Thursday, December 11, 2008

Winds of Change: are they finally blowing?

Recession, Global Warming, and Bailouts are the talk of the world right now and we stand waiting to see what will happen. What does the moment mean? We Gen-Y's have a unique perspective that should not be wasted. We have the ability right now to determine what the history books will say. I know that sounds cliche, but it shouldn't be taken lightly. History presents every generation with one or more defining moments. What happens right now will be ours.

Some thing(s) will be asked of our generation, things that will not be easy to hear, see, or do; but make no mistake we will be called to answer. I argue that it is time to stop being so complacent about the issues that are confronting our world right now. Patiently waiting for markets to correct themselves, the planet to re-balance, corporations to accept responsibility, or the government to bail us all out is not going to solve our problems. We need to stop re-evaluating how we live and start changing the way we live. We must roust the same kind of national spirit that most of our grandparents did in their successful attempt to combat and overthrow Nazism.

Gen-Y is not going to be able to live the way past generations have. We need to do more with less and adopt a new approach to what it means to be a human in this world. We essentially will be responsible for regulation of all Earth's regulatory systems. This means that we cant be lazy or hasty in our decision. The mechanisms are in place: Today, the United Nations called for "A New Green Deal" asking that we to "re-commit ourselves to the urgency of our cause." Thomas Friedman has explained why and how a green revolution is a must. The President Elect has appointed a team ready to tackle the issues. It seems the winds of change have have begun to blow.

It is now upon us to forge ahead and get behind our leaders, after all we elected them to lead. Get away from the old classification of what it means to be an environmentalist. In today's changing world everyone should be, we all have an impact, and because of that impact we all have a responsibility to account for it. The wisdom once imparted on a generation before ours is now alive again and more important then ever.
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." ~JFK

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