BIG change

Action Expresses Priorities

"To be is to do"--Socrates
"To do is to be"--Jean Paul-Sartre
"Do be do be do!"--Frank Sinatra
~Kurt Vonnegut

Sometimes it only takes a generation to create monumental change.

Given the enormity of what we are facing, this generation will have to make that effort.

It's not fair.

You do not deserve to inherit a world spoiled by the fruits of greed. You will have to learn how to be and to do better than your parents and their parents.

Understand, though, this generation is uniquely positioned to take the task on.

You have had to face death in your classrooms. You know what is at stake. You know how to be strong and how to adapt. You know not to make half-assed excuses, or try to pass off the laziness of defeatist thinking as realism. The people who need to grow up--who need to learn how to "adult"--are the adults themselves. For generations they have not been taking responsibility for their decisions.

Actions express priorities.

It is very easy to throw words into the world as a smoke screen and thereby hide real intentions. By a person's actions you will know them.

I love this world.

I think it is amazing! I have chosen to live where I can walk out and watch kangaroos eat and play at a nearby paddock. I wake up to raucous squawking of cockatoos and in the evenings enjoy a sunset over wattle covered hills. I once even found a turtle walking along the side of the road on its way to the next nearest pond.

I have had books published by a well known publisher. But saving this beautiful world is so important to me, I am writing this book here for free. I want it to be readily available to all who can use it, regardless if they are rich or poor.

My priority is not to be rich or famous. My priority is our living world. Think about this as a measuring stick of the people you meet.

If someone advertises they are no longer offering straws to show they care, but continue to wipe out forests to grow crops and raise beef to sell cheap burgers--they are "greenwashing" themselves. They are giving with one hand in order to take much more with the other. If someone puts up billboards advertising that with every sale of an item, they are giving a donation to some charity. If they then pay their workers wages totalling less than the poverty line, that is known as "whitewashing". They are making people feel good about themselves for making a purchase, but it's a front so that you don't question, don't think about, how they are causing tremendous harm to benefit a few.

What you need to ask yourself when it comes to companies, organisations, institutions, and governments is--are what they say consistent with what they do? If you look deeply, will words and actions match up?

No one is perfect. We are all growing. Nevertheless, if it is clear people don't really care, aren't really listening, politely or forcefully pushing you off, then their actions are revealing a priority at variance with human and planetary well-being.

Sadly, you will find this sort of hypocrisy in environmental and social justice groups as well. This doesn't mean they are all bad. It means learn how to recognise when things aren't as they seem.

These are the sorts of groups you will commonly find and at times need to avoid.

All talk, no do.

These can be genuinely well-meaning groups, but you will terrify them if you ask them to roll their shirt-sleeves up and get their hands dirty.

They can do a good job of raising money, but may not wisely distribute the funds. That's because they are largely populated by people of privilege who want to think they are good individuals, but live in a protective bubble.