February 9, 2021
by Susan Lawrence, Past Atlantic Chapter Chair and Conservation Chair
The terrible ravages of the Covid pandemic and the threats to our democracy may leave us feeling overwhelmed and fractured in our daily focus and actions.
There are cards on my refrigerator that I look at often but not often enough.
- What changes your behavior is not more knowledge but making decisions and taking action
- Another day. What a gift!
- I devote my major time blocks to my top priorities
I have embedded in my brain what a pastor at my church urged us is essential to help others in our community — focus on efforts that can make a critical difference.
Fighting to overcome the ravages of the pandemic, climate change, pollution, racism, poverty, sexism and so much more requires us to think holistically about how issues and actions in one area intersect with and are intertwined with many other areas. As environmentalists, we can and should open our minds and arms to work together with others in the Sierra Club, in our local communities and at the state, national and international level. To me the premise for moving forward is what can we do together to effect critical change.
To make a vital difference, taking action in our communities is essential. We can research, educate, start and join campaigns; become active in local government; link with other community organizations with shared interests; run for public office and more.
The Sierra Club offers many opportunities to act. Perhaps most importantly, think about what experience, skills, knowledge, interests and precious time you have to focus on opportunities you can develop for others, for all ages, backgrounds, needs and passions.
Wondering what you might focus on in your community? Go to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website. It has a wealth of information on its “Climate Smart Communities” campaign with a holistic approach. Also, go to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s website to learn about key steps to become “Energy Smart Communities.”
Martin Luther King Jr. said in 1967, “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is no such thing as being too late . . . This is a time for vigorous and positive action.”