“Today is Blog Action Day ’09 and the subject is Climate Change…anyone up to the challenge?”, read Katrina Bell’s email.

Okay , I can’t resist.    

Although I am not a blogger, I am deeply interested in climate change.  I’m curious about it, concerned by it, even sometimes frightened and outraged.  Are you?  Does it sometimes seem like a topic that’s become larger than life, grander than many of us can keep up with or sort out?  Almost to the point of occasionally just being annoying!?  Sometimes it makes me want to yawn and take a nap.  Sometimes I just want to stand in front of the refrigerator, with the door open while I decide what I want to eat, no matter how long I might take to make up my mind!  But, I can’t.  Physically and mentally, even when I’m feeling irreverent and selfish, I can’t.  I try.  I remember being a kid and letting the sprinklers run for hours, even when I was done playing in them.  I groan.  And then I shut the refrigerator door, quickly capturing a mental list of its contents. 

This climate change topic has so many people stuck.  I have and overhear conversations all the time with people who want to be doing everything they can, and beat themselves in grocery lines for forgetting their reusable bags.  You know what I think?  Don’t do that.  Don’t make it a chore that kills your spirit.  Don’t let it take you down a notch all day if you buy some strawberries from California because you didn’t make it to the weekend Farmer’s Market.  Instead, keep learning about the big picture because the more you know and deeply understand, changes in your lifestyle will follow naturally and the subsequent positive impact YOU have on this planet will be inevitable. 

That being said, I have to recommend this Super Fantastic, Totally Hip and Brilliant discussion course.  It’s one of those things I kept hearing the past few years but when just one more person I totally, completely admire (Jill Sughrue – thank you!) recommended it again, I couldn’t ignore it anymore.  The NW Earth Institute is Amazing.  The history is beautiful:  Big wig local lawyer decides to retire to focus on educating about global climate change.  His wife was already an activist for Oregon air quality.  Together they now only have ONE SACK of trash to send to the landfills – A Year. We’re talking a huge lifestyle change.  And a huge inspiration.  The discussion course concept is simple:  Form your own group for a sort-of climate change book club.  NW Earth Institute has a selection of 8 discussion books to choose from (cheap – like $20) with topics such as, “Menu for the Future”, “Voluntary Simplicity”, and “Healthy Children, Healthy Planet”.   You let them know you’re forming a group, they’ll send out a mentor for the first session (this part is fun – and free) and then you take over the group yourself, using the workbook as your guide.  

This is a great way to listen to other people’s opinions and predictions related to climate change and helps you become more convicted in your own beliefs.  Knowledge is Power.  Lose the desire to learn and our weaknesses will be the real cause of our demise.

To start your own empowering discussion group, go to: http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/get_started