Published in the Post-Bulletin on 22 April 2009

By Chandler Harrison Stevens

Change from the “bottom” up — when you think of it, there is no other way to achieve “change.”  In this age of celebrity, it is all too tempting to focus upon who is on “top” — perhaps President Obama, whose 2008 campaign emphasized “change” — or maybe Rush Limbaugh, who makes a living as a conservative changing people’s minds about “change agents” such as Obama.   But, we are the ones who need to change.  As a cartoon character of the ’60s, Pogo, said:  “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

Decades end with what sounds like the next decade’s 1st year (e.g., the ‘00s end in 2010).  Cartoonist Walt Kelly in 1970, the end of the sixties decade, used Pogo’s quote on a poster for the 1st Earth Day on 22 April. For a change, write dates-before-months.

We, from the bottom up, clearly have as “top” priorities: the economy, energy and health care.   Whether on the left or the right or somewhere down the “radical middle,” we all seem to agree that those three broad issues are most important just now.   So why can we not agree on what to do?   Well, we really can do quite a bit if we stop focusing on the “top” and instead focus on what each of us, at the so-called “bottom,” can do!   Do we need to agree on specific changes we each need to make?   Of course, not.  We’re all different.

The Pogo-like slogan of this decade, the aughts, 2001-2010, to quote our President, is:
“We are the change we’ve been waiting for.”

In general, we pretty much agree that: “We need to spend more money now to avert a short-term depression, then save more money later to secure our long-term economic future. We need to consume less energy in order to reduce our oil imports and carbon emissions as well as our household expenses. We need to quit [Mr. President] smoking, lay off the Twinkies and avoid other risky behaviors that both damage our personal health and boost the costs of care that are ravaging the nation’s fiscal health.” (“How Obama is Using the Science of Change” by Michael Grunwald, Time, 13 Apr 2009, pp 28-32.)  Many pundits predict it will take another year, maybe even through 2010, to see if we are capable of achieving change — economically, ecologically and personally (regarding health and other habits).

Perhaps, from the bottom up — today, Earth Day, the 40th such Earth Day, after being conceived probably in late 1969 (do the math) near the end of the “political ’60s” — we should declare 2010 to be Earth Year.  We could have that practice continue by making the last year of each subsequent decade another Earth Year, which would end each future decade but intentionally begin a periodic “revolution” of the sort that Thomas Jefferson recommended occur about every 10 years.  So join the revolution!

Since you’re “different,” pick from below or make your own list of how/what to change. Better yet, before you read change-ideas from others below, jot down an idea here:

·      _______________________________________________

·      A cousin of a Minnesota Congressman writes, “My Earth Day suggestion is to evaluate everything you buy (or do) as to whether it contributes to creating a sustainable economy and lifting people out of poverty, or whether it is not sustainable and widens the gap between the poor and the wealthy.”

·      recycling, prayer

·      need medical changes – for all of us

·      Consume less.  This relates to buying “things,” accumulating “stuff,” and to the use of resources such as electricity, gas and water.

·      Eat healthy.  Eat less.  Eat wisely by educating oneself about the nutritional values of foods.

·      Become “energy independent” by mortgaging home installation of rooftop solar and a backyard small wind turbine, in combination with plug-in hybrid car(s), networked with other energy independents and local utility companies, by 2011.

·      Get government during 2009 to issue energy mortgage vouchers as incentives for homeowners to become energy independent, during Earth Year, 2010.

·      Live within your means.  Make a family budget and follow it.  Don’t live on credit cards — avoid debt.  Expect your government to do the same, within reason.

Now that you have seen change-ideas above, think of actions you might take during a first periodic, revolutionary year – next year, 2010, Earth Year #1 — at the end of the first of 10 decades of our 21st century, the first of 100 decades of our third millennium?  What actions might you take then to help save our economy, our ecology, our Earth, our democracy, your personal health and health of our planet?  Jot down still another idea.  Then share that idea via emailto:chstevens@smig.net

·      _______________________________________________

OR  please just give me your idea(s) here as a blog  COMMENT below, possibly to appear in a future newspaper column anonymously.

Also, feel free to revise the above article under your own byline to be published in your local newspaper between now and July 2009.  If you do happen to do that, then please say in a comment here in what newspaper and when that gets published.   Many thanks!  -harry