part to take responsibiity for this catastrophy. As evidence mounts that humans are responsible for a major percentage of global emmissions and we realize that WE 'RE ALL HUMAN, we can... Ride a bike! Stop buying gasoline! Recycle! Buy recycled products! Support eco-friendly building! Compost your kitchen scraps! Grow your own food and trade with neighbors! Get solar panels on your roof despite what your housing association says!!!!!!!! C'mon people, WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Being a patriot means considering the good of the whole (in this case, the people of the world and this precious planet)over self interests. It is giving a voice to those that may not have a voice (our children & future generations). It is taking the time to both educated yourself as to the issues and taking the time it takes to hold our government accountable to the people.
I have yet to hear anyone speak to the impact that war has on the environment. Smoke, dust, waste, consumption of oil, etc. must have a tremendous affect on the air, water and land and contribute heavily to global climate change. For the sake of humanity I urge that war becomes internationally illegal not only because of the death and destruction it causes to people, but also because we must get serious about the material waste and tremendous pollution that is a by-product of war.
I completely agree with the importance of education, especially of the young. I also think we can "cash in" on the competitive spirit of Americans and their need to be considered "the best." So let's foster and market the perspective and the actions that lead to us being the best at reducing global warming, the best at development and utilization of alternative clean energy, the best at incorporating green practices into our daily lives. Such competition can be healthy and positive not only for Americans but for all the planet's inhabitants and lifeforms.
One thing I don't hear much about is synthetic motor oil. It is already on the market but is very expensive. I'd like to see traditional motor oil completely replaced with this, as it would greatly reduce our dependence on the real stuff and the price would drop if the market became flooded with the synthetic motor oil. I also think that this new technology should be thoroughly explored and financed to see just how far it can go.
A patriot, by its nature, requires, no demands, an unwaivering, unconditional committment to protect the ways of his life, family and environment. We must realize by now that we no longer are afforded the luxuries of status quo in any of those areas. Global destruction is at our front door. We have two choices: do nothing and regress to an unsustainable planet or do everything and anything in our power to ensure our very survival and prosperity. No thinking required here!
I don't really like the rhetoric about patriotism. It seems unnecessary to go into that, and what it means can be so easily skewed (the years since 9-11 are certainly demonstrative of that!).
I think that there needs to be an emphasis on the concept of stewardship. We as a global population need to realize that the earth is not here simply for our own pleasure and wealth, and that its resources are not inexhaustible.
I think that we should also say something about loving and appreciating nature. America was once a nation of naturalists. We have been blessed with a country of vast natural beauty, but without protection and conservation, it is slowly disappearing, and the people's appreciation of nature disappears along with it.
We need to rethink the liberal concepts of citizenship, patriotism, duty, the role of government, and the social contract on which this nation and others are founded within the context of the current interconnected, global project that is human civilizaiton. Nature, our resources, and our future represent the ultimate commonweal. Corporations and governments can be despotic or enlightened...
Impotent individuals is the bane of our existence, too many people say what good is one person. We must all feel the individual need to take a stand - buy responsibly, use responsibly, demand government and industries to be responsible and most of all care about ourselves and our fellow men, for the future of our children. Be an example, ours is an affluent, care-less country, very adolescent minded - we do need to grow up.
Let's keep it simple: Reduce, Re-use, Recycle - and clean-up. Reduce pollution of the environment immediately by outlawing the production of gas guzzling SUVs, muscle cars, and the likes. Reduce pollution immediately by heavily taxing pollution from any form of production facility (industrial, agricultural, etc). Reduce the production of throw-away, non-recyclable products, materials, and packaging by heavily taxing them. Encourage recycling of products by manufacturing durable items. Re-use whatever is possible that doesn't pollute and is not a safety hazard. When you can't do that anymore, Recycle paper, cardboard, cans, metals, etc. Recyle your self: get a bike and use it whenever possible. Plan your day to allow time to use your bike. Choose a lifestyle that maximizes living with respect for the environment instead of living in spite of the environment.
Perhaps remind people that they, too, can make a difference in their everyday habits: responsible shopping for organic food, replacing indadescent lightbulbs with CFLs, purchasing hybrid or other vehicles with high fuel-efficiency.
Back in the 80's, I drove a Chevy Sprint, which got 50 mpg highway, and as high as 60 on trips to Vegas. Here we are, 20 years later, and we're excited about hybrids getting less than this? We can REALLY pick up the pace on cutting back on car pollution, me thinks. Also, compact floresent bulbs have come a long way...using them should be a no-brainer at this point.
Just as the Civil Rights Movement was carried by college campuses, so should the change begin in the fight to end global warming. It is every American's duty to do their part yet college campuses can be shining examples of how efficient and successful cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions can be. It is time for the youth of America to take hold of its voice with this very issue!
Considering that Global Warming is reaching a crisis state, I would like to see more government involvement. I live in a rural area and people aren't seeing the big picture. The government needs to get on board and offer incentives to businesses and possibly a tax credit for American's that drive hybrid cars or recycle.
Let's vow to guarantee that the poorest people of this earth are the first to benefit from all our efforts to conserve and protect the environment.
Declaration of Interdependence
It is long past time for the people of the United States to acknowledge the interdependence of people (and ecosystems) throughout the planet. You cannot stay afloat in half a lifeboat. Americans need to resolve to concern themselves with the health and wellbeing of the entire planet and all its people.
Patriotism......first off, being anti-war IS Patriotic. Equally valuing the lives of your own countrymen/countrywomen as that of the citizens in other countries... even when they're in far off places such as Iraq. Patriotism is the ability/willingness to sacrifice your own needs/desires for the betterment of your country....i.e. changing your lifestyle so that all can enjoy a higher quality of life. This can be as simple as changing your light bulbs from incandescent to compact flourescents. Or an even bigger step to changing the type of car that you drive. We as a family made the choice to give up our Volvo SUV and drive a more sensible vehicle....better MPG, ULEV and a car rated "green" for overall environmental impact. Given that we had the financial wherewithal to do so, we figured a vacation less per year for the next few years (actually a decade)would help pay for our solor electric system. So we invested the money and now have all of our electricity provided by solar panels. We live in the burbs but are now completely off the grid!!! Designed a system so that we would generate an excess each month that is returned back to our electricity provider. While we don't get paid for this excess, we're helping to reduce the need for more electricity generation from carbon emitting sources. My feeling is that before we all go out and try to convince others of the need for change/the need to help protect the environment, we need to make sure our own "house is in order". It starts with you!!!
American patriotism has always been a commitment to other Americans, including future generations. It isn't about the land or a flag, but about people determined to preserve a society that respects everyone's rights, abilities and aspirations. Nothing could be more UN-American than allowing unrestricted corporatism to despoil our country and the planet for short-term gain.
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.
I think a true Patriot should learn + live the Words defined and the Law's written down. And they should also know that the main objective of America is the protected privlege of Privacy, Because America was built by a melting pot of people from all around the world.
Brett Weber Founder/superintendent of advertisements for the:
Family Earth Awareness Foundation
Well if patriot has to do with a country then I would like to see country defined as the will of it's people demonstrated by democratic processes. I am personally not a patriot since this democratic process has been usurped by corporate (generic usage)control over who gets elected. Whether or not we can affect global warming as a phenomena we can certainly see that we aren't intentionally poisoned. I see removing the people who have proven themselves to be against the will of the people as the first step in solving all the problems. Remember what a patriot stands for? Liberation from tyranny could be first on the list. If we don't stop burying our heads from the real problem we will live out our lives struggling to feed the beast that dictates our circumstances. It's time to stop trying to reason with these people and hoping they will act sanely. It's time to clean house. Both houses and all branches of government need to return to it's original state, which is to serve us. We can't reason with the wolf that it see things our way. We must at last accept his nature.
I would call for a patriotism that pledges allegiance not to flags, nations, monotheistic gods, wall-building and fear, but rather to natursl cycles, mountains and rivers, deep soils, big skies, and love of all creatures who live among and within us.
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