What inspires your desire to take care of the earth?
I got a press release last week about This is Our Moment a “new underground campaign to promote GREEN CHANGE.” Several celebrities, some I don’t recognize – others who are very recognizable – are urging us via a video to contact our Senators about a clean energy bill. It’s actually a well done video. I wondered while watching the video, though, does it have to be celebrities in the video. Does it take celebrities to get us to listen?
So I have a question for you. Do celebrity endorsements for green campaigns or lifestyles inspire you? Who or what does inspire you?
It was my boys who inspired me to start paying attention to the impact our family has on the environment. They, along with my husband, still inspire me even when they complain a lot about what their inspiration has wrought.
The Bible inspires me. Romans 1:20 says “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” I believe our world is a creation and that all of the beauty God created is evidence of his existence. When our view of creation’s beauty is corrupted, so is our view of God.
You inspire me. Those of you who read this blog and try to figure out how to make small changes.
And in the interest of full disclosure, there are two celebrities that inspire me when it comes to issues – Bono and Jamie Oliver.
Your turn. Tell me what inspires you.
Image: TomJByrne
What a great question! I wonder how many folks get inspired from a celebrity endorsement. I sort of think campaigns like the one you mention are more like…little nudges? Folks are bombarded with messages all day, and I think it’s about repetition more than one specific message convincing a person, you know? I guess I feel like it plays out this way: the first few times you hear about our impact on the world around us, it doesn’t stick, then maybe it nags at you a little, and then finally you’re ready to act.
So, to answer your question:
The environment has been something that was important to me since I was a kid. It felt selfish in a way to make choices without keeping the planet in mind. Living as gently as possible has just always felt like common sense. But maybe I just got those messages early on?
I have to say that celebrities don’t inspire me personally. Other eco-bloggers do inspire me though and naturalists from the past, people like John Muir and Rachel Carson, are an inspirational example to follow.
Mostly I’m inspired by my own drive to do things better, to take better care of our planet so that I can continue to enjoy the beauties of nature. I don’t think it’s permissible for me to despoil the Earth for my own needs.
So, the inspiration comes from within, but the impetus to keep going comes from reading other examples of what people, like you Robin, are doing. It’s hard to keep motivated and focused without being part of some kind of community who cares.