Sep 25, 2007

Call for compassion



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvBf7ngydbU

Sep 16, 2007

Inspiration


Here are some awesome quotes that I hope will inspire some of you out there.

"If only we could overcome cruelty with compassion we should make a gigantic stride toward achieving our ultimate human potential, moving beyond the Age of Reason to the Age of Love."
~Jane Goodall~

"If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed."
~Chinese proverb~

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth will find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~Rachel Carson~

"The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men." ~Alice Walker~

"We are not the only beings capable of rational thought, of emotions, and of mental and physical suffering. Once we begin to accept that animals do indeed suffer, we must begin to scrutinize the way in which we treat all animals, human and non-human alike, as well as the environment in which they live." ~Jane Goodall~

"Kinship with all life must be expressed with action, since belief is no longer enough." ~Michael W. Fox~

"If we allow our point of view to be known, we will sway people, but if we stand quietly and let someone expressing an opposing view go unchallenged, we hurt our cause. So if we want to end racism, sexism, speciesism, or any other exploitie practice, we must be determined not to be silent! That means breath deeply, realize only good (or at least nothing horrible!) can happen. Speak up!" ~Ingrid Newkirk~

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." ~Edmund Burke~

"There is no shame in not knowing; the shame lies in not finding out!" ~Russian proverb~

"If anyone can show me, and prove to me, that I am wrong in thought or deed, I will gladly change. I seek the truth, which never yet hurt anybody. It is only persistence in self-delusion and ignorance which does harm." ~Marcus Aurelius~

"I am only one, but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something." ~Helen Keller~

"You must be the change you wish to see in th world." ~Mahatma Gandhi~

Dr. Jane Goodall


Well I actually wrote this on Thursday after being inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall herself! It was such an honor to be able to hear her speak, she is an amazing woman.
First of all Jane Goodall is my inspiration.. All the work she's done to help animals and blur the line between them & us, the work she's done to help our environment and raise awareness worldwide.. well there's books and movies, and I'm sure websites about it as well so I'm not going to go all into that, but if you don't know who she is then get with it!! :) (Currently I'm reading her newest book so I may post more on her later.)
Anyways, she spoke on Thursday morning and much of what she said was so moving I was fighting back tears. This earth is endangered, not just the certain endangered species and plant life, but everything, including us. We have 10 years to reduce the effects of what we have done to abuse this planet or we will face massive repercussions..
She highlighted issues such as poverty, ethnic conflicts, endangered species, vanishing rain forests, pollution, falling water levels, etc ..
This is all due to OUR LIFESTYLES..
Every single day we live on this planet we make a difference. Every choice you make.. EVERY CHOICE YOU MAKE has an effect on the environment. What you choose to throw away, what you choose to purchase, what you choose to consume as food/drink, it's packaging, your mode of transportation, where you travel, what activities you take part in, absolutely everything has an effect on the environment.
The question is, do we feel passionate enough to make change?
We need to understand the nature of the problem at home first, ..individual action is powerful. We have the power, all we need is to put out the energy and take a deep breath and muster up the courage to make better choices. Sure you might be laughed at for picking a bottle out of the garbage to recycle it, or whatever, but everything helps. Every little thing. And until more people choose to care, those who do care are a minority and might be laughed at or made fun of.. But the good news is more and more people are becoming aware that our earth is in a state of crisis and doing their part to save the it. Our earth world is more important than making money. Remember that.
She also addressed the issue of politicians.. how so many people blame the politicians for not putting laws into effect, etc.. But you know, politicians rely on peoples votes to keep them in office. Right now we are a minority but as more and more people are educated and inspired to become more environmentally friendly, it catches on. So another important thing is to vote!! Every vote counts and if we want politicians to become more environmentally friendly, we need to make sure the ones who are get the most votes!
In our workshops we were discussing endangered species, and this isn't something I was aware of prior to, but I guess frogs and bees all over the earth are disappearing in vast numbers.. They don't know why the bees are disappearing, but they think the frogs are disappearing because of all the chemicals and pesticides, etc in our environment, and especially traces of birth control.. I was shocked at this.. I mean, it's just hormones right? Well it messes with the frogs and kills them. When we take birth control pills the excess comes out in our urine and goes into the water and the water treatment plants don't filter out hormones.. I guess this is getting to be a big thing.. But what is the other option? Not taking birth control and saving the frogs but having more of a growing problem with human overpopulation?
.. these are issues we need to think about .. there has got to be alternatives. I haven't done much research yet on the frog/bee thing, but I plan to soon and I'll keep you posted on what I find out.
... anyways...
Hope this has inspired someone out there.

"If you really want something, try your hardest, take advantage of every opportunity, and never give up.. you will get there." ~Jane Goodall

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