Eco Letters to the Editor

We who want a positive future for the environment and for human society often find ourselves at a loss for what we can do. There are always the basics: one can recycle, conserve electricity and water, and take one's own bags to the grocery store. But ultimately, the problem is not about the small choices of private citizens. It's about large institutions and long-established ways of thinking.

In order to start our society rolling in the right direction, eco people should not be shy about getting the word out. One technique that is available to those living in or near small cities is the "letter to the editor" of a newspaper. I must confess ignorance about the nature of newspapers around the world. But in my native America (I'm in Thailand now,) it's not very hard to get a letter published. You don't have to subscribe to the newspaper.

All one needs to do is go to the newspaper's website and find out the procedure. With most papers these days, one can submit the letter online. Look for a limit on the number of words and always include your address and phone number. The newspaper will call the number you give and ask you if you wrote the letter. Of course, some people don't have a phone. I've been in this situation and still gotten letters published. Try going into the newspaper with your ID and a copy of the letter.

Now, due to the ease of getting a letter published, many angry and ignorant people like to write letters to the editor. So respectable, thoughtful environmentalists often hesitate to participate. They don't want their communities to think they're a crack-pot. And many other people who go out of their way to care for mother earth in their private lives don't write letters because they don't want to draw attention to themselves, don't have the words to say, or just haven't thought of it.

Here are some reasons why I encourage you to start writing a letter. We live at a crucial time when the future of the earth will be decided. We as a world have to make decisions about whether we'll log or protect the remaining forests and jungles, conserve or devour the populations of the oceans, make major investments in sustainable technologies or continue to disrupt the very atmosphere with pollution.

There is hope. The Cold War has passed with no nukes dropped. Recent discoveries involving genetic engineering and termite spiders provide another possibility for sustainable energy. And waiting for us... whenever we can learn to live as a community on our home planet... are many empty planets where trees could grow, birds could sing, and human toddlers could play in the sunshine of new stars.

But first, there are many humans who need to be woken up. Most people just haven't gotten the word. The press, largely devoted to business as usual, doesn't tell the truth about the environment. They spread rumours about radical "environmentalists" who want to deprive hard-working families of what they need to be happy.

Of course, the core of the problem rests with a much smaller group of people who have the wealth that our highly technological society produces. It's like a drug to them and they want more: bigger boats, bigger, more spectacular mansions, more beautiful sex partners, etc.

But even these people can be reached, made to realize that the things they really need are much simpler. And when we do reach the rich, we'll gain the power to make the changes that need to be made.

So, please think about writing a letter to the editor, even if you're not a great writer or environmentalist. Just try to be up-beat, edit carefully, and do some research. For this, I recommend the site: www.livescience.com
It's a good feeling to use the written word to bring humans back into harmony with this fruitful, wild world.