Goal For The Green

Are we being logical about Global Warming ? Probably not, since we now call it climate change.  It might be a little ridiculous to think that man caused climate change to happen.  Sure, we are a contributing factor, but we all know that the earth undergoes sometimes drastic climate changes-naturally!  Mother Nature has never needed any help in that area.  Even if we would have heeded the warnings 30 plus years ago, after the “gas crisis,” -much of what is happening now, would still be happening.  We have no control over it.  But, we probably have contributed to our crisis by not practicing good conservation.

So, what makes us think that we can change our habits and replace our energy demands with alternative sources, in just ten years?  Today, here in the United States, only 7% of our energy comes from alternative sources.  Hydroelectric power  comprises 36% of our total alternative energy usage.  Another 5% comes from the use of wind energy.  These two sources cannot be tapped into much further, without studies of the damage it causes to already fragile ecosystems.  Fish and wildlife suffer as a paradox of our need for alternative energy sources.  It seems the only time we hear about these unfair tradeoffs, is when people protest (NIMBY) not in my back yard, when it is time to build dams and install wind turbines into already settled communities.

Today, over half of our alternative energy is in the form of biofuels.  Sources such as switchgrass (it needs an enzyme to break it down) and ethanol (corn based) are our hope for renewable energy.  Geothermal and solar power (through photovoltaic cells) offer another 6% of our current alternative energy usage.  While these sources are promising, they supply a very minor amount of our total annual energy needs.

Will we meet the goal in ten years?  Probably not, but we have to start somewhere.  It is estimated that it will cost upwards of $2.5 trillion to achieve approximately half of our home based energy needs through alternative energy sources.   Some feel that the environmental impact of biofuels is worse than that of petroleum souces.  Sure, more information is needed in these areas, but we can’t stop progress.  We must move forward.  We should make more use of resources that we already have here at home.  More use of nuclear energy, natural gas, and ways to safely make use of hydrogen should be looked at more closely.

Most of us set goals as an objective to achieve a desired outcome or a desired state of affairs. In today’s world, it seems that everything is “green” or “going green”.  So, why not goal green?

The thought came to me one day when I was thinking about my Mom.  She was the most organized, well planned, detail-oriented woman I have ever known.  I affectionately named her the “sticky queen.”  There were post-it notes everywhere in her house, on the fridge, on the phone, on and in her checkbook, the washer and dryer, even the bathroom mirror. I thought perhaps she couldn’t remember what she needed to do in a day. She boldly assured me that was not the case.  “If I write things down and stick it somewhere in plain sight, I’m more apt to complete the task. What I don’t finish, I move to the top of the list for the next day,” she explained.

It sounded like a good idea, but I didn’t take it to heart until about five years ago, after she passed away.  I had been one of the last of the great procrastinators, excellent at putting things off.  I always carried my thoughts, goals and plans with me in my head. I didn’t feel the need to take the time to write things down. I had even quit making New Year’s Resolutions, because most of the time I never got past January with any of them.

Mom was a well organized person because she took the time to set daily goals, and she wrote them down.  I now also write down goals, but not on sticky notes.  I’ve come to realize that if you can get in the habit of doing this, you’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish.  It is the fact of taking the action of writing things down that creates visualization.  Visualization paints the picture in your mind of the goal or task you want to create or complete.  Post your goals in writing and with pictures on a bulletin board. Put the board in plain sight, where you can see these goals at least three times a day.  In doing this, you will notice how it helps you stay motivated.  Then watch yourself create what will become your reality.

There are many topics to cover as we strive to goal green and live a greener lifestyle. I think of green as an action and success color.  Green symbolizes earth, nature and life. Green also means go, – or in this case goal.  It is my desire that you will join me, as we set green goals to become Earth conscious, Energy smart, and optimally Healthy, just to name some of the ways to goal for the green.