Why Is It So Hard For Us, When It's So Simple For Them?

My seven year old daughter brought home her school journal, the question this week was "What is your wish for the children of the world?"  Her wish was for clean air.  What a simple wish.  A wish that, today, is impossible to fulfill.

At the Performing Arts assembly at my daughter's school each grade three kid gave a presentation that showed how they calculated their carbon foot print.  They talked about what their families did, and they talked about the sacrifices they were willing to make to make the world a greener, healthier, better place.

They saw it very clearly as a problem that needs solutions.

Right.

Now.

Why are we, as adults, so stubborn, so blind, and so unwilling to do the right thing for these seven and eight year old kids?  Why are we willing to throw away the only home we have because it's not convenient, because it costs too much, because we can't give up the things that are killing our world?  The things that are killing their world.

There is a Native American proverb that says: Only when the last tree is cut, only when the last river is polluted, only when the last fish is caught, will they realize that you can't eat money.

If money is what is holding us back from making bold, responsible, courageous changes to our treatment of the planet, we need to remember that the most valuable currency on the planet is life.

Let's do everything we can, so my daughter will see her wish come true in her lifetime.

I am a proud member of Blog Action Day.  I hope you will take action too.

I'll leave the last word to the kids.