Little changes really DO make a big difference: Farewell and keep the green movement going

With “green” cemented as this year’s buzz word I am confident that Americans are growing to be more aware of the environment and what we are doing to it. The past 12 weeks or so have given me a unique opportunity to be curious and explore various green technologies, government strategies to be more environmentally friendly and re-evaluate the way I choose to live my own life. Although I have not yet received any comments on this blog from outside readers, I am confident that it was well worth the effort. At the very least I have learned about myself and how I can lead a more environmentally friendly and sustainable life. My family and friends have also been influenced by my experience.

Whenever I see one of my friends of family members toss a recyclable in the trash…it sparks a conversation. I throw facts and figures at them about how long it takes that particular item to decompose in a landfill. Although I’ve had the privilege of spending an entire semester getting closer to our earth…I still feel like there is a wealth of information I have not yet been exposed to. I cant help but think about the rest of our population. It is crucial that we as a nation take notice of what we are doing to our environment and make changes in our everyday lives to live more sustainably.

I’d like to think that each and everyone of us can make a difference, but deep down I still don’t think the individual is that powerful. Of course, when we take those extra steps to be more environmentally friendly, we will also become more aware of our environment. But, alone those little things really just make a small, maybe even miniscule, dent in the problem. However, the individual changes help educate people about the issues at hand and together we, as a society, can call more attention to the issues and really make a big impact. The plastic water bottle you recycle is not going to change the world, the conversations you have attempting to educate others about recycling and the environment as a whole will foster education and will move us forward.

The first day of the semester when fellow catscanners were choosing their blog topics I began to think about how the class will actually help make a difference. Several blogs aimed to investigate organic foods and green travel…I couldn’t grasp how these mini-changes would really have an influence. After reading countless articles and educating myself about the issues I slowly began to grasp the importance of these mini changes. They facilitate the bigger changes and are the catalyst for big change.

I am excited to see what happens in the future and thank my readers for their interest and hope they go on to make small changes, have those conversations and be a part of the larger movement towards a more sustainable nation and healthier world. Hopefully I will be able to continue blogging in the future…maybe not every week…but I will definitely try to keep up with it if only for myself.

And, if this entire blog is not enough to convince you that doing something good for the environment is the right thing to do and well worth the effort...mabe these cute cuddly animals will change your mind.