Doesn’t it seem that nearly everywhere you turn, there’s someone spouting off about the environment, sustainability, and something you and I are doing that is leading us to global catastrophe?
Well, maybe I exaggerate, but I find myself wanting to ask my accuser just where and how we should be looking to channel our efforts. Even if we want to invest our valuable time and resources, how do we know which causes are truly worthwhile or can profit from our efforts?
Some factors, such as population growth and globalization, so overshadow any individual efforts that it’s sometimes tempting to haul down the flag and join the march to oblivion. But that’s not what we’re about. We’re creatures of action, and the crux lies in finding the right actions through trial and error and applying them.
Such seemingly small acts in our everyday lives as turning off unnecessary lights or equipment, walking five extra steps to put the newspaper in a recycling bin, watering the lawn in the morning or evening rather than the middle of the day, or setting the thermostat at a more economical level might seem inconsequential, but in an aggregate sense they can be enormous.
Consider the spate of regulations with near-Draconian penalties aimed at curbing erosion and soil loss where the practices they’ve spawned have most often resulted in less rework and more long-term cost savings…a benefit in anyone’s estimation.
While there is no panacea, no magic bullet, no giant leap when it comes to meeting our environmental challenges, those who have instituted effective environmental management programs have come to realize that the most environmentally beneficial practices have proved to be the most productive and therefore cost-effective as well. But they’ve also learned that, like safety, environmental responsibility is an ongoing process ... one small step for ourselves and all who follow.